Crazy Ever After by Kelly Jamieson Read Free Book Online

could... Hell. She had to acknowledge the reality of their corporate structure. But none of the other executives would support him if he fired her, because of who she was. Except it was true—she had always made a point of not wanting any special treatment at Cedar Mill Coffee because of who she was.
    She sat back in her chair. She was doing a good job. Better than good. She’d increased sales in every store she’d managed, and then for the entire division she supervised. She was a valuable asset to the company. He couldn’t fire her without risking a wrongful dismissal suit.
    She’d sue his ass and take great pleasure from it.
    Damn, he had a nice ass.
    She slumped lower in the chair and took a breath. “He doesn’t want me to go to the office with him,” she told her mother, more calmly. “He doesn’t think I would be able to help.”
    “Oh. And you think you would.”
    “Yes. I think I could. I know more about the business than most people. Dad taught me a lot. I’ve taught myself a lot. I know Dad wanted me to work my way up. And maybe...” She hesitated. This was a bit of a leap, considering they’d never talked about that far into the future. “I think he wanted me to take over the company from him some day. When he retired.”
    Mom smiled. “I doubt he’d ever have retired, but I have no doubt he wanted you involved in the company. Along with Travis.”
    Samara’s eyes widened. “With Travis?” She shook her head. “But Dad was the CEO.” Travis’s protests about equal partnership echoed in her ears.
    Mom shook her head. “You do know a lot about the business, Sam, but there’s still a lot to learn. Your father and Travis hold equal shares in the company, forty per cent each.”
    Oh. She’d never thought about the actual shares in the company. “Who has the rest?”
    Her mother smiled again. “I do.”

Chapter Five
     
     
    Samara’s eyes shot open. “You do?”
    “Well, ten percent. The other ten percent is divided among some of the other executives. Alex has some. So does Hank.”
    Samara slumped into her seat again. Hell. How could she not have known they were equal partners? She hated feeling so stupid. Heat burned inside her, and she stared glumly at the table.
    As a kid, she’d known her father and Travis had worked together closely. Travis had started working as a barista for Cedar Mill in high school and then full time after he’d dropped out of college. She’d made that unfair crack about his lack of education, implying he wasn’t smart enough for college, but that was far from the case. He was so smart. She didn’t know exactly why he’d quit college, but she’d always suspected it was because of financial issues. She knew he had no family and had grown up with very little but didn’t know much more than that.
    “Your father and Travis were partners as well as friends,” her mother reminded her.
    Samara sat up straight, folded her arms across her chest, and regarded her mother. Yeah, Travis had often joined them in their home for family dinners and holidays since he had no family in Portland. Her father had been like a mentor to Travis, teaching him the business, guiding him, treating him almost like a son.
    “But Dad was the one who started the company.”
    “Yes. But when they became partners, Parker needed Travis as much as Travis needed him. Travis had already made quite a name for himself in the business.” When Travis had worked as a barista, Cedar Mill had consisted of a few coffee shops in Portland. He’d started winning awards in barista competitions and had acquired a reputation as someone who really knew coffee, and it was largely due to him that Cedar Mill had increased sales substantially, mostly through word of mouth. He’d worked his way up to head barista then had taken over training all the new hires. After a few years, he’d quit his job at Cedar Mill to start his own business, importing and roasting coffee beans, finding new kinds of beans,