Chapter 23

An hour after Liza dropped him off at the office, Wade strode into the boardroom.

He couldn't get the sound of theme-park rides, Liza's laughter, and Cindy's insightful questions out of his head, or the taste of hot dogs and mint ice-cream off his tongue.

It had been an incredible morning seeing the real Liza for the first time and he'd been blown away by her dedication to her sister, her level of caring, and her sheer joy in spending time with Cindy. She'd revealed a side of her he'd never seen, that of a loving, nurturing sister, and he wondered why she'd gone to great lengths to hide Cindy from him.

Sure, he accepted her rationale about not wanting Cindy exposed to the kind of intrusion she'd faced with her lifestyle over the years, and how emotional swings could increase Cindy's risk factors physically, but there had to be more to it.

He thought she might open up to him today of all days, because he'd seen how she'd looked at him.

As if she'd really seen him for the first time too.

Her wonder at the way he fit in to her family made him feel ten feet tall, as if he could scale that giant mouth entrance at Luna Park and jog backward on the roller coaster. Then he'd made the fatal mistake of delving deeper and she'd clammed up, shutting him out as if the amazing four hours had never happened.

It confused him, because he had to make some fast decisions regarding his future, and he hoped to have her in it.

He knew what the board were going to say, because he'd received a memo from the chairman late last night after Liza had left the office. Everything he'd worked so hard for, everything his father had achieved, would continue.

He'd saved Qu Publishing.

Liza's biography had saved Qu Publishing, and rather than taking her out for a night on the town to celebrate, he knew when he broke the news neither of them would feel like champagne.

Achieving his goal of preserving his father's legacy meant the end of his time in Melbourne.

The end of his relationship with Liza before it had really begun.

Now that he'd seen her with Cindy, he knew she'd never leave her sister. She was too dedicated, and he wouldn't ask that of her.

But there was another solution--they could come with him—and he rubbed his temples, excited by the prospect but knowing it would be a big ask.

Liza had outlined clearly what Cindy's medical care involved, so for her to move to another country and have to start all over again with specialists and physiotherapists and a new carer as good as Shar…the chances of her agreeing to move were slim to none.

He couldn't blame her. Liza's love for her sister was all encompassing and he couldn't compete with that. He didn't want to.

But he didn't want their fledgling relationship to end, not when they were finally opening up to each other and investing emotionally.

‘Wade?' The chairman slapped him on the back and he dragged in a deep breath, needing to get back in the game.

His personal life could wait. For now, he had a company to solidify.

Wade took his position at the head of the table. ‘Thanks for coming, gentlemen.' He mustered a smile for his stepmother. ‘Babs.'

Her lips thinned in an unimpressed line.

‘As you know, thanks to the pre-orders of Liza Lithgow's biography, Qu Publishing has cleared all debts and is firmly in the black. And with projected profit margins from mass market book sales, hardcover, trade paperback, audio, and digital, we're looking at enough capital to ensure viability for years to come.'

He waited until the cheers and clapping died down.

‘So I propose a vote. All those in favour of selling Qu Publishing, raise your hands.'

There wasn't a flicker of movement at the table as a dozen pairs of eyes stared at him with admiration. All except one, and he glanced at Babs, expecting to see her hand in the air. Surprisingly, she didn't move.

‘Well, it looks like the vote is unanimous—'

‘I want to say something.' Babs stood and Wade's heart sank. What would she come up with now to derail him?

‘Quentin loved this company and I know many of you blame me for distracting him from the office these last few years.'

Gobsmacked, Wade stared at the woman who had far more insight than he'd given her credit for.

‘The truth is, Quentin knew he had a heart condition, one that could prove fatal at any time. He wanted to make the most of our time together and I supported that.'

She paused to dab under her eyes, the first time Wade had ever seen her show genuine emotion. ‘This company reminds me of what I've lost and that's why I wanted to sell. To move on with my life while holding cherished memories of Quentin.'

Babs' gaze swung toward him. ‘Wade, you've done a great job saving this company from the brink, but I want out. You can buy my shares and we'll call it even.'

Wade nodded, startled into silence by this turn of events. He hated hearing Babs articulate his biggest regret: that his dad hadn't shared the seriousness of his prognosis. If he'd known about Quentin's fatal heart condition he never would've wasted so many years staying away because of the woman now looking at him with pity.

He didn't want her pity. He wanted those wasted years back. He wanted to repair the relationship with his dad, the one he'd fractured because of his intolerance. He wanted his dad to trust him enough to tell him the truth.

But he couldn't change the past. He'd have to take control of his future instead and never repeat the same mistakes.

He didn't know if Babs genuinely loved his dad, but he could understand her need to move on with her life. Selling her shares to him would allow them both to get what they wanted: closure for her, preserving his dad's legacy for him.

Finally finding voice, he cleared his throat. ‘Thanks, Babs, I'll have the transfer papers drawn up immediately.'

She nodded, picked up her designer bag, and barged out of the room, leaving the board members watching him carefully.

What did they expect? For him to cartwheel across the highly polished conference table? He might've been tempted, if not for the fact he had serious business to conduct after this meeting.

Business far more important than Qu Publishing.

Business of the heart.