Page 91 of Not Home Alone

“No, I definitely want you to hear this.”

THIRTY-TWO

GRANT

My dad looks like he’s caved in on himself.

Nobody talks to him like this. Ever. Nobody.

But my girl did. And now it’s my turn. “Dad, I want you to know that I haven’t been taking my time making a decision about the CEO position because it didn’t matter to me. It’s taken me this long because it matters a lot. I’m grateful for your support, and I want to honor your vision for the company.”

My dad sighs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “But…?”

“And I’ve decided to quit my job at Sterling and take over as CEO of The Moody Group.”

He nods once and then fist pumps. It’s the most enthusiastic response he’s given to something I’ve said in my entire life. “Good. I’ll email the lawyers about the contracts.”

“But… I’m going to ask the board to reverse the decision to move HQ to New York as a condition upon accepting the job. I want to keep it in Holly Grove. And I need your support.”

My father makes a gesture, like he’s flicking that thought away. “New York is what’s best for everyone. We’re going to scale. I’m selling the house and buying a condo in Manhattan. End of story. Don’t make things difficult.”

“I’m not making things difficult, Dad. We can scale from here. With modern tech, remote teams, sustainable growth. We can have a sales office and a small team in Manhattan eventually, if we need a presence there, but banks and investors don’t care where we’re headquartered. They care about our financials. American-made, heartland values, that’s our brand. Moving to New York doesn’t make us more successful. It makes us more expensive and we look like every other corporation. The Moody Group identity is here. Holly Grove is our competitive advantage, not our limitation. This is where we invest and expand first. Then we open regional sales offices in key markets. We grow revenue without abandoning our roots.”

My dad worries his lips, drums his fingers against his thighs. He’s been listening to me. If he actually heard me, there’s no way he can refute what I said.

“I’m going to insist on staying here in Holly Grove,” I add. “With Merrily.” I reach out for Merrily’s hand, watching her surprised, big brown eyes fill with happy tears.

“No offense to Merrily,” my father says, “but you should know better than to let your emotions get involved in your business decisions.”

“With all due respect, Dad, I think you’re the one who’s let your emotions cloud your judgment.”

“Well, now that’s ridiculous.” He turns to stare at the doorway, like he wants to bolt.

Merrily squeezes my hand. “Mr. Moody,” she says softly. “Can I ask why you want to move to New York so badly?”

“I’m trying to give him opportunities for growth. He has his whole life ahead of him. He shouldn’t be stuck in this backwater town—no offense.”

“Oh, none taken,” she says, with just a hint of sarcasm.

“Dad. I’m not stuck here. I’m finally choosing to be here. Just like Mom chose to be here. You invested in Holly Grove for her. Remember?”

“Of course I remember,” he snaps. “I’m retiring, I’m not senile.” He starts pacing. “And I can’t keep making decisions based on what she would have wanted,” he says, stubbornly. “I need to move forward.”

“It sounds to me like you’re trying to run from Holly Grove because it reminds you of her. She loved it here.”

“I know that—you think I don’t know that?”

“You see her everywhere, don’t you?” Merrily asks, gently.

My dad stops to rest his hand against the wall.

Silence envelops the room, but Grant and I let it.

And it works. Because my dad starts talking.

“Everywhere I look. Even when I don’t look.” I can tell he wishes he had a glass of scotch in his hand right now, but he continues. “It hurts to be here. But I stayed even after she left. To finish building the legacy. For my kids. For you. For the town she loved. I can’t do it anymore, and I can’t stay here if I’m not working. No reason to.”

Merrily pinches my forearm and swings her head in my dad’s direction.