He paused while Matt digested it. “Knowing how much she was enjoying being on the island with you before I got sick, I’m hoping she would consider opening a small shop here. That way she’d be close to me.”
“And me.” Matt sighed. “You’re trying to set us up.”
The coffee cups became very interesting again. That’s what happened when two old men didn’t have enough to entertain them—they got involved in your life. Matt had the feeling his father had attempted to play matchmaker with his siblings, but so far he’d ignored the hints as they didn’t really apply to him. Until now. That was a mistake.
“Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but keep me out of it. I don’t want to be involved in the business side of things anyway, because that’s way above my paygrade. If you want Mia to move to the island and open a shop, you two suggest it. I’m not going to be part of this because it will come back and bite me in the ass.”
His father held up a placating hand. “Don’t be like that, son. Mia needs to slow down. You know that. Ryan knows that. She still needs to be convinced to a degree and you can do it. That’s if you want her like your brothers claim you do.”
Those damned sneaks. He might have known they’d be talking behind his back. Just because they’d found the ones they wanted to spend their lives with, they thought they could all gang up on him.
“Sure, I like her a lot but this isn’t going to make things any easier. She’s going to be gutted that Ryan is retiring even though the doctor told her he had too. All she wants is for him to be healthy and happy.” Matt blew out a breath and turned to Ryan. “I know how much she cares for you. I held her together when you were in hospital, Ryan. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve always been there for her, business-wise. I think stepping away, totally letting go of the reins, and not knowing what she should do after is what’s scaring her.”
“I know that, and it’s my own fault. I let her work as hard as she does. Encouraged her, even, because it helped her get through the loss of her parents. But with what we know now about my heart condition and how it’s genetic, I think it’s time to change things. Before it’s too late.”
“So you didn’t know about it being genetic before?”
Ryan shook his head. “No. Do you seriously think I would’ve let myself get to that point if I had known? When my brother died, they just said it was a heart attack. At no time did anyone suggest any genetic problem that might affect me—or Mia.”
“I had to ask just for my peace of mind. I agree that it’s time to change things though, and I’ll be here if she wants me, but I can’t be the one to ruin her business plan. She has to figure that out for herself, to make her own decisions.”
* * *
“Mia, your uncle is on the line.”
“Thanks, Barb.” She waited until her uncle’s secretary was out the door and took the call. “Hey, how are you? Everything okay?”
“Yes, yes. Don’t worry about me. Matt’s keeping an eye on me and Atticus is taking me for walks most days. I’m feeling better than I have in years.”
She leaned back in her chair and smiled. “That’s good. So long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters.”
“Listen, kid. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Got a minute?”
Tension hit her in the back of the neck. This didn’t sound good. “Sure. What’s up?”
“You know I’ve been thinking about retiring. You didn’t want to talk about it on the weekend, but I think we have to discuss the future.”
“I don’t want to think about it, to be honest, but that’s just me being selfish. Your health comes first. It’s more important than me missing your smiling face in the office.”
A sigh of relief came over the phone. “Glad you feel that way. Listen, I’ve had a really good chance to sit back and think about what I want to do. I’m selling my condo and moving to Hope Island.”
She bolted up. Retiring and moving? “What? How come?”
“Because I like it here. Reminds me of what life’s meant to be like.” He paused a moment before speaking again. “I’ve been looking at property. I can buy a house with a view for half of what I’d get for my condo.”
Interesting. She made a quick mental note. She’d have to hire someone to replace Ryan because, as she’d found out, she couldn’t do it all. “Okay. So, moving forward, when are you telling the board?”
“I’ve called a meeting for Friday morning—three weeks since my heart attack. Thought it would be symbolic.”
“You’re coming back for it? I’d love to see you but you’re supposed to be taking it easy.”
“No. Atticus and I will be there via Skype from Matt’s kitchen. I’m putting together a proposal for how the company should run after I leave. It’s up to the board whether my plan is accepted or not.”
“What’s it got to do with Atticus Hope?”
“He’s a board member. You haven’t seen him because I usually have his proxy and you rarely attend anyway. Atticus likes to hide under the radar, but I’ve insisted he participate this time because we’ve come up with
