“I’ve also noticed that they’re telling everyone to butt out,” she said.
“True, but that doesn’t mean we won’t go on trying. Now let’s get back to you and Jason, a subject you seem determined to avoid, I might add. Only explanation I can think of is that I’m hitting too close to the truth. You are in love with the boy, but something’s holding you back from saying it.”
Dana really wished he’d drop the subject, but she couldn’t see any way of avoiding the discussion short of getting up and walking out of the restaurant. So, even though the conversation was likely to make her miserable, she would sit here and listen while he extolled his grandson’s virtues. She doubted he even knew half of them. She knew them all. One of the most important was his family loyalty. She also understood Brandon’s need to protect his own. They were two of a kind on that count.
“Well, girl, what do you have to say for yourself?” he was demanding again. “What’s wrong with marrying into this family?”
“It seems to me you’re the one with all the answers,” she retorted. “You tell me.”
“My guess is you’re scared.”
She nodded reluctantly. “On the mark so far.”
“Of what, for goodness’ sake?”
“You’ve seen how Jason is. He gets all caught up in being protective.”
“What’s so terrible about having a man cherish you like that?”
“What if I forget how to take care of myself?”
There was a twinkle in his eyes. “You aiming to give up your career and stay home and eat bonbons?”
“Of course not.”
“You planning to cut out that razor-sharp tongue of yours? I’ve heard you’ve given my grandson what for more than once.”
“I usually say what’s on my mind. I guess that wouldn’t change,” she conceded grudgingly.
“Then it must be that you think you’re not good enough to be part of this highfalutin Boston clan. Let me straighten you out on that right now. We’ve always been a family of scramblers. Ain’t nothing ever been handed to us. I think you’d fit right in.”
He regarded her slyly. “Besides, if you love my grandson, that’s all it takes. I learned my lesson long ago, when it comes to making hasty judgments and interfering in other people’s lives. I walked away from love once in my own life. I know how that can change a person forever. I don’t want to see you and my grandson waking up one day with regrets the way I do.”
Dana’s eyebrows rose a fraction.
“Don’t you smart mouth me,” he said.
“I never said a word.”
He nodded, his expression turning complacent. “Okay, then. Here’s the deal. You think you need to make a contribution, something beyond the fact that you’re making Jason happy, something more important than giving our old company a spruced-up image. Am I right?”
Though she wanted to argue just on principle, Dana had no ready comeback for the truth. She folded her hands and waited. Whatever this sneaky old man had in mind was bound to be a doozy.
He grinned at her stubborn silence. “I’ll take that for a yes. So, that being the case, I’m going to let you buy into Halloran Industries. You’ll be a partner right along with the rest of us.”
Dana couldn’t help it. She laughed. “With what, pray tell?”
“With the money you’re going to make designing a whole new line of sweaters.”
She stared at him incredulously. “Sweaters?”
“That’s right. You’ve got an eye for what young people like and a flair for the dramatic. Take the one you have on now. Cheers the whole place up. I’ve snapped a few photos over the past few weeks. Showed them to a friend of mine. He’ll make you an offer to carry the line, if you’re interested. You can do whatever you want with the money, but if it’ll make you feel more like a part of the family to invest in Halloran Industries, we’ll work it out.”
His gaze pinned her. “Or you can make Jason the happiest man in the world and accomplish exactly the same thing by marrying him.”
“You can’t bribe me into becoming a Halloran.”
Brandon regarded her indignantly. “Who’s bribing you? It’s a fair deal. If you think about it, you’ll realize that. This is one time you shouldn’t let bullheadedness get in the way of what’s best for your future. Those sweaters would give you and that brother of yours a mighty fine stake.”
It was only later, when she’d mentally stripped the scene of her emotional reaction, that she realized how much faith Brandon Halloran had in her—and in Jason’s love for her. Granted, Brandon was somewhat biased, but it was probably the most objective opinion she was likely to get from someone who knew all the parties involved.
Yet it still wasn’t enough.
* * *
“SO HOW WAS lunch with my grandfather?” Jason wanted to know the minute Dana got back to his office. “Why did he want to see you?”
She regarded him closely. “You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
“He made me an offer. He wants Halloran Industries to produce a line of sweaters that I will design. He figures if he gives me a stake in the company, I’ll feel like I belong. I think he was proposing on your behalf.”
After an initial spark of excitement, Jason’s expression faltered. “You turned him down, didn’t you?”
“No,” she said, still feeling pressured. “I told him I’d think about it. I’m not blind to the opportunity he’s offering me. I’m just worried about the strings.”
“There are none, Dana. My grandfather doesn’t operate that way and neither do I. He obviously sees this line as an excellent way of expanding our presence in the marketplace. He’s been itching to tackle something new for a long time now. I’ve had a hunch from the day he saw that first sweater of yours that he was plotting something like this.”
Dana began to pace. “It’s ridiculous. I don’t know a
