exchanged a glance with Saunders.
“According to the prenuptial agreement, you promise to transfer ten percent of your holdings in Belden Industries to Dee Ann on condition of your marriage,” Saunders said.
He remembered that Saunders and Nikki had howled over that one. “You knew that long ago,” Carter said.
Nikki pointed to Bob’s figures. “Added to the Karrenbrock holdings, that ten percent would entitle them to a seat on the board of directors.”
Carter smiled. “I’m putting the stock in Dee Ann’s name. It’ll still be in the family.”
Nikki’s eyes widened and Carter felt a pang of guilt. Stressing Dee Ann’s new status was too harsh, he supposed, but they were interrupting his wedding, damn it.
Saunders cleared his throat. “It would be considered Dee Ann’s separate property—hers to do with as she pleases.”
“And there’s nothing to stop her from selling her share to her father,” Julian said from his post at the door. “Should he choose to exercise his rights, Karrenbrock would be in a position to seriously weaken Belden Industries.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Carter insisted.
“Or,” Nikki said, “her father could give her his holdings.”
Carter hadn’t considered that. “And I bet that’s exactly what he’s going to do!” he said. “A wedding gift. I’ve been trying to buy back some Belden stock.”
They looked unconvinced.
Carter spread his hands. “Look.” He forced a light laugh. His friends’ grim faces were more appropriate for a funeral than a wedding. “Dee Ann has no interest in business.” He directed his next remarks to Nikki. “She’s not like you.”
Nikki tilted her chin up. “So I’ve been told.”
Meeting her stare, it occurred to Carter that she wasn’t taking his marriage as well as he’d thought.
“Okay. I’ll concede that you all have legitimate concerns.” Relief flickered across their faces. “Let’s go have a wedding and we’ll discuss it later.”
“It’ll be too late then!” Saunders sounded panicked.
Ignoring him, Carter searched the pile of empty dry-cleaning bags and various wrappings on the ancient sofa, located the best man’s boutonniere and removed the plastic. The carnation was still fresh. “Hold this.” He handed the flower to Bob, unpinned his own and thrust it at Nikki. “Pin that on Saunders, would you?”
“But…you can’t still be going through with the wedding after what we’ve discovered?”
“Careful with that,” Carter advised himself as he pinned on the fresh carnation. Saunders should be doing this. Or Nikki.
“There’s something else,” Nikki added with an edge of desperation in her voice.
When Carter heard it, he felt a surge of pride. Their concern for his company went far beyond that of mere employees. They considered it their company, too.
However, he reminded himself abruptly, it wasn’t their company and this nonsense had to stop. “Later.”
“No!” Nikki gripped his arm on one side, Saunders on the other.
“Hey! You’ll wrinkle my jacket.”
“Carter.” Bob opened more folders. “Karrenbrock Ventures owns Lacefield Foods. Two weeks ago, Lacefield bought stock in Belden Industries.”
That caught his attention. “Let me see that.” Carter took the folder from his chief accountant and scanned the information. Sighing, he handed it back. “It isn’t much.”
“Not by itself,” Bob admitted. “But I suspect that more of the companies in these files are subsidiaries of Karrenbrock Ventures.”
“It’s a bad time to be signing away ten percent of your holdings,” Julian said.
Carter studied the faces of his trusted employees and friends. Julian, his executive vice president, the unflappable connoisseur of art and women. Bob, the balding accountant. The always-anxious Saunders, and Nikki…
She held her body stiffly and had a death grip on the files. There was something in her expression that went beyond concern for the welfare of Belden Industries. Carter stared at her the longest, compelled by the intensity of her gaze and the…panic? That didn’t make sense. It was as if she was willing him to postpone his wedding.
A smile of regret pulled at his lips. Our time has come and gone, kid. If they’d been alone, he would have said it aloud.
Addressing the group, he asked, “So, on the basis of one company’s buying an insignificant amount of stock, you want me to call off my wedding?”
Everyone looked at one another. Nikki spoke.
“Just postpone it until we can determine exactly how much stock Karrenbrock controls and through what companies.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
She shook her head. “He’ll make his move on Monday, while you’re on your honeymoon. By the time you figure out what’s happened, it’ll be too late to counter.”
“That’s absurd.” But he could tell the others agreed with her.
“No, it’s perfect,” she persisted. “Who’d suspect it?”
“He’s going to be my father-in-law!” Carter stared at them. Obviously, Nikki had managed to convince everyone to see things her way. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would he do that to me?”
Julian shrugged. “Probably because he can.”
“Karrenbrock is ruthless, but humiliate his daughter’s husband?” Carter shook his head. “Dee Ann would never forgive him.”
“She’s probably in on it,” Nikki retorted.
Carter felt like ripping their papers apart. Instead, he gripped the edge of the podium. “You’re angry because I’m giving her ten percent, aren’t you?”
“You’re still vulnerable, even without giving Dee Ann ten percent,” she replied.
“I did advise against selling stock to finance that oil drilling project,” Bob piped up in an I-told-you-so tone.
“And I relayed your concerns to Carter,” Nikki assured him, “along with my own.”
Bob addressed Carter. “Perhaps she didn’t emphasize—”
Carter glared him back into silence.
“The minister’s coming,” Julian said seconds before Reverend Royer sailed into the room.
“Mr. Belden…and best man?”
