Free Igniting the Flame (Firebrand Series) by Sandra Robbins Page A

his hold on the railing and walked toward the den. His father sat on the sofa, a book in his lap and a cup of tea beside him. “What’s wrong?” Ash asked. “Why can’t you sleep?”
    His father closed the book and waved his hand in dismissal. “It’s that deal with Dexter Electronics that’s keeping me awake. The owner’s dragging his heels on this one, and I’m ready to finalize the paperwork. Dexter’s never going to have the money to enlarge his operation and improve his products. Besides, our engineers already have ideas for new technology and software that we can add to their present list of products. What did Dexter say the last time you talked to him?”
    Ash dropped down on the sofa and searched his mind for the last conversation he’d had with Gerald Dexter, but that had been over a week ago. After a moment he shrugged. “Just that he was thinking about our offer, and he’d be in touch.”
    “Did you tell him the offer is negotiable?”
    “I think so.”
    His father’s eyebrows arched. “You think so? I gave you this deal to close because you said you wanted to prove yourself to me.” He moved to the edge of his seat. “Maybe it’s not Dexter dragging his heels. Maybe it’s you.”
    Ash ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve tried to do what you asked, Dad. But you know as well as I do that you and our lawyers are going to close the deal with Dexter. What difference does it make what I do?”
    His father stood. “It makes a difference because to Dexter, you’re the face of our company. If you appear incompetent, then he’s going to be hesitant about selling to us. Nobody who’s built a company from the ground up wants to see it fail if it’s sold to the wrong person. Richard would have taken the chance I’ve given you with Dexter, and he would have been like a bloodhound. He wouldn’t have rested until he had that company signed, sealed, and delivered to me.”
    Ash wanted to put his hands over his ears and block what his father was saying, but he’d heard it too many times in the past. He was never going to be as good as Richard, and he was never going to make his father happy.
    Ash gritted his teeth. “I’m not Richard,” he muttered. “I’ll never be like him. I don’t have a clue about what I’m doing at the company, and I hate working there.”
    His father clenched his fists at his sides. “Well, that’s too bad because, you’re in it now, whether you like it or not. I’ve worked all my life to leave you a legacy, and I’ve built a fortune for you. Why do you insist on throwing it back in my face like it’s something contemptible?”
    Ash let out a long breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s not contemptible, Dad. You’ve done a wonderful thing for Richard because he loves it, but it’s not for me. When I went into the army, I was happy for the first time in my life. I knew what was expected of me, and I did it.”
    “Yes, yes. You were a fine soldier. You think I don’t know that? That’s not the life I want for my son. I want you to make sure what I’ve built only gets stronger for the children you and Lainey will have.”
    “What we give our children has to be a life that Lainey and I choose. Not one you’ve picked out for us.” He took a step closer to his father. “I’m just a soldier. That’s all I’ll ever be, and all I want to be.”
    His father’s eyes grew wide. “You’re not going to reenlist, are you?”
    Ash shook his head. “No. I’m going to do what I’ve wanted ever since Reese first brought up the idea of Firebrand. I’m going to join them.”
    “No! You can’t do that. What about what I want for you? What about Lainey?”
    “Lainey loves me. She’ll want me to do what I think is best. I’ll only be gone fourteen months.”
    “B-but those missions you told me about. What about them? You’ll be all over the world.”
    “Soldiers’ families learn to adjust, and she will, too.”
    His father’s eyes narrowed,