Chapter Two
CHAPTER TWO
Bryan Jennings stared over the desk at his brother. “Out with it. You’ve made small talk for the last fifteen minutes when any other time, you barely sit down for five.”
Ben smiled at him. “Dad wants to fully retire. He’s handing over the company to us.”
He leaned back in his chair. “He says this every year. Why do you believe him now?”
“Because Mom’s making him. She wants to travel,” he said, tossing a binder on Bryan’s desk.
Reaching for it, Bryan eyed his brother with suspicion. “What do you have up your sleeve?”
“The company’s growing. We’ve each held positions as the CEO because Dad insisted. You don’t seem to enjoy it here since you and Samantha O’Neil broke things off. You only show excitement when discussing the all-natural products and the process you two started in Seattle.”
“Don’t go there,” he growled. “Samantha and Whiskey celebrated the birth of their little girl a short while ago. I’m happy for them.”
“Doesn’t some part of you wonder if you missed out? She’s a catch.”
He sighed. “Listen to me carefully. Samantha and Whiskey have something rare together. I admit I liked her a lot. It doesn’t mean anything else. Stop trying to turn this into me feeling lost.”
“I want to propose an idea. What if we expanded? We have the operations here and you’re constantly commuting or conferencing to Seattle. What if we opened a branch there and you handled Samantha’s line and the teas?” Ben suggested.
“Why?”
“For one, you enjoy yourself when you travel there. You return, appearing relaxed and happy. I’m tired of constantly seeing you all glum and staying in your apartment. It’s like you forgot you live in New York, a place you used to love.”
He frowned. “I do enjoy Seattle. I love working and developing the product line. What about here?”
“We can divvy up the main responsibilities and meet twice a month. I’ll handle the regular lines and photo shoots here. What do you think?” Ben asked as he leaned his elbows on his knees, waiting for Bryan’s reply.
Bryan scratched his chin in thought. “Do you mind if I take a while to consider it? I want to fly out, scout the area, and talk to Whiskey.”
Ben shook his head. “Why must you factor him into the equation? He doesn’t own the West Coast.”
“Because I like him. Whiskey suffered from PTSD when he divorced Samantha. He loved her enough to let her go. She never stopped caring for him. Whiskey doesn’t mind we work together, but even I might have second thoughts if a man my wife previously dated decided to uproot his life and move closer to her.”
Ben waved his theory away. “Fine. I can tell you like the idea. Do what you must. Why don’t you fly out on Sunday? Take your time and do some research. I can hold down the fort here. If we need to meet, we can do an online meeting.”
Bryan tapped the desk with his pen. The idea appealed to him more than he wanted to admit. He and Samantha O’Neil worked great together. Bryan knew the business end, and she knew the quality of her product. Her husband, Whiskey, seemed chill about her flying to New York and even occasionally accompanied her with their son, LJ. He never held anything against Bryan for dating Samantha during their temporary break up, but he lived thousands of miles away, not posing any threat. Samantha remained the root of his concern. He didn’t want to put her in an uncomfortable position between work and home life.
“Fine. I’ll fly out. I can finish the details of the HL Cosmetics contract, and you can call me if you have questions.”
Ben grinned as he rose from his seat. “Let me know how it’s going.”
“What did Dad say about your brilliant idea ?” Bryan asked.
“He seemed surprised you didn’t bring it to him. Of course, I took all the credit.” Ben winked at him. “He reminded me the company’s ours to do with as we wish. If we run our future into the ground because of our own stupidity, we deserve to lose it. I’m determined to prove him wrong.”
Bryan grinned. “I believe Dad threw down his gauntlet. Count me in.”
“I already did.” Ben laughed as he left the office.
Bryan picked up his phone and called in his assistant. He wanted to finish the contract before he left and promised to accompany Ben and his niece, Lily, to a play on Saturday night. His thoughts drifted to Seattle and how much he enjoyed the small town of Serenity. A thrill of anticipation at starting a project from scratch ran through him despite his concerns about his Serenity friends. He hoped they felt the same way.