27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Leo
“ H appy discharge day!”
Piper beams as I walk into her hospital room with a box of donuts from a local bakery in my hands. She’s already dressed in her normal clothes, and she doesn’t need oxygen therapy or an IV anymore.
She’s finally ready to go home.
“Oh, that’s so nice of you,” Juliet says as she packs all of Piper’s stuffed animals and other gifts into a box.
“This is a reason to celebrate,” I reply as I sit down next to Piper on her hospital bed.
I flip open the box, revealing a dozen donuts of all kinds of flavors.
“I didn’t know which one’s your favorite, so I got a bunch of different ones.
There’s a cereal donut. Chocolate. Powdered.
Maple bacon. Strawberry filled. Cookies and cream. ”
Piper gasps and immediately plucks that one out of the box. “Cookies and cream!”
“She loves anything cookies and cream,” Juliet tells me.
“That’s my favorite flavor too,” I say with a chuckle. What a funny coincidence.
Juliet looks away and focuses back on packing up Piper’s things.
The thought creeps in again before I can stop it. The timing. The resemblance. The way Juliet watches us. But if Piper were mine…Juliet would’ve said something. Wouldn’t she?
Piper tears off a piece of her donut and hands it to me. “We can share.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, sharing a warm look with her before we both take a bite at the same time.
“Mm,” Piper says with a close-lipped smile.
That’s hands down the best donut flavor .
“Don’t worry. I got a regular glazed for you, Juliet,” I say before looking back at Piper. “Your mom likes the most boring flavor.”
Piper giggles.
Juliet smiles, but she doesn’t roll her eyes or joke back like I expected. I guess she’s nervous about taking Piper home.
Or she regrets what happened yesterday.
“How are you feeling?” I ask Piper as I shut the donut box.
“Good!” she tells me, her usual energy finally present. It’s nice seeing her like this again.
“Ready to go home?”
Piper nods. “I want to play with my toys.”
There’s not much room to play in a hospital bed.
I glance over in Juliet’s direction to see her watching us. A faint frown crosses my face when she looks away.
Does she not trust me with Piper or something? She’s always keeping a close eye on us, even if we’re just talking.
I mean, I get that she’s protective. She’s a great mom, but Juliet knows me. She can trust me around her kid .
Unless she just doesn’t trust me at all because of the past.
I don’t think that’s fair in this case, though.
“Ready to go, baby?” Juliet asks Piper as she picks up the box full of gifts.
Juliet pops the last bite of her donut into her mouth before hopping off her bed. She peers up at me. “Are you coming with us?”
She certainly makes it hard to want to leave.
“I can’t today, but I’ll see you soon,” I promise her.
Piper throws her arms around my waist to hug me.
My heartbeat stalls for a moment as I gaze down at her. I’ve never really gotten close to any kids. That doesn’t mean I don’t want them myself, but I didn’t expect her to like me this much.
I relax and smile as I place my hand on her upper back, hugging her back as much as I can with the height difference. “Glad you’re feeling better, Piper.”
Once she releases me, she takes the box of donuts as I hold them out to her. “Thank you!”
I watch her head toward the door, glowing with energy .
Juliet follows, glancing over her shoulder when she reaches the doorway. “Thank you.”
“It’s no problem,” I assure her, fighting the urge to push off my plans and join them.
Juliet turns and walks away, her expression unreadable. What’s going through her mind? I wish she would be upfront with me.
But I suppose I’m not always upfront with her about what I’m feeling. I can’t be upset when I get the same treatment.
I focus back on my plans and drive to the downtown area near the coffee shop where I first met Devon. When I walk inside, he’s seated at the same table where he found me last time.
Devon grins the moment that he sees me and waves.
I motion for him to hold on for a moment before ordering a cup of coffee. This isn’t a meeting that I want to be half-asleep for.
“Good to see you again, Leo,” Devon says once I sit down with my coffee. He extends his hand across the table to shake mine .
“You too,” I tell him, my eyes straying to a manila folder on his side of the table. “Thanks for coming out.”
Devon leans forward, his arms resting on the table. “Of course. I was glad to get your call. You have more questions for me?”
“I do,” I reply. “I visited the logging facility recently to pinpoint where the company is suffering the most, and I’m interested in hearing how you would go about fixing some of the issues that I saw.”
Devon nods. “Yeah, of course. Shoot.”
“Lack of proper leadership is the big issue,” I explain. “When my father stepped away, an experienced leader didn’t take his place. The workers who have been there for a while have been shouldering most of the leadership work themselves.”
Devon inhales through his teeth. “Yikes. That doesn’t sound very sustainable.”
“They’re good guys. They’ve been there forever,” I tell him. “But they’re just not trained to handle all the business stuff. Contracts. Hiring. Finances.”
“So, these are older workers? ”
I nod. “Some have retired. Some will soon. I believe there are many who are wanting to stay on for a while longer, though.”
Devon nods and drums his fingers against the top of the table. “Not much luck with hiring new blood?”
I shake my head. “Not with the lack of leadership and organization.”
“One problem breeds multiple, huh?” he replies with a chuckle.
I smirk. “Yeah, that’s just how business is.”
“What else should I know about?”
“Well, like you said, one problem breeds multiple. Since the company is having trouble hiring people, production is low. Since production is low, contracts are being cancelled or lost because demand can’t be met,” I explain, giving him the damning truth.
I’m an honest businessman. I could easily hide things that make the business look bad so that he’s more willing to buy it, but he should know what he’s getting into if I decide to sell to him .
“Well, fix one problem and the others will improve,” Devon replies, not looking too fazed. “I expected to dump a lot of money into the business at the start to improve things. It’s an investment after all, and I believe it’ll give me a good return in the end.”
“The potential is there,” I assure him. “We were the biggest employer in town. Our contribution to the industry as a whole is huge.”
Devon lifts his coffee cup to me. “And if you and I work together, it can be even better.”
If anyone can make it happen, it’s probably him. He has the money, the knowledge, and the drive. He would be a perfect buyer.
So, why do I keep dragging my damn feet on this agreement?
Devon sips on his coffee and sets it aside before flipping open the folder. “I understand that you have a personal stake in this company, Leo. I think that actually plays in your favor and will ensure that you make the right choice for your father’s company.”
I don’t say anything, peering over my cup to see what’s in the folder .
“I had one of my business executives draft up some paperwork to put your mind more at ease. Think of this like a roadmap for what I want to do with the company if you choose to sell it to me,” he says before handing me one document.
“This is the plan for the first month of ownership. I have very precise goals to kick things off strong.”
I hold the paper in front of me, my eyes moving from word to word. I’m not the type to skim when business is involved.
Everything looks pretty standard and expected, but one part makes me pause.
“Current workforce reduction? You’re going to fire people?”
Devon sits back in his seat. “At the beginning, I’ll have to make some changes in who’s currently working at the company.
I have some really promising young talent at my company who would be assets for Galloway Logging.
They would be essential in turning things around and could be the company’s future leaders. ”
“Who would you fire? There are already a lot of good people working at the company. They just need some direction,” I ask him, uneasiness twisting in my stomach.
“I’d have to study the current staff and see where the weak spots are,” Devon replies. “But anyone who would be let go would have a very generous severance package.”
Layoffs are sometimes part of business. Maybe there are a few positions that need more experienced people.
“And if I can flip things around and business starts booming again, I’d be happy to rehire them if they were interested in coming back,” Devon adds.
“I’m not trying to kick anyone out just to kick them out.
I’d keep everyone if I could, but it sounds like there needs to be a serious overhaul company wide. ”
A lot has to change. I guess my mind just didn’t immediately go to layoffs.
“I understand. It’s just unfortunate the company is in this condition,” I reply.
I never thought it would be like this, but I also never thought my father would be dying from cancer at this age .
“I’m going to bring this company back to its glory days,” he assures me with a confident look on his face. “And I’m going to do everything I can to maintain your father’s legacy.”
His words bring me some relief, but guilt still churns within me. Devon is no longer a stranger to me, but I’m still uncertain about selling the company to someone outside of my family.
But there’s no one else. No one but me.
And I can’t turn my back on the company I built from the ground up. I have hundreds of employees who work for me, and they need leadership. I can’t abandon them like my father abandoned those who work for him.
I don’t want High Rise Development Group to turn into Galloway Logging. Not in its current state.
“I appreciate that,” I tell him before gesturing to the paper and the folder. “And I appreciate all of this. If I can, I’d like to read over everything and get back to you.”
Devon’s mouth twitches a hint, but he nods. “Yeah, of course. Take your time. ”
I’m probably starting to annoy him because I can’t give him a straight answer, but he knows how important this decision is. I can’t make it overnight. I need to think of the benefits and consequences.
I have to figure out how to break the news to my dad if I do choose to sell.
Devon hands me the folder and stands from the table. “You know my number. Good meeting with you again.”
I nod to him and remain at the table as he walks away. I tuck the paper back into the folder, not wanting to look over everything right now. That’ll be for tonight when I’m alone in a quiet place.
I can’t be distracted. I can’t mess up.
Devon could be really good for the company. He could take things to a level never seen before, and maybe I could check in every once in a while to see how things are going. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
I could even give suggestions or feedback. I know the company pretty well, and I know the town too. Devon would be coming in from the outside, so maybe my miniscule involvement would encourage people to welcome him and the changes he has to implement .
These are all hopes, though.
Nothing is going to happen if I don’t make a decision, and with each passing day, I’m running out of time to ensure my dad knows that everything is going to be okay with his company.
Maybe that could bring him some peace.
If he’s even willing to accept that.