Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
New York City
Meetings.
Nicolaus Toles had never envisioned himself attending endless meetings, making sales pitches, sitting in an office reviewing budgets, or combing through contracts.
He had, over the last decade, built his father’s small medical supply business into a corporation—one that held significant power in the industry.
He had also learned the value of his position inside the company, though not the company whose name appeared on the door.
The other one.
The one to which he had sworn an oath long ago.
Sitting at a table surrounded by governors, aides, and congressional leaders might intimidate most people. Nicolaus saw through most of them. A handful commanded his respect, and that handful seemed to shrink daily.
“Carecom has been diversifying its portfolio,” Governor Steadman Brandt said.
Nicolaus nodded. “Is that a question?”
“It’s an observation,” Brandt replied. “Our state depends on your company’s ability to fill our emergency stockpiles in the event of an?—”
“Emergency?” Nicolaus finished the statement with a chuckle.
“We depleted our reserves in the last flood,” Brandt added.
Nicolaus took a breath. “And we met your demand.”
“Yes, but your focus is?—”
“Carecom’s focus is the same as it has always been,” Nicolaus said. “To deliver first-class customer service by meeting the needs of our customers. Diversifying our business is inevitable, Governor. We look ahead. Always. It’s for your benefit.”
Brandt chuckled.
“You may question my sincerity,” Nicolaus said. “Carecom is only as successful as its client base, Governor Brandt. As technology changes, so must we.”
The meeting continued in much the same way. Overconfident men making “observations” meant to force Nicolaus’s hand—not to seek assurance, but to secure leverage, guarantees, and better rates.
Truth be told, he had been ready for the meeting to end before it began.
A friendly face caught his attention as the room began to empty.
“Joe,” Nicolaus greeted the older man.
“Nicolaus. Interesting meeting today.”
“Sometimes I think these people expect me to sell bandages. Just bandages.”
Joseph Stratton laughed. “Brandt is an ornery son-of-a-bitch,” he said, nodding to several people as he and Nicolaus left the room.
“How are you, Joe?”
“I can’t complain. My wife says no one listens anyway.”
“There’s truth to that.”
Nicolaus stopped in the foyer of the hotel.
“Headed back to Massachusetts?” Stratton asked.
“Not until Sunday. I have an informal event this weekend.”
“Nice change.”
“Mm.” Nicolaus smiled. “So? Is it true? The popular governor is finally retiring?”
“It’s overdue.”
“I think many would disagree.”
“You mean Bill and Don?”
“Among others,” Nicolaus said.
“Well, we all have to know when to step away.”
Nicolaus nodded. “And your boys?”
Stratton laughed. “I think the political gene skipped a generation. Dick tried. I think he tried to like being in Congress for me. It was never his passion.”
“Mm. I hear your granddaughter is running for his old congressional seat.”
Stratton nodded.
“I sense some hesitation,” Nicolaus said.
“She caught the bug as a little girl,” Stratton replied. “But it’s not an easy business. Campaigning with a baby?”
“Different times.”
“That, they are,” Stratton agreed.
“Think she’ll win?”
Stratton laughed. “Candy might rule the world one day,” he joked.
Then he sighed.
“Worried about her entering the fray?” Nicolaus asked.
Stratton nodded. “She doesn’t know about my time in the OSS. Only that I served. She certainly doesn't know about the company.”
“Mm. And sitting in Congress might open the floodgates of disclosure.”
“Or worse.”
Nicolaus nodded. “I understand the fear.”
“Worried about the kids?” Stratton asked.
“Jonathan seems determined to pursue the military. I’ve erected some roadblocks, but?—”
“Mm. They have their own minds.”
Nicolaus shook his head. “Eva doesn’t agree with me.”
“Does Helen know?”
“About Jonathan?”
Stratton nodded.
“She knows. I couldn’t keep that from her. It’s different with Helen,” Nicolaus said. “Her grandmother and her mother were part of the alliance. She doesn’t ask. She doesn’t need details. Helen understands enough.”
Stratton sighed deeply and stepped into a quiet corner. “I worry.”
Nicolaus followed him. “About Candy?”
“About all of it.” Stratton lowered his voice. “I’m not sure who holds the reins anymore.”
Nicolaus said nothing.
“In time, they’ll all learn the truth,” Stratton said.
Nicolaus blinked.
“It’s inevitable, my friend. I look at my Candy.” He chuckled. “She’s curious about everything—me, most of all. And she’s smarter than I was. More intuitive. Undaunted.”
Nicolaus chuckled. “Sounds familiar.”
“Perhaps that is as it should be.”
“I’d prefer my children choose civilian work.”
Stratton raised a brow.
“You think it’s folly,” Nicolaus said.
Stratton shrugged. “My father served in World War I. I served in World War II. My grandson served in Vietnam. Things tend to repeat.”
Nicolaus shook his head. “That’s what worries me.”
Stratton smiled warmly. “You can’t change their paths, Nicolaus. You can only guide them.”
“I can try.”
Stratton nodded once.
“I can see it,” Nicolaus said. “In Alexis, too. This desire to conquer all her fears. To prove herself.”
“To you.”
Nicolaus sighed. “She has nothing to prove, Joe.”
“No. But did you feel that way with your father?”
Nicolaus looked away.
Stratton chuckled softly. “Some things are destined to repeat, my friend. That does not mean those things always have the same outcome.”
Nicolaus tilted his head.
“Have a little faith,” Stratton said. “I’ll see you.”
“Joe?”
Stratton turned. “Yes?”
“It was good to see you.”
Stratton nodded. “We’ll see each other again.”
Nicolaus watched the older man leave. For a moment, he saw not the retiring governor, but the soldier he had once been.
He sighed.
“I hope so.”
Arlington, Virginia
Present Day
Alex walked into the house expecting to hear animated laughter, kids running—something. Silence. She couldn’t remember the last time silence greeted her when she came home. Cassidy’s car was in the garage. Where was everyone?
“Cass!”
Cassidy appeared at the top of the stairs. “Hey, you.”
“Where is everyone?”
“Out with YaYa.”
“Mom took all four kids?”
“Mm-hm. To dinner and a movie.”
“By herself?”
“Worried?” Cassidy asked as she descended the stairs.
“No. She’s brave, though,” Alex said. “She didn’t tell me she planned to take the kids out.”
“Because she didn’t plan it. I asked her if she would.”
“Why? I thought she was making the kids spaghetti?”
Cassidy smiled.
“Everything okay?” Alex asked.
“Yes, Alex. Everything is okay.” Cassidy stretched on her toes to kiss Alex’s lips.
Alex hummed.
“Selfishly, I just wanted some time alone with you before you leave. If you’d rather, I can call Helen, we can have the sauce and?—”
Alex pulled Cassidy close and kissed her again. “When was the last time we were alone?” she asked.
“It’s been a few minutes,” Cassidy joked.
“Do you want me to stay home this week?”
Cassidy caressed Alex’s cheek.
“Cass?”
“Yes.”
Alex nodded.
“But no,” Cassidy contradicted herself.
“Okay?”
“I always miss you,” Cassidy said. “You know that.”
“But?”
“But you haven’t spent time with Dylan or Claire since before Thanksgiving.”
Alex sighed. “I know. But we’ll see them in two weeks.”
“Yes. And there will be six children running around. Dylan will be here with Maggie. Our parents will be here?—”
“Okay, point taken. There won’t be much downtime.”
“No. I know you’re worried about Dylan.”
Alex sighed. “He enjoys working with Claire.”
“Mm. So did you.”
“Not the same, Cass.”
“You need to let this go, love.”
“You’re really okay with the idea that he might want to stay at Carecom? Or worse, that he might want to?—”
“Alex,” Cassidy called softly. “Dylan comes by his interests naturally. Being there makes him feel closer to you and to Claire.”
“He could be a teacher. Then he’d feel closer to you.”
Cassidy smiled. “He’d make an excellent teacher.”
“See?”
“Sure. But we’ve been through this for years. You hated that your father tried to deter you from attending West Point.”
“Yeah, well, I didn’t know then what I know now.”
“And that would have changed your mind?” Cassidy asked.
Alex grumbled.
Cassidy laughed. “He is so much like you,” she said.
“Dylan? I don’t think?—”
“You see me in him. I think that’s how it works when you love someone. I see you—and a fair bit of Claire, too.”
“Not helping, Cass.”
Cassidy laughed harder. “I’m glad you’ll have some time with him, and with Claire. I suspect it’s my dad you really want to see.”
“No. I mean, I do want to talk to him.”
Cassidy nodded.
“I want to talk to him about taking on the role at the CIA.”
“I figured.”
“I trust him, Cass.”
“I know.”
“And I know you don’t.”
Cassidy sighed. She’d hoped for a quiet evening—one where she could hold Alex close. Talking about her father didn’t engender feelings of closeness.
“Cass?”
“Alex, I really don’t want to do this tonight.”
“This?”
“Yes. This. Talk about my father. Explain how I feel. Worse, justify it.”
“Cassidy, I’m not asking you?—”
“But you are. In some way, everyone is asking me to let him in—to put my trust in him again. You’ve all crossed the threshold with him. Even Mom has started to let her defenses down.”
Alex sighed.
“You don’t understand. I don’t expect you to understand. I want to let him in, Alex. Believe me. I’m still too angry.”
Alex nodded.
“I love my father. And I know he loves us all. I don’t doubt that.
I can forgive him for leaving. I can set aside that hurt.
But keeping Claire from Mom and me? Leaving her with a man who broke her down and abused her?
” Cassidy shook her head. “I can’t, Alex.
Even if that’s what everyone thinks I should do. ”