Chapter 25 – Remington
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Wait, Mindy is who?
Remington
“You look so good, Dad,” I tell my father.
As I’ve done for the past hour and a half since I’ve been here, I allow my eyes to catalog everything about him.
His color appears healthy and tan, likely from spending weekends on the golf course all summer.
And there seem to be no lasting effects on his limbs from the stroke.
In fact, he’d insisted on putting on his robe and heading down to the little garden behind the hospital after breakfast. One of Dad’s bodyguards stands on one side of the area, and Antonio is near the door, both of them managing to be inconspicuous despite their size.
“I feel great, like I’ve got a new lease on life.” His voice is rich and robust, just like the old Dad.
“You do have a new lease on life,” I agree.
“How is everything going with the move? I hated to spring this on you so suddenly, but I’ll still be around for anything you might need.”
Not wanting him to stress himself with work shit, I shake my head. “I’m ready, Dad. I worked beside you for years, remember? I know how to do the job. And I hired a company to handle packing and shipping all my stuff, so it’s fine.”
He pats my hand, his expression one of pride. “I have all the faith in the world in you, Remington. You were born to do this.”
I can’t stop myself. I reach for my father and hug him tightly. He returns the embrace with equal strength, which takes a bit of the edge off the nerves that have been sizzling inside me since I received that phone call. He feels so… normal.
Except he’s not. Dad is getting older, and I feel a sense of rightness that I made the correct decision about moving back to the States. I need to do this for him. I need to be closer to my family.
Mom hasn’t had any major health issues, but she’s not getting any younger either. This is exactly where I need to be. As the oldest Hale sibling, it’s my responsibility to be here for them.
Dad releases me and pats my face. “I love you, son.”
The words are so simple and yet so profound, and my lips press hard together as I nod and try to gather my emotions. “I love you too, Dad. And don’t worry about a thing. I’ll take care of everything.”
“I know you will.” He sits up and adjusts his lightweight navy robe. “Now, why don’t you go get some rest. You traveled all through the night and came immediately to the hospital from the airport. The sun was barely up when you arrived.”
“I can stay here,” I argue, but he dismisses me with an almost regal wave of his hand.
“No, you go on. I’m being released in a couple hours, and I think I’d like to go home and get settled for a bit.” When I start to argue, he levels me with a stern look that has my mouth snapping closed. “In peace. You can all come over for dinner this evening.”
“Okay, if that’s what you want,” I relent.
“Though I’m going to try and stay awake all day so I can start getting adjusted to this time zone.
I think I’ll go by the office for a bit.
Say hello to everyone and introduce myself to any new people.
” I glance down at myself, deciding I look fine for an informal visit.
I’d changed into a royal-blue button-down shirt and black pants on the plane.
Dad’s face beams with pride. “We don’t have a lot of new employees since Hale Cosmetics has the best employee retention rate in the industry.” He points a finger at me. “Tell me why that is, Remington.”
I smile. My father has drilled this into my head since I was old enough to understand. “Because we treat our people well, Dad. We remember they are human beings and not simply people who show up to do a job.”
He looks pleased. “That’s exactly right. When they come to work for us, they effectively become part of our family. If you’re loyal to them, they will be loyal to you.”
Helix and Phoenix emerge from the hospital into the lush garden area filled with blooming bushes and Bradford pear trees. They both come over and hug me before kissing Dad on top of his gray hair.
“How’s everything going today?” Helix asks, sitting on the other side of Dad. He’s dressed in his customary white dress shirt and suspenders.
“Remi was just about to help me break out of this joint. Do you, by chance, have any ropes in your car?” our dad asks with mischief.
“No, I leave all my kinky shit in my other truck,” Phoenix shoots back with a straight face, making us all guffaw.
“Damn, son,” Dad says with a shake of his head and a big grin on his face. “Where did I go wrong with you?”
“I think he ate paint chips as a child,” Helix says dryly.
“Anywayyy,” I draw out, trying to get this conversation back on track. “They’re releasing the old man soon, but he does not request the pleasure of our company.”
“That’s not what I said,” Dad argues. “I said let me have some peace to get settled in, and then I’d like my whole family together for dinner.”
“So I decided to head up to the office for a bit,” I tell them.
“We’ll go with you,” Helix says. “Nic is running the lab today, and I want to check on her.”
“How is she feeling? Everything okay with the baby?” our father asks, his face melting into bliss at the thought of his unborn grandchild.
“The baby is good. We had a doctor’s visit and everything is on track. Nic is a little nauseated in the mornings, but I bring her saltines and ginger ale to snack on before she gets out of bed, and that seems to help.”
Dad pats his arm. “Good man. I know both my daughters-in-law are very independent, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t little things you can do to make sure they’re cared for.
Especially when they’re pregnant.” He stands from the bench where we’ve been seated.
“Now, is there anything I need to have the chef prepare for her? Anything she’s been craving? ”
“She can’t stand the smell of fish right now, so maybe avoid that,” Helix answers. “Thanks for thinking of her, Dad.”
“Got it,” he says, tapping his temple. “Now get on out of here so I can go hound the doctor about letting me go home early.”
We walk him inside where a nurse is waiting with a wheelchair. He grumbles but complies and sits his ass down.
“We can take my vehicle,” I say as we exit into the parking garage. Antonio arranged for a black Expedition to be waiting for us at the airport. We all climb in the back, and Antonio drives us the short distance from the medical center to our office complex.
“Front door or back?” my driver asks as we approach.
“Front,” I reply, wanting to use the public entrance. I’ll be the CEO here next week, and I want to be accessible and familiar to everyone.
The first person I see is Bear, the burly head of security, at the door. He waves us through and smacks me on the back so hard I almost fall over. “Good to see you, Mr. Hale,” he says to me.
“Bear, you’ve known me almost my entire life,” I point out. “Call me Remi.”
A wide grin curves beneath his bushy black beard. “I’ll do my best, Mr. Hale. How is Mr. Hale? Um, you know, the other Mr. Hale.”
We update him on Dad’s status, and then say hello to the ladies at the downstairs reception desk. I recognize Carla, the woman who worked at the Hampton Inn that night I spent there with Minnie seven years ago. I’m pleased to see she’s still working here. They also ask about our father.
“You’ll get to meet Mindy today,” Phoenix says once we’re inside the elevator. “She’s really got the office running in tip-top shape even after two weeks. I guess I didn’t notice before, but Gina, the old admin, had been slipping a little. She would forget to add important stuff to Dad’s calendar.”
“We had to call him that one time, remember?” Helix asks.
Phoenix nods. “Oh yeah, everyone was waiting for him for twenty minutes in the conference room before I finally went and found him. Gina hadn’t entered it in the system, so he didn’t even know about it.
” The doors open onto the top floor. “Anyway, Mindy implemented a new scheduling system that’s really easy and effective. ”
“Good morning,” Amanda, the executive-level receptionist says as we cross the marble-tiled lobby. “Mr. Hale, so happy you’re back. How is your dad?”
We give her the update before heading down the hallway to my new office. “We should probably send out a company-wide email about Dad so everyone is updated,” I say as we turn the corner.
“Mindy’s already working on it,” Helix says. “She’s excellent at that kind of stuff.”
“Sounds like everyone is enamored with this Mindy,” I say. “Does she also walk on water?”
“Only on Thursdays,” Phoenix quips, and I shake my head in amusement as we enter my office space. I’m expecting to see a woman about my mother’s age with sensible shoes and stern eyebrows over half-rim glasses, but the illustrious Mindy isn’t at her desk.
Phoenix opens my inner office door and waves me inside with a smartass royal gesture. I enter, followed by my brothers.
There’s a person in here, but there’s not a hint of an old lady in sensible shoes. Nope. I’m greeted by the sight of a shapely ass in a red skirt and the bottoms of two stilettos sticking out from beneath my father’s desk.
Goddamn, if this is Mindy, I had her pegged all wrong.
“Come here, you little fucker,” a muffled feminine voice says, and for some reason, my cock twitches in my pants at the sound. Not sure what that’s all about.
“Uh, Mindy?” Helix asks.
“Shit!” the voice screeches as the woman on her hands and knees raises up and knocks her head against the underside of the desk. “Sorry, who’s there? I dropped this stupid pen, and I’ve… almost… aha! I got it.”
“It’s Helix,” my brother replies, striding toward the desk to help her up. She backs out, and a mane of dark red hair comes into view.
“How’s your dad?” she asks, taking Helix’s hand and standing, holding the rogue pen aloft.
My heart rate picks up, and I shake my head. She’s facing away from me so I can’t see her face, but that voice… It seems so familiar and yet distant at the same time. And those curves in the red suit she’s wearing… My hands twitch with a memory I can’t quite place.
“He’s good. Acting like nothing even happened,” Helix reports. “Is your head okay?”
She smooths down her tousled hair. “I’m fine. I was just packing up a few of your father’s things so he didn’t have so much to do. Then I dropped his favorite pen and it rolled under there. Sorry if I mooned you.”
The woman turns then and notices Phoenix, and my blood freezes in my veins when I see her face. I can hear her words, but they’re muffled, like I’m at the bottom of a well trying to hear a conversation.
“Hey, Phoenix. Tell Jordie I—”
Her words cut off abruptly when her gaze shifts to me, and hazel eyes that have haunted my dreams for seven years widen on my face.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
It’s her. It’s Minnie.