Chapter 28
Chapter twenty-eight
Johnny
Johnny had been invited into Uncle Gary’s office along with Pilot.
Gary had been out of the hospital for a few weeks and was probably beyond ready to get back to work.
Johnny couldn’t blame him, but he didn’t look forward to the conversation he was sure they were about to have.
Johnny hadn’t been in the office a lot lately—on purpose.
He’d been letting Pilot take over, so he guessed the meeting would be about Gary redirecting their efforts.
He understood that need, but he didn’t want to be directed at all. He wanted to leave.
Reluctantly, he tapped on Gary’s door with a sigh.
“Come in.”
Pilot followed Johnny into the office, and they sat in the chairs in front of Gary’s desk. “How’s it feel to be back?” Pilot asked.
Gary leaned back in his chair. “Honestly, I’m not thrilled. This heart attack has me rethinking a lot of stuff in my life. Here.” He picked up a stack of papers and held them out to Pilot.
“What’s this?” Pilot asked.
“Johnny, here.” Gary handed another stack to Johnny.
He stared at them, slightly blindsided. He knew exactly what he held in his hands. Gary had already drawn up the papers to sell the company to him and Pilot.
Gary relaxed back in his chair. “The heart attack was a wake-up call. I need to get out of the business. I was thinking about retiring before anyway, but I’m ready to be done with the business and spend some quality time relaxing.
It’s time to buy a boat and go fishing. Yeah, easy and simple relaxing.
I know you two are more than ready to take over.
This place ran smoothly while I was out. ”
Johnny held the papers tightly in his hands. He didn’t want it. How could he tell Gary that? Pilot stared at him, waiting for Johnny to speak. After what he’d said when Gary’d been in the hospital, he had to know what Johnny intended to do.
“What is it?” Gary asked. “This is based on everything we’ve talked about over the years. Hell, Johnny, you practically wrote it.” Silence. “You have the money, right?”
Johnny cleared his throat and squirmed in his seat. “Money isn’t the issue.”
“What, then?” Gary held out a pen, but Johnny couldn’t take it. He couldn’t do it. He didn’t want this.
“I thought I’d be ready for this. I thought...Uncle Gary. I-I... This is what we’ve been working toward for like ever, but things have changed. I’ve changed. Pilot’s changed.”
“Don’t bring me into this.” Pilot leaned back and lifted his hands in the air.
“It’s true, though. Listen, I’m going to throw this out there because I need both of you to understand. I don’t know. I guess part of me thought once we owned the company, it would be different between us. I held out that we’d be partners.” Johnny held his breath.
“We will be—”
“No, I mean partners partners. In everything. In life.”
“Johnny? I didn’t—”
“I know. Trust me, I know. You never did anything wrong. You’ve been my brother, and I, uh, I’ve been a bit deluded, but I think I finally realize that I didn’t even want you, but what I think about you.
Does that make sense? I mean, how I look at you.
I want a big strong man.” Johnny could feel the blush on his cheeks and throat.
“I’m not getting into this. It’s not the point. ”
“What’s the point?” Gary asked.
“The point is that I woke up. Pilot is not who I want, but that dream isn’t what I want either. Not just with Pilot. Trident is not what I want. At all.”
Gary’s eyes grew wide. “Trident doesn’t have to mean a different relationship with Pilot. I don’t understand.”
“I know. I’m having a hard time explaining it. I’m only coming around to it all very recently.” He dropped the papers on the desk in front of him.
“This about Gavin?” Pilot asked.
“Yes and no. It started with Tate. And Bryce.”
“The relationship thing?” Pilot looked confused. “You were jealous, but I thought it was because we had less time to hang out.”
“No. Yes. I was. It’s not even that. Your relationship with them opened my eyes. My relationship with Gavin shoved me over the edge. It’s not only because of the relationships. All this stuff also helped me think more clearly about what I want out of life.”
Gary sat down and twiddled the pen between his fingers, not looking at Johnny. “So, what do you want?”
“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, but I don’t want to be saddled with Trident while I figure it out.
Oh, shit! I didn’t mean that to come out like that.
I love Trident. It’s a part of you, a part of us, but I think I need to retire too.
That’s all.” He stuck his fingers under his glasses and rubbed at his eyes.
“Where does that leave me? I can’t afford to buy it without you.” Pilot sounded lost, but Johnny had already done a lot of thinking and planning for this. He wasn’t about to leave Pilot hanging.
“Then here’s the new plan. I mean, if you want.”
“What?”
“I’ll come over and talk with your guys and go over all the finances.
I’m betting if you get them in on it, you can afford it, and maybe I can do some of it—a smaller piece—and be a silent partner.
We can work that out. It won’t be this agreement, but we’ll still hit the amount and terms Uncle Gary needs.
What do you say?” He picked the papers up and waved them.
Gary exhaled a long breath. “For a minute there, I thought you were going to give me another heart attack.”
“Don’t even say that,” Johnny protested, pointing at his uncle.
Pilot laughed hard. When he calmed down, he said, “That sounds like a good plan, Johnny. You’ve considered everything.
Very thorough. I’ll get the guys on the phone and see if we can set a time to get together.
We may need to get Oz in on it too. I’ve no idea about Bryce’s finances, so we might need his parents or manager.
I don’t think he has an agent like Tate’s.
” Oz was way more than Tate’s agent. Even Johnny could see that.
He was more like a father to Tate, so nobody had an agent like that, but Bryce might have someone managing his finances.
“No problem, we’ll work it out. This doesn’t mean the end. Plus, you do know what you’re doing with this company.”
Uncle Gary came around from behind the desk and pulled Johnny up into a hug.
“By the way, don’t let my asshole brother ever get to you.
You’re the best kid ever. I love you. More than Trident.
You got that?” He rubbed his hand in Johnny’s hair like he used to do when Johnny was a kid.
That meant everything to him because Gary had always been the dad Johnny wanted and needed.
He hugged Gary right back. “I love you too.”