CHAPTER 17 BEN
I’ve known some people in this town my entire life, and sometimes that makes you a little na?ve. Quality people should come before the length of time—something you’d think I’d know by this point in my life, and something that’s been proven to me time and time again.
While I thought I could trust Craig, I learned today I can't. And as I sit in the office next to the one that he’s currently cleaning out, I realize I should have seen the signs a long time ago.
It isn’t the first time I’ve felt his betrayal, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The last time was something dumb—he borrowed a twenty and never paid it back.
I wasn’t exactly hurting for it, but it was the principle of the thing.
I gave him more than his career at my gym, and he still couldn’t pay back a fucking twenty.
It should’ve been a red flag. I swept it under the rug, and I can’t help but wonder what else I swept away in our relationship spanning two decades.
Maybe I should ask Gramma who else she never trusted since her radar seems to be much more intact than mine, but I guess for now I'm just going to have to go with my gut.
I dial up Paul, my accountant. He picks up right away. “Mr. Olson, what can I do for you?”
“I need you to take a deep dive into the books at Tight Fit.”
“What's going on?”
I blow out a breath. “I just have a feeling there's some money missing and I’m hoping you can prove me wrong.”
“You got it,” he says. “Send me whatever files you want me to review.”
I call up my tech guy, Dave, next. “Can you get me into one of my employee’s computers?” I ask.
“Of course.” He takes control of the screen and easily navigates to the files we need, and he even sends them directly to Paul for me while I watch. He changes Craig’s password so he can’t access anything dealing with Tight Fit.
Before we hang up, I ask, “Can you also double check through his emails and make sure there's nothing in any of them that would potentially raise any red flags or cause any issues?”
“Of course,” Dave says.
This is why you don't hire friends. Dave is George’s son, and he came highly recommended by none other than my own father.
He really is the best there is in information technology.
Paul runs the books at Chevy’s place and has been his accountant for years.
There’s really nothing like family recommendations, and I feel like Tight Fit is in great hands now that I’m moving Craig out.
“While I’ve got you on the line, I’m looking for someone who can manage Tight Fit. You know people in this town better than I do these days. Any insight into the two assistant managers who work here?”
“I can take a look at their emails, too, but I can tell you from a personal standpoint that Pat Jensen is a stand-up kind of guy.”
“Thanks, man,” I say.
I head back onto the gym floor and find Pat working with a client. I wait until he’s done, keeping an eye on him and sort of running an impromptu interview just based on his interactions.
He meets me in the middle of the floor. “Mr. Olson, great to see you again.”
“Same to you. Quick question for you if you have a minute.”
He nods. “Of course. Come on back to my office.”
I follow him through my gym, proud of the accomplishments I see in here even though I’m not around to run it. Just being here feels like home, though, and it gives me something to look forward to once I’m done playing.
He leans on the backside of his desk casually once we’re in his office, and I like how comfortable he seems. Dave was right. He’s perfect.
“I’m going to cut to the chase because I need to get back to Vegas, but I have something I need to take care of before I leave town.”
His brows dip, but he doesn’t say anything.
I plow ahead. “I just fired Craig. You want the manager position?”
“You—you fired him?” he asks.
I nod. “He admitted to some unsavory behavior and I just don’t trust that he hasn’t done some other things he hasn’t admitted to.”
He looks surprised—but not shocked. “I think you made the right choice.”
My brows knit together. “What do you know?”
He shakes his head. “Nothing, man. Honestly. But I always got a bad vibe from the guy.”
“Sounds like your asshole radar is intact, so you’re officially hired if you want it.”
He laughs. “I’ll take it.”
“Jane from my business management company will be in touch with your new contract and new salary. Thanks for stepping up.”
He moves toward me and shakes my hand. “You won’t be disappointed in your choice to hire me.”
I have a good feeling about the guy. “I’m going to have my grandmother check in on you, and I better get a good report. She’s got a great asshole radar, too, so just beware.”
He laughs. “You have nothing to worry about.”
I believe him when he says that.
I feel good about hiring him, like it’s one of the last things I needed to take care of before I head out of town. With that checked off my list, I take Craig’s laptop with me and head back to his former office.
“You got anything else you want to tell me?” I ask before I take off with his laptop in hand.
“I already sent it to her,” he mutters.
“You sent what to who?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him even though I have a pretty strong feeling I already know.
“I sent the towel to that stripper. I’ll get it back. Just…don’t fire me. You can’t fire me.”
Fuck.
He’s been working with Tatum all along—just like I suspected.
“Too late,” I snarl. “I already hired your replacement, man. Good fucking luck finding a job in this small town when word gets out you betrayed me. Have a lot of fun fucking Tatum. That chick’s a real mess and you two deserve one another.”
I walk out on those words. At least I know where the fucking towel is now. I know who’s been betraying me and where they’re getting the money. And speaking of money, if it’s money Kitty wants, well, then I’ll pay her. I’ll figure it out.
I need to tell Kaylee. I’m not sure if it changes anything between us, but it just feels like the right move to admit the real reason why I ended things with her.
I stand by my choice to let her live her life without me in it, but she should know that her age and her brothers had nothing to do with the real reason why I didn’t show up for our wedding day.
I head back to Gramma’s house.
“How’d it go?” she asks after she invites me in.
“I'm not quite sure yet but I've got a few of my best guys working on it. Craig-o was acting guilty as fuck. I'm pretty sure he's been stealing money from me and probably working with Tatum.”
She shakes her head. “Did you ask him about the baby?”
“Dammit,” I mutter. “I knew I forgot something.” But I'm also wondering whether it'll be better to confront Tatum with that question than Craig. “I did insinuate he’s currently working with her, but I left out the thing about the baby.”
“So now what?” she asks.
I shrug. “I guess we wait. I need to head back to Vegas to get a jumpstart on workouts with some of my buddies from the team.” Although I wonder whether those workouts are still on considering one of those buddies is Kaylee's brother.
Do I even want to be in the same room working out with him?
“Do you need to talk to Tatum?”
“Probably,” I admit. I don’t want to, though. I just want to get in the car and head back home.
“When are you leaving?” she asks.
I glance at my watch. “Now? I came here to say goodbye before I head home to pack up the place, grab Buddy, and start the trip back home, but I guess I need to stop by Tatum’s place first.”
“You better not drive straight through to Vegas, boy.” She shoves her finger into my chest.
I hold up both hands in protest. “It’s only fourteen hours!”
She raises a brow. “Too long on the road by yourself. Stop halfway for me, okay?”
I roll my eyes petulantly but reluctantly agree anyway. “Yes ma’am.”
She laughs, and then she tosses her arms around me. “Be safe. As much as I was ready for you to get off my couch, I loved having you here, sugar. You come back and see me soon, and kick some tail this season, all right?”
“You got it, Gramma.” I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Now you behave yourself, you hear me? No getting into trouble with all the boys knocking down your door.”
She laughs and smacks my arm affectionately. “Hardly. Take care of yourself, okay?”
I nod. “I will.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “Will you, though? Because it seems like you just keep putting yourself through hell. What for?” She pauses as she searches my face for a beat. “Maybe that’s something you can think about on your drive home.”
“Okay, Gramma,” I say. “I love you.”
She squeezes my arms. “I love you, too. Be safe and call me.”
“Every Tuesday late morning,” I confirm, and she smiles.
And then I take off for Tatum’s place for another confrontation I don’t want to have.
This one will probably be pretty explosive, though.