Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
S alem
Two hours of being told my client is far too toxic and I’ll need to wait to see what the public decides about him gives me a splitting headache. Let the public decide? Who do these people think they’re talking to?
I’m the best fixer around. I make sure the public sees what they need to see and then decides my clients aren’t villains. If I let them decide based on what the media feeds them, the public would be storming the front door of this house and threatening to tar and feather Kellen.
God, I need a break, and I mean that on multiple levels. I could use a stiff drink to take the edge off this workday, and I need one big media outlet to stop peddling the bullshit they’ve been going with for the past two months when it comes to him.
Frustrated, I wander out of the office and head toward the kitchen. After gazing into the refrigerator for five minutes and seeing nothing I want, I grab one of the cheesecake desserts that meal service delivered. Not exactly the healthiest snack, but when work gets to me, there’s nothing like sugar to take my mind off things.
While I enjoy my treat, I look out the window at Kellen and Ronan laughing and having a good time out on the patio. Even though things have been strained on occasion between Kellen and me while we’ve been here, I like seeing him enjoying himself with his brother. I got the sense that night at Matthias and Ava’s house that the King boys weren’t going to be close for a while, but as I watch the two youngest Kings now, I’m happy to see them getting along once again.
“There really isn’t a bad looking one in the bunch,” I mumble to myself.
The sound of footsteps behind me makes me turn around, and when I see Eleanor instead of Nathan, I’m surprised. In her arms, she carries trays of something covered in foil, and hanging off her right arm is a big, blue canvas bag filled with cleaning supplies.
“Oh, let me help you,” I say as I hurry over to take the trays from her. “I wish you would have let us know you were coming with all of this. I would have made sure one of us was waiting to help you carry all of this in.”
Eleanor gives me a tiny smile and shakes her head as she sets her bag on one of the stools at the island. “I’m fine. No need to worry about me. Please, go about your business and forget I’m even here. I was hoping I could sneak in and tidy up like I have all the other times, but I think I must have forgotten it’s a holiday.”
I study the older woman for a few moments as she begins to take the foil off the trays. She has to be at least in her late fifties, and although she seems to be in good shape, I can’t imagine she’s strong enough to be carrying all this stuff around for long.
“Even though I know Matthias has that food service deliver meals to you all each week, I thought some homecooked meals would be a nice treat for you. I made a few things. There’s meatloaf here, and I know Kellen loves my lasagna, so I made a big pan of that.”
As she lifts off the foil covers to show me each meal, my mouth begins to water. That lasagna smells incredible!
“You didn’t have to do this, but I can tell you it won’t just be Kellen enjoying this,” I say before taking a big sniff of that delicious pasta and cheese.
Eleanor’s face lights up at my mention that I love what she’s brought. Her blue eyes practically sparkle with joy.
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Now I’m glad I made double my usual amount. Matthias and Ava aren’t huge pasta fans, but I know my Kellen, and that man can put away some lasagna.”
She turns to the last two trays and pulls back the foil to reveal shrimp scampi and what looks to be at least three dozen cookies. “I hope you love Italian, because I went to town with the garlic in the scampi. Last, but not least, I wanted to bring Kellen his favorite butterscotch cookies since he didn’t get the batch I made for the last time he came to the house.”
I can’t help but smile at how sweet this woman is. She truly adores Kellen, which is a wonderful change from what I’ve been dealing with from nearly everyone I reach out to about him.
After helping her put the food in the refrigerator, I offer her some coffee or tea, but she declines. “I’ve had more than enough caffeine for the day already, but thank you. I need to get working on cleaning up, so don’t feel like you need to pay attention to me or entertain me. I know you have important work to do. I don’t want to bother you.”
Taking a seat at the island, I let out a heavy sigh. “To be honest, I’m happy for the distraction. I’ve had a tough time lately with trying to get anyone to listen to me when it comes to Kellen, so getting to be around someone who thinks so highly of him is a pleasant change.”
She begins to unload her bag of cleaning supplies, but her expression morphs into sadness at hearing no one wants to forgive him quite yet. “I’m sorry to hear that. I wish the world could know the Kellen I know. That person is funny and sweet and never fails to make me smile.”
“I wish they could know that person too. For now, all they want to think is he’s this one-dimensional bad guy. I’ve been able to get promises of something positive in the future, but right now, I’m mired in a world full of no. No, we can’t do that. No, we don’t think we can’t help with anything right now. Maybe in a few weeks. I don’t even think they’re finding people want to hear he’s a villain. They’re just sticking with that. It’s very discouraging.”
When I stop my whining, I look up to see sympathy in Eleanor’s eyes. “I hear you’re the best, so I have faith in you.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
She hands me a cookie and smiles. “You know, nothing makes you feel better like something sweet.”
I can’t help but laugh since that’s practically my mantra. “Oh, trust me. I’m all on board with that. I just ate a piece of cheesecake. I love my sugar.”
“A woman after my own heart. I know when I’m down or worried, nothing takes my mind off my problems like making something delicious. That’s one of the reasons why I made those cookies for Kellen. I’m worried about him, but getting stressed out isn’t going to do anyone any good, so I figured the best way to help is to make his favorite cookie. He always did love butterscotch. None of his brothers did, so whenever I made them, he’d have them all to himself.”
Curious to hear more about Kellen’s life before this year, I take a bite of one of those cookies, and instantly I’m in heaven. “Mmmm…I think I know why these are his favorite. You do know how to make a great cookie, Eleanor.”
She spies my latest batch of cupcakes on the other end of the island and asks, “May I try one?”
Thrilled she might like my baking, I grab the tray and slide it down toward us. “Please do.”
Eleanor takes one and after the first bite, I know she loves it as much as I love those butterscotch cookies. “Oh, my. This is delicious! It’s so moist and fresh. And this icing! Mmmm…”
“I’m glad you like them. Take as many as you want. I made a lot,” I say, chuckling. “When I’m frustrated with work, nothing eases my mind like baking. If I don’t get someone to give finally say yes soon, I’m probably going to be making another dozen or two since it’s my favorite way of dealing with stress.”
When she finishes, she smiles. “You are a woman of many talents, I see. I’m glad Kellen has you in his corner.”
“I just wish I was having more luck. It’s still technically soon since everything became public, but I had hoped there would be some movement toward at least acknowledging he’s not the worst person in the world by now,” I say, feeling discouraged again.
“If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know. I’d do anything for him,” Eleanor says while she finishes unloading her cleaning supplies onto the other side of the island.
Maybe she can do something to help me.
“Would you be able to tell me more about Kellen? Hearing something from you about his life growing up might help me figure out what tactic to use to convince people he’s not a bad guy since constantly reminding them how well he did in college and grad school isn’t cutting it.”
A big smile spreads across her face. “I could talk about him all day. What do you need to know?”
“Anything you can tell me might spark some idea I can use when I’m trying to persuade my contacts to give him a chance to show the real him.”
She thinks for a few moments and then sighs. “I’m guessing you don’t know this, but Kellen is very much like his father. I’m not sure Mr. King even knew it, but that boy idolized him from the moment he knew what his father did for a living. His mother saw it in him and always encouraged that talent like she did with all her sons. Mr. King may not have seen it, but she did.”
I listen intently, happy to hear all this positivity from her. “So he wanted to be a businessman even as a little boy?”
“I think so. Elizabeth King had a way of seeing the true talents her boys had. She knew Kellen wanted to be like his father when he grew up, so she encouraged that. She always wanted him to know she believed in him, even though she knew the odds that he would get to one day run the company were slim.”
Eleanor’s tone turns sad as she says that, so I quickly ask, “Why? He was a standout in college and when he went for his MBA. Why wouldn’t he be able to run King Industries?”
Frowning, she takes a second or two to collect her thoughts. “Please understand I’m not saying anything against Mr. King. He was a wonderful man who loved all his sons. I mean that sincerely. Maximilian King loved being a father and having five incredible boys. He just came from a family that always believed the oldest son was the one to carry on the family business. So even though his wife tried hard to change his mind about that, when he died, Matthias was made the head of the company, not Kellen. I sometimes wonder if Elizabeth had lived if that wouldn’t have happened, though. She knew Matthias didn’t care about business. He loves his art. She used to tell me he had an artist’s heart. But Kellen has a heart for business, and she knew it. She tried to make her husband see that too, but when she died so young, that idea just faded away.”
The way Eleanor talks about that lost chance for Kellen to be the person he always dreamed of being makes me sad. I can only imagine what it must feel like to want something and never have the opportunity to have it merely because of when I was born.
“I think he’d do great running the company,” I say. “I mean, this current issue isn’t great, but Kellen seems like a natural leader.”
“Oh, he definitely is. That’s why his mother knew he’d be perfect to head the company. Not that Matthias can’t do it. He’s as bright as Kellen, but his passion isn’t in running King Industries. He never wanted that. Sometimes Ava has to practically pry him from his art studio they made in the carriage house when it’s time to go into the office. No, Kellen is the one King son who wanted more than anything to work at King Industries, but he wasn’t the firstborn.”
Listening to her talk about this modern day version of primogeniture Kellen’s father believed in makes me wish his mother had been successful in convincing her husband to look at his younger son to take over the reins of the company when it was time. It seems both Kellen and Matthias would have been happier.
As I think about that, Eleanor says, “You know, I believe he was happy he would just be working at King Industries, but then Theo died. That changed everything.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, although I have a sneaking suspicion what she’s talking about.
Sadness fills her eyes as she answers, “Everyone loved Theo. He was the life of the party wherever he went. None of the boys were as free spirited as him. His mother always told me he was going to set the world on fire. She was right. Theo burned too brightly for this world, and he left us far too soon. I think out of all his brothers, Kellen felt the loss the most.”
“They sound like they were polar opposites.”
With a big smile, she nods her head. “Oh, they were, but Kellen always idolized that brother. He wanted to be like his father, but part of him admired how wild Theo was. He truly was an untamed soul. That’s what his mother used to call it. He had an untamed soul that was always looking for something to thrill him. I think Kellen wanted to be like that too.”
“Do you think that’s why he seems to have changed from the person I’ve read about who excelled in school and everyone believed was a huge asset to the company when he started?”
Eleanor sighs as I ask my question. “Yeah, I think so. Each of the boys has dealt with the loss of Theo differently. Matthias has his art and Ava to help him handle it. Ronan has his baseball. Marius, well, he keeps so much to himself that I’m not sure what he does to deal with losing Theo. But Kellen seems to have dealt with the loss by trying to become his brother. The problem is the fit is all wrong. His nature is to be a leader, but Theo wasn’t that. He never wanted to lead anything. He just wanted to have fun. That was his only goal in life. So now someone who’s a natural leader is acting like someone who doesn’t care about anything. It’s not who he is, but I feel like it’s the person he wants to be to keep Theo alive in more than just his memories.”
I don’t say it to her, but I can’t help but wonder if some therapy might be helpful for Kellen. Losing someone you idolize is a traumatic experience. Maybe if he talked to someone it could help him.
She looks out the kitchen window and turns around wearing a huge grin. “I’m so happy to see Ronan here visiting Kellen. They’ve always been so close, but I was worried that night at the house might mean they wouldn’t reconcile for a long time.”
“Ronan came over to tell him about his minor league tryout next week. Kellen seemed thrilled to hear the news.”
“Oh, I do hope it works out for him. Ronan has loved that sport since Matthias and Theo taught him how to play. If Theo could see him now.”
I hear her sniffle when she turns to look at the two of them outside on the patio again, so I say, “What position does he play? I forgot to ask when he was telling me about the tryout.”
Thankfully, that takes her attention away from what was making her sad, and she turns around to face me with an expression like she has to think about my question. “You know, I’m not sure. Shortstop, maybe? I know he’s not a pitcher. That I do know. He told me once why, but I swear it’s escaped me now.”
My guess is he’s not built to be a pitcher. Ronan is tall and muscular, but he doesn’t have the lower body of a pitcher. I remember my brother always saying they had to have big hips. Childbearing hips, he used to joke. I’ve only seen Ronan King a couple times, but he definitely isn’t built like that.
I start to ask her more about Kellen’s childhood, but the man himself interrupts us. “My two favorite ladies in one room? How did I get so lucky?”
Eleanor beams a smile as I watch him walk over and wrap his arms around her. “He’s such a sweet talker, this one. I brought your favorite cookies.”
Kellen looks around for them and smiles when he finally locates them on the island. “Great! I’ll be gorging all afternoon.”
“You smell like alcohol. Why do you smell like that in the middle of the day?” Eleanor asks pointedly.
For the first time since I met him down at that resort, he gets a sheepish look about him that almost looks like he’s embarrassed. “I don’t have much to do other than drink and live vicariously through others. Did you hear about Ronan trying out for the Nationals’ minor league team?”
She taps him on the nose and sternly stares up at him. “I did, but I’m more concerned with this new habit of yours. Since when do you drink at this time of day?”
“Since I was sent into exile,” he answers in a low voice.
I watch, expecting her to chastise him again, but instead she gives him another hug and points toward the refrigerator. “I brought you other goodies too. Be sure to share with Salem, though.”
Happy for the reprieve from her disappointment, Kellen opens the refrigerator door. “Is that lasagna I see? Oh, yeah. This guy is eating well tonight. Cookies and lasagna. I think I’m in heaven!”
“Just remember to share,” Eleanor says, sweetly reprimanding him, almost as if she’s a mother figure to him.
Maybe he wasn’t just saying she was like a member of the family.
Gathering up her supplies, Eleanor starts to walk toward the hall. “Well, I have work I need to do.”
“Thank you for the care package, Eleanor,” Kellen calls after her as she leaves the room.
Alone with me, he grabs a cookie before getting two more beers. “Good news from my brother and treats from Eleanor. Today is a good day. Any chance you have any good news to give me?”
I shake my head, wishing I did. All I have is what I’ve had since I started working on cleaning up his reputation.
A lot of no answers to my requests. But I’m not done. Not by a longshot.
“Not yet, but don’t give up hope yet. Remember, I’m the best in the business.”
As he walks by me to head back out to the patio, he winks. “I know. I trust you, Salem. I was just hoping today might be the day.”
I watch him gobble up that cookie as he walks away and can’t help but admit he can be quite charming. I wish I had better news for him, but at least he and I aren’t angry at one another anymore.
That’s something.