in high school, but I don’t know what happened to her.”
“Well, with no one to step in as vice president, you’ll be in charge of everything.”
“True.” Brandon actually preferred it that way, expected it after all this time. While the roles worked well for his dad and uncle, he’d much rather work solo.
Their father came around the table. “Brandon, can you come by my office? I need to talk to you.”
Brandon studied his father’s serious expression. “Sure, Dad. I’ll be right there.”
His father clapped him on the shoulder and exited.
Siobhan said, “I wonder what that’s about.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Well, let me know what happens.”
“Okay.” Brandon left the room and started down the corridor leading to his father’s office. He spoke to the administrative assistant, who told him to go in.
“I just hope this time you can get the answers,” he heard his father say.
“Dad? Oh, hey, Unc. I didn’t know you were here.”
“Hi, Brandon. I’ll talk to you later, Nolan,” Uncle Thad said. The two older men shared a glance that wasn’t lost on Brandon.
He followed his uncle’s departure. Today Uncle Thad was on crutches. He’d lost the lower part of his left leg during Desert Storm and typically used a prosthetic. However, over the past year, he had taken to using his wheelchair or the crutches because of problems with the artificial limb.
After Uncle Thad left, Brandon’s father said, “Close the door and have a seat, son.”
He complied. “What’s going on, Dad?”
“There may be a little delay in you taking my position.”
“What? Why?”
“Something has come up that needs to be handled before we pass on the reins.”
“If you tell me what it is, maybe I can help.”
“No, no,” his father answered quickly. “I’ll handle it.”
He tried to keep his surprise and distress hidden. Brandon knew he could be intense sometimes, but he was the best person for the job. He knew this company inside out. “How long are you talking?”
“I’m not sure. Another month or two perhaps.”
He did his best to remain in his seat and not behave like the hotheaded teen he used to be. Was his father having second thoughts about Brandon heading the company? He was afraid to ask, but needed to know. Taking a deep, calming breath, he asked, “Are you thinking of putting someone else in the position?
“No.”
Something—he didn’t know what—in his father’s tone gave Brandon pause. “Is that all?”
“Yes.” His father released a deep sigh. “Son, I know you’re upset, but I assure you this is just temporary.”
Brandon stood and nodded. “Since it’s almost five, I’m going to take off, unless you need me to stay.”
He shook his head.
“Tell Mom hi.”
“I will.”
Brandon stalked back to his desk, locked up and set out for the gym his brother Khalil owned. The former model was now a highly sought-after personal trainer. With rush-hour traffic, it took Brandon nearly an hour to reach his destination, which incensed him even more. He was more than ready to take out his frustrations on the heavy bag.
“Damn, big brother. You might want to go easy on that bag.”
Ignoring Khalil for the moment, Brandon continued with his punches. A few minutes later, winded, he removed his gloves, wiped his face with a towel and downed a bottle of water.
“Want to tell me what’s going on and why you’re about to dislodge my bag from the ceiling?”
He took up a position next to Khalil on the wall. “Dad is postponing his retirement. He said something came up that he needs to handle and it could be another couple of months.”
“Why can’t you handle it?”
“I offered, but he wouldn’t even tell me what it was. It’s bugging the hell out of me. I’m almost positive Uncle Thad is in on it, too.” Brandon recalled the shared look between the two men.
Khalil swung his head in Brandon’s direction. “I know he’s not thinking about putting someone else in the CEO position. Granted, you do go over the top sometimes, like when that couple was trying to sue the company last year. You’re lucky Siobhan and Morgan are still speaking to you.”
He shot his brother a dark glare. “Shut up.” When the accusations were first leveled, Siobhan, the company’s PR director, had been out of town with her now husband and missed several calls that weekend. Their baby sister, Morgan, had been tasked to handle the legal case and, unbeknownst to the family, had become agent to a star football player. Both times, Brandon had confronted his sisters, feeling that they should have put the company first. Needless to say, it hadn’t won him any brownie points. While Siobhan still worked for the company, Morgan had left the company six months ago and was doing well in the world of sports management. She had also married said football player. “Dad said he wasn’t looking to place anyone else in the position, but I have a bad feeling about this.”
“Thank God, because I’m certainly not going to do it, and neither is Malcolm.” Their youngest brother, Morgan’s twin, played professional football and had no interest in doing anything not sports-related. Khalil straightened from the wall. “Well, you’ve waited all this time for the position. Another few weeks won’t kill you.” Brandon grunted and Khalil laughed. “Besides, it’ll give you more time to practice some patience.”
Brandon grabbed his stuff and left Khalil standing there. He spent another forty-five minutes lifting weights before calling it a night. To add to his already foul mood, he realized that he’d forgotten to add a change of clothes and, after showering, had to put his wrinkled slacks and dress shirt back on. He spotted Khalil on his way out working with a client and threw up a wave.
At his car, Brandon tossed his gym bag in the backseat, then climbed in on the driver’s side, started the engine and drove off. His stomach growled, letting him know it was far past the time for him to eat. As he merged onto the freeway, his cell rang and he engaged the Bluetooth device. “Hello.”
“Brandon, can you stop by Thad’s and pick up a folder for the meeting tomorrow morning?”
“Hey, Dad. I thought he was going to be there.”
“He planned to, but the orthopedic clinic had a cancellation and can see him sooner than his original appointment two months from now.”
Brandon knew how difficult it was to get an appointment with a
