Page 30 of Reeves

"That place is pretty sweet. I forgot how cool it is. Dad thought of everything."

"Dad's priorities were always... specific." Ridge taps his pen against the desk. "Speaking of the house, I wanted to check if Ms. Landry's been taking care of you."

"She's been fine." I shift in my seat. "Actually, I was wondering about that. Why is she still running an empty house nine months after Dad died?"

"It was in the will. She has lifetime residence and employment if she wants it. The house stays in the family as long as she's there."

I let out a low whistle. "Should've gotten into housekeeping if it meant scoring a mansion to myself with full access to everything."

Ridge's eyes narrow slightly. "She raised us, Reeves. All of us. She's been working for Mom and Dad for forty years. You'd throw her out after that?"

My neck instantly tightens. "That's not what I meant. I was just curious why the arrangement stayed in place when none of us live there."

"We all use it. Family dinners, meetings. It's still home base." Ridge leans forward. "But that's not why I asked you here. Enough about Ms. Landry."

"I figured."

"Dad's system of keeping all of us on payroll without clearresponsibilities isn't sustainable anymore. We're growing too fast for that approach."

Here it comes.

"If you're staying on the books, you need a real role." Ridge slides a folder across the desk. "Head of security. Overseeing infrastructure, coordinating consultants, managing risk across all ports and shipping networks. Full authority, serious responsibility, salary to match."

I flip open the folder but don't look at the details. "I have orders to return next week."

"It's the only thing you've ever committed to." Ridge's smile softens the blow, but the truth lands anyway.

“So what’s the play here?” I ask.

Ridge leans back in his chair. “Finish your tour. Retire honorably. When you’re ready, step into the role. You run security for Stone Intermodal.”

“You make it sound simple.”

“It is simple.” His gaze stays steady on mine. “You’d run it your way. Build the team you want. The compensation will make it all worth it.”

“Money doesn’t motivate me, Ridge. Dad left plenty.”

“This isn’t about money.” He taps the folder once with his finger. “It’s about purpose. It’s about the family circling the wagons and stepping up when it matters.”

I close the folder and slide it back across the desk. “I’ll think about it.”

“I’m not asking for an answer today,” he says. “But I do need to know if you have any intention of coming back. We can keep the current setup for now. Wells has the cyber side handled and the physical security team is solid. But if you’re not planning to return, that changes how we grow the department.”

“You dropped this on me at the memorial,” I say. “How quickly are you wanting an answer? I don’t even know what myretirement options look like yet. Hell, I’ve got to be back on base in seven days or the Navy comes looking for me.”

Ridge exhales through his nose, the closest he comes to a laugh.

“I’m not putting you on a clock,” he says. “I’m asking you to tell me if you’re out. If you know you’re never coming back here, I need to plan around that.”

“Fair enough.”

“That’s all I’m asking.”

“I can give you that,” I say. “But it won’t be until after I get back.”

“I can live with that.”

The conversation drifts after that. Nothing important. Rhodes slacking off at Loyola. Cain stirring up more trouble than he’s worth now that he’s back in town.