“Damn, son,” Dad says with a shake of his head and a big grin on his face. “Where did I go wrong with you?”
“I think he ate paint chips as a child,” Helix says dryly.
“Anywayyy,” I draw out, trying to get this conversation back on track. “They’re releasing the old man soon, but he doesnotrequest the pleasure of our company.”
“That’s not what I said,” Dad argues. “I said let me have some peace to get settled in, and then I’d like my whole family together for dinner.”
“So I decided to head up to the office for a bit,” I tell them.
“We’ll go with you,” Helix says. “Nic is running the lab today, and I want to check on her.”
“How is she feeling? Everything okay with the baby?” our father asks, his face melting into bliss at the thought of his unborn grandchild.
“The baby is good. We had a doctor’s visit and everything is on track. Nic is a little nauseated in the mornings, but I bring her saltines and ginger ale to snack on before she gets out of bed, and that seems to help.”
Dad pats his arm. “Good man. I know both my daughters-in-law are very independent, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t little thingsyou can do to make sure they’re cared for. Especially when they’re pregnant.” He stands from the bench where we’ve been seated. “Now, is there anything I need to have the chef prepare for her? Anything she’s been craving?”
“She can’t stand the smell of fish right now, so maybe avoid that,” Helix answers. “Thanks for thinking of her, Dad.”
“Got it,” he says, tapping his temple. “Now get on out of here so I can go hound the doctor about letting me go home early.”
We walk him inside where a nurse is waiting with a wheelchair. He grumbles but complies and sits his ass down.
“We can take my vehicle,” I say as we exit into the parking garage. Antonio arranged for a black Expedition to be waiting for us at the airport. We all climb in the back, and Antonio drives us the short distance from the medical center to our office complex.
“Front door or back?” my driver asks as we approach.
“Front,” I reply, wanting to use the public entrance. I’ll be the CEO here next week, and I want to be accessible and familiar to everyone.
The first person I see is Bear, the burly head of security, at the door. He waves us through and smacks me on the back so hard I almost fall over. “Good to see you, Mr. Hale,” he says to me.
“Bear, you’ve known me almost my entire life,” I point out. “Call me Remi.”
A wide grin curves beneath his bushy black beard. “I’ll do my best, Mr. Hale. How is Mr. Hale? Um, you know, theotherMr. Hale.”
We update him on Dad’s status, and then say hello to the ladies at the downstairs reception desk. I recognize Carla, the woman who worked at the Hampton Inn that night I spent there with Minnie seven years ago. I’m pleased to see she’s still working here. They also ask about our father.
“You’ll get to meet Mindy today,” Phoenix says once we’re inside the elevator. “She’s really got the office running in tip-top shape even after two weeks. I guess I didn’t notice before, but Gina, the old admin, had been slipping a little. She would forget to add important stuff to Dad’s calendar.”
“We had to call him that one time, remember?” Helix asks.
Phoenix nods. “Oh yeah, everyone was waiting for him fortwenty minutes in the conference room before I finally went and found him. Gina hadn’t entered it in the system, so he didn’t even know about it.” The doors open onto the top floor. “Anyway, Mindy implemented a new scheduling system that’s really easy and effective.”
“Good morning,” Amanda, the executive-level receptionist says as we cross the marble-tiled lobby. “Mr. Hale, so happy you’re back. How is your dad?”
We give her the update before heading down the hallway to my new office. “We should probably send out a company-wide email about Dad so everyone is updated,” I say as we turn the corner.
“Mindy’s already working on it,” Helix says. “She’s excellent at that kind of stuff.”
“Sounds like everyone is enamored with this Mindy,” I say. “Does she also walk on water?”
“Only on Thursdays,” Phoenix quips, and I shake my head in amusement as we enter my office space. I’m expecting to see a woman about my mother’s age with sensible shoes and stern eyebrows over half-rim glasses, but the illustrious Mindy isn’t at her desk.
Phoenix opens my inner office door and waves me inside with a smartass royal gesture. I enter, followed by my brothers.
There’s a person in here, but there’s not a hint of an old lady in sensible shoes. Nope. I’m greeted by the sight of a shapely ass in a red skirt and the bottoms of two stilettos sticking out from beneath my father’s desk.
Goddamn, if this is Mindy, I had her pegged all wrong.
