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The monitors tracking his every breath beep steadily, and I watch the rise and fall of his chest as if it were life and death. And in some ways, it is. An immense pressure weighs me down, knowing I’ll be disappointing him. He put so much faith in me, and I gave away half his empire.
“Don’t just stand there and stare; come in here so I can see you,” his deep gravelly voice shocks me.
I move quickly to his side and wait as he hits the button which raises him to an almost seated position. After the stroke, we had a hospital bed and all the equipment necessary for his recovery moved here to the Bristol property. He has chosen to remain hidden here though.
“You can’t let your enemies or your friends know you’re weak; that’s when they strike,”he’d always warned.
Unfortunately, I allowed the enemy into our own family. I hang my head in failure.
“Pa, how are you feeling?”
My grandfather’s brown eyes which match my own stare back at me. “I’m fine. Why do you look like I killed your puppy?”
I let out a low laugh. “Well, you did put down Skip without telling us.” I remind him of our childhood dog that was by mom’s side until she took her last breath and was our last connection to our mom.
“The dog went to live on a farm,” he repeats the same line he told us back then.
I smile. “Right, Skip is still living his best life out on the farm with the chickens.”
My grandfather laughs, and it turns into a cough. I grab him his water. “Here, drink.”
He takes a sip from the straw but eyes me sternly, likely hating that he’s showing weakness in front of me. “Let me guess, you finally came here to tell me what happened to the company?”
I raise my eyes to his and tilt my head, trying to read him. “You know?”
My grandfather laughs. “I’m bedridden, not dead. Of course I know. I ran that company for fifty years. You think I don’t have people who keep me apprised of what’s going on?”
I clear my throat, trying to work this all out. “I…” I stutter, lost for words.
“I thought you’d be the one to tell me. You’re supposed to be my people on the inside, Cassius.” His voice leaves no room for anything other than an apology.
My shoulders slump. “I’m sorry. You kept this business running for fifty years, and after a few months in my care, I’ve lost half of it.”
My grandfather says nothing. He points to the bureau behind me. “Top drawer.”
I raise my brow. “What?”
My grandfather rarely says things twice, so despite the fact that I don’t know what he’s getting at, I stand and walk to the bureau. When I open it, I spot an envelope with my name on it. I pick it up and show it to him. “This?”
He nods and motions for me to come back. “I always knew your father would try to come for the company when I retired.”
“Pa, it’s not Dad, it’s Hanson.”
My grandfather shakes his head and holds his finger up to me. It looks like it takes every effort for him to keep it still and not shake. “Don’t be fooled. Your father is involved somehow. He’s always behind the scenes.”
Not wanting to get him worked up, I simply nod. “So, what is this?”
My grandfather’s eyes warm. “I wanted to do this at Quito’s over a lobster roll.”
I smile as the memories of years of lobster rolls and discussions with my grandfather filter through my mind. “Wanted to do what?”
“When Chase was born, your grandmother and I realized your father was never going to be the man to take over the company.”
The mention of Chaseand the circumstances of his birth put my skin on edge. “Right.”
“But I knew he wouldn’t go away quietly. The only thing that kept him and the boy’s mother quiet was money. And a lot of it. I couldn’t let your father raise you kids, so we made a deal; I’d turn the company over to him when I retired if he gave me you kids.”
I rake my hands over my chin. He what? My mind can’t even wrap around anything that’s being said. This can’t possibly be true. My grandfather wouldn’t give up everything he’d worked for. He wouldn’t turn over the keys to our family’s business to a man who would destroy it. “But…”
