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"We can soak up some sun too. Who knows how long we'll still have these beautiful days?"
As we went downstairs, I kept looking around, wondering if Jeannie Whitley was still here. I could not believe she actually said that to Colton and he hadn't given her a snappy comeback. I liked that he respected his grandmother even when she gave him a hard time. I almost burst out laughing when she called him a wrinkly Grinch. That was... I didn't even know what to think about it, but I was so proud that I didn't actually laugh. Although I suspected my loud gasp gave me away.
"I met Jeannie Whitley today," I told Sandra after we picked up our burgers and went outside. finding a quiet spot farther away on the pier. "Does she often come by the office?"
"No. Actually, I think this is the first time I’ve seen her in person. But from what I understand, Colton and his brothers are alternating taking her out to lunch every week," Sandra answered.
"That’s thoughtful."
"Apparently she meddles a lot in the boys' lives."
I wanted to know more, but I wanted to be casual about it, not obvious about my intentions. I didn’t want Sandra to think I had a personal interest in Colton. Because I didn’t. This was all work related. Mostly.
"I even heard a rumor that she called herself the family's matchmaker," she added.
I laughed. "That doesn't even sound like a rumor, more like accurate information."
Sandra blushed, biting into her burger.
"Whitley Industries is very interconnected," she said after she swallowed her mouthful. "I know the HR people from other companies, too, and, well, people talk. All I know is that last year, all the Whitley men were single, and now three of them are married. Or wait, is it just two and one is engaged? I'm missing some of the details."
I liked Sandra. She was a bit of a gossip, but not in a mean way. She wasn't judging, but I still chose my words carefully.
"So, she had a hand in that, huh?"
"Apparently so. I'm wondering if she has something planned for Colton too. I mean, if she does, good luck with that. The man never leaves this place for a minute. He lives for his work. I’ve never seen commitment like his."
"Yeah, he seems driven in a way that few other CEOs are," I said, taking another bite of my burger. "I wonder why that is."
"Oh, I know why it is," Sandra said nonchalantly.
"Really? Why?"
"His mom passed away when he was in college, and he switched majors after that so he could take over Whitley Biotech."
"Oh my goodness."
"Yeah, the poor woman just had shit luck. First, her husband was a total asshole, and then she got sick."
I frowned, not following Sandra. Apparently I didn’t know the whole story. “I guess I’m missing something. Why was he an asshole?”
"You don't know?" She sounded stunned.
"Know what?”
"About the Whitley scandal.”
“No." I thought about everything I'd read in preparation for the job, but nothing came to mind. "I did some research on the company, but I don’t remember there being anything about a scandal."
"It's not recent. This happened a long time ago. Their dad had a secret second family."
My eyes bulged. "What? Are you serious?"
"It was years ago. He left the boys and all the businesses high and dry, so there was a leadership crisis in Whitley Industries until his sons took over.”
Several things started falling into place. I knew Whitley Industries was an older, established company—on the third generation—but I had no idea how all this transpired. I now had a renewed sense of admiration for Colton and his brothers.
"Have you made any headway with Colton?" Sandra asked.
