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Zac had signed on for the European run for a year, more to do with the old man needing him rather than business. Not that Jimmy wanted to be mollycoddled. He’d made that perfectly clear, but under all that gruffness was a scared man fighting to stay alive and Zac would be damned if he left the only father he’d ever known alone at a time like this.
He wanted to ask how he was feeling, how the treatment was going, knowing he’d get the usual brush off.
“So how are things in London?”
“All good here.”
He heard the strain beneath the forced upbeat tone.
“And you? How are you feeling?”
A slight pause followed by a grim throat clearing. “Can’t complain.”
James Madigan wouldn’t. He hadn’t complained when Zac had left him in the lurch for a year when he’d run off to marry Magda, he hadn’t complained when he’d had a near fatal heart attack as a result of the ensuing stress from an increased workload—picking up the slack because ofhisselfishness—hadn’t complained when Zac had outlined his plans for the future in direct opposition to his.
Jimmy was that sort of man: rock-solid, steadfast, a man Zac owed everything to, a man he aspired to be.
“The PR stint working out okay?”
“Yeah, the staff’s buying it and I’m getting the info I need so that’s the main thing.”
Jimmy coughed, an ear-splitting hacking cough that chilled Zac’s blood.
Aware his uncle hated appearing weak in the slightest he quickly tried to distract him. “Get this. I had Helena Rock on my case this morning, going berserk. Can’t tell you how close I was to telling her I actually run the company now. That would’ve put the battle-axe back in her place.”
Jimmy chuckled, something he wished he could hear more often. “Lucky you didn’t, otherwise you’d have a mutiny on your hands. Imagine if everyone knew I’d made you head honcho and hadn’t announced it officially yet? You wouldn’t get the info we need to nail the bastard bleeding us dry.”
“You’re right, but I hate lying. The staff respects and trusts me as a fellow employee. I feel like I’m using them.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, this is business. Cruise lines are becoming more competitive every day so why shouldn’t we use a bit of know-how to get ahead? It’s your company now.” Jimmy paused, the rattle in his throat indicating another cough coming on. “I’d do the same if I could. Unfortunately, I’m just an old sea dog who has to live vicariously through you these days, so make sure you do a damn good job.”
Zac searched for the words to reassure his uncle, to try to explain he couldn’t be prouder of the responsibility he’d been handed despite the doubts crawling into his subconscious at the oddest of times and making him feel a fraud.
“I wouldn’t have placed you in charge of this empire unless I thought you were capable, Zachary.”
As if reading his mind, Jimmy knew the right thing to say at the right time, as usual.
“Yeah, a regular shipping magnate, that’s me.”
He’d wondered why his uncle had pushed him into shipping after he finished his commerce degree, not twigging that the crafty codger was grooming him until a year into his first contract. By then Zac had been hooked, addicted to a shifting deck under his feet and the tang of salt air in his lungs.
He was proud to be in charge of the Madigan Shipping Conglomerate and would do whatever it took to make it the best shipping line in the world. He had big boat shoes to fill. He owed Jimmy. Now, more than ever.
“You’re doing a fine job, my boy. Now, you better get back to work. Just because you’re the boss doesn’t mean you can slack off.”
Zac laughed, half raising his hand in a salute, like he used to when he was a little boy, before dropping it uselessly, all too aware he wouldn’t have much time left to share a joke with his uncle.
“You look after yourself.”
He only just heard a mumbled “You’re as bad as these damn nurses,” before Jimmy hung up.
Life was short. Seeing a strong, vibrant man like Jimmy fade away reinforced that and Zac would be damned if he sat here and let Lana disembark next week without fully exploring this unrelenting attraction driving him to seek her out almost every second of the day.
He didn’t want to look back on this time and regret it, didn’t want to be left with memories of a kiss and little else.
She could run but she couldn’t hide and tonight, he’d make sure she knew exactly how much he wanted her.
A woman like Lana needed to be wooed, deserved to be treated right, starting with a romantic first date designed to bring a smile to her face and banish her doubts he was anything other than genuine—in his pursuit of her, at least.
