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“No sir. Other than an occasional text about our families, we’ve not really had time to talk. Or, he hasn’t. They keep him really busy.”
“Right. I’ll be honest, we’ve got a mess on our hands. We’re grossly over budgets and staff was hired to support the false numbers. There will be layoffs and restructuring.” A sigh from the other end of the phone hinted at the fatigue this poor man must feel. “Felix has recommended you as a temporary CEO and possibly the permanent replacement, if things went well. It would be a bit of proving yourself while on the job. Which I know someone of your intelligence probably finds insulting.”
“Not at all,” I said. “I’ve never run anything even close to the size of Seamark. I’d expect nothing less.”
“We’re offering Felix the CFO position with the same stipulations. You’d be working together, just like the old days.”
CEO of Seamark? Me? Running a start-up was one thing, but I was a programmer, not an executive. I mean, I’d had to become a leader as we built the company, but that was never what I thought of as my strongest skill. I’d approached leadership with humility, always striving to be better with each day on the job, but I don’t think anyone would have called me flawless or even particularly skilled in leading people. I liked the invention and the programming, not necessarily ledger sheets and financial analysis. One of my least favorite tasks had been staffing reductions. We’d had to do that several times before we had a final product worth selling.
It had been Felix who was better at the day-to-day and managing people. He enjoyed it more than I did. Stick me in a room with a computer and some code and I was happy. Would I even be capable of taking on such a huge role?
“What do you think? Ready to get back in the game?”
I stroked Scout’s ears and stared out the window. Snow hadstarted to fall in big, fat flakes that usually brought glorious powder perfect for cross-country skiing. The lights on my Christmas tree that Annie and I had so happily decorated twinkled at me.
Back in the game.This would be one epic game. “Sir, I’d have to think long and hard.”
“The package will be attractive, even for the acting CEO position. Salary and stocks could be life-changing.”
Did I want my life changed? Although the gossips had nicknamed me Billionaire Cowboy, it was not true. I was rich, but nowhere near CEOs who ran large companies. Our stock payout had left me millions upon millions of dollars, and I’d invested everything, other than what I’d used to build my house and live modestly. With my conservative investments, I had enough that I could live the rest of my life peacefully in this beautiful house close to the people I loved. For years, my goal had been to get back here. All the long hours and sleeping on a cot in my office had been a means to an end. Getting home to my family.
“When do you need an answer?” I asked.
“Yesterday. We need something to calm the investors. An announcement about you would do that.”
“But I’m nobody.”
“That’s not how we see it. Your technology and how you built your company were impressive, to say the least.”
“I appreciate the confidence. Thank you.”
“I’ll email over our offer—so you have all the facts before you make any decisions. We’d love to get you out here to talk.”
We hung up soon thereafter. I sat staring at the fire, reeling. And that was before I saw the financial offer.
That night,Annie and I joined my parents for dinner at their house. Mama and Annie were inside putting finishing touches on a taco buffet while Pop and I sat on the patio in front of the outdoor fireplace. Right before twilight, the snow had stopped and the clouds had parted to show us clear sky. Now, stars scattered across a black sky, with a crescent moon hovering just above a thicket of trees.
“Crescent moon tonight,” Pop said. “A night like this doesn’t make it hard to understand how your mother’s great-grandfather came up with the name.”
I nodded and took a swig of the red wine Pop had poured me before our venture out to the patio. He and I had done much of the work on their outside space ourselves, and I thought it had turned out really well. He’d wanted pavers and a covered area with a fireplace. Cozy outdoor furniture and a heated floor made it available for use all year.
Pop added another log to the fire. “Nothing like the smell of woodsmoke on a cold night.”
I nodded, absently.
“What’s on your mind, son?” Pop asked. “I can tell something’s bugging you.”
"Yeah, there's something I want to talk to you about. Get your advice."
"You know I'm always here for you."
It was true. Since Pop and Mama married, he'd been the one I'd gone to for whatever worried me or if I had doubts about what direction I should go on a variety of subjects. Although I was close with my brothers, especially Rafferty, as we had the most in common, there was no one like Pop. He understood me and never tried to put his own opinion or judgment on whatever subject I brought to him.
"I had a call today. A job offer."
"Yeah?" From the tone of his voice, I picked up immediately on his worry. It had taken me over a decade to come homeafter I graduated from high school. They only just had me back.
"It's an amazing opportunity," I said. "The kind I dreamed about as a kid.”
