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“Did you like that ride too, Val?” He asks in a teasing yet husky voice.
“You couldn’t tell Chase, or should I say Chaser?”
I hear him give a muffled laugh at my joke, and then I start to giggle. Soon, we’re both laughing hard.
“You know, we might still be able to make that show... or we could stay right where we are—“
I feel his lips on mine as I wrap my arms around his neck.
Fifteen
Chase
I’m glad I’m back working normal business hours. Val is meeting me today for lunch. I promised to show her around and tell her more about my work here.
Clara, our front receptionist, an older woman who worked with my dad and watched me and my brothers grow up, buzzes my office phone.
“Chase, your wife is here to meet you for lunch.”
“Thanks, Clara. I’ll be right down.”
As I walk into the reception area, I find Val chatting easily with Clara.
“Hey, Val. I see you’ve already met Clara,” I give her a quick kiss.
“Oh, yes. She’s been telling me all kinds of childhood stories about you and your brothers.”
“And you believed her? Everybody knows Clara likes to embellish.”
“Chase Knight, you take that back. You and I both know you’re the one who put colored dye in the fountain out front when you were ten. It took weeks for the green color to fade.”
“Oh, well, some of her stories may be accurate.”
Val laughs while Clara just shakes her head as I show Val around.
“This is the reception area.”
“I love the fountain outside, though now I’ll be imagining it green,” she looks around with a smile on her face, “I like the modern feel of the place. The granite and steel look is very impressive. And that river view is spectacular.”
“Yeah, that view never gets old. My dad bought this property years before he died. When Carson decided to expand the business, he chose this site because of the river view. My dad would be proud of what Carson has done with the company.”
“I know Carson does a great job running the business, but your dad would be proud of what all of you have contributed.”
I put my arm around her waist as I walk her to the elevator.
“Thanks, Val, you’re right. We all have contributed, but Carson has the bulk of the responsibilities. Since Carson took over, we’ve more than doubled our clients and profit.”
I hit the button for the lower floor.
“My brother is a workaholic and a perfectionist. He needs a life. He hardly even rides his bike anymore.”
We make our way down to my office.
“So, my primary job is to help train the security guards. I also like to join them sometimes when they’re on the job. Mostly to view their work habits and make sure they are performing all the safety checks we require.”
“Your office is nice.”
She looks at the pictures of the Jacksonville skyline and cityscape.
