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Aaron sighed. “And you sent someone who scared him to death, I’m sure. You told him things like he’d be responsible for repaying his loan to me with interest or some such nonsense.”
“We did what had to be done.”
“That’s a yes.” He was matter-of-fact.
“Aaron—”
“I wish he’d called me first, but … what’s done is done.”
“You have no idea how much trouble you’re in, do you?”
“It’s you who’s confused. You’re playing with fire.”
“Aaron—”
His eyes lifted to me. “I’m done hiding from you.”
“Son,” he began, and you could have knocked me over with a feather, “I—”
“Stop,” Aaron ordered him, and I was even more stunned to see he smiled.
I probably looked like a fish out of water, gulping stupidly.
“I’ll see you at my trial,” he said and hung up.
“That was your father?”
He was delighted with me, with my reaction; it was all over his face—the sparkling turquoise eyes, the curl of his lip. I had done something he liked.
“What’s going on?”
“He’s going to have me removed from my position as CEO of Sutter so he can take back the position I took from him five years ago.”
“Your father used to be the CEO?”
“Correct.”
“But you booted him?”
He waggled his head. “Yes.”
“No wonder he’s pissed.”
“He’s angry because I had the board remove him based on job performance. I’m a better CEO, I’m a better businessman, and I’m a better leader. He would have ruined the company with his continual poor choices—we were well on our way.”
“Until you took over.”
“Yes. Since I’ve been in charge, we’ve had recurrent growth, a better market share, and business was up twenty-seven percent last year over the previous one, even in this economy.”
“Thanks for your résumé.”
His smile was instant and blinding, and he crossed the room, tossed the helmet onto a chair, and then bent down over me.
“So,” I teased, “will you still have this outfit on when you get back?”
“I’m not going,” he murmured. “My brother’s going. He can be the Sutter everyone takes pictures of.”
“Maybe you should let him do it all the time,” I said thoughtfully.
