“Yes, you would,” Kayla said. “But as you are acting interim CEO, other signatures from the executive branch aren’t necessary. Once we have the work order, we can jump right on it.”
“What’s the time frame for this?”
Kayla tapped her finger on her lips as she thought about it. “A week if you want me and two others. Three days if I put a team of ten on it.”
“I’m for the smaller team.” I hit the intercom button on my desk phone. “Sam. Can you rustle up a confidential work order?”
“I’ll bring it right in, boss.”
I felt Kayla studying me. “Something else on your mind?”
“If I say we all hope your dad makes a speedy recovery . . . will you take that as your employees would prefer him to you in the big chair?”
“I honestly don’t know how to deal with most of this. It’s been a blur.”
“I can’t imagine.”
Two knocks sounded on the door and Sam entered. He handed me a piece of paper. “There are about five different confidentiality work orders. Please read through this one and make sure it’s comprised of the language you require before signing it.”
I might have grunted my response as I scanned the document. Then I saw the differentiation I needed. “This form doesn’t go to operational until after you’ve signed off and your team has completed the order, Kayla.”
“That works for me.”
“Great.” This way no one would be aware of the change until after it’d been implemented, so the work order couldn’t be challenged or outright denied. I signed, dated and handed it over to her. She had to have it within her possession if anyone questioned what she was doing. “Please bring it back once the work is done and we’ll file it from here.”
“Will do, sir. Have a great day.”
Sam and I watched Kayla leave. After she’d closed the door, I filled him in on the access issues I was having.
“So that means we’ll be moving upstairs?” he asked.
“No. Soon enough I’ll be able to get into those files here. I doubt anything in them is pressing, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to know.”
“Understood. But speaking of pressing . . . the Grant Foundation Gala is Saturday night.”
My eyebrows rose. “This Saturday?”
“Yes, sir. Are you taking Gabi?”
We hadn’t spent time together because she’d called extra hockey practices in the evenings due to the tournament happening . . . this Friday and Saturday. “No. Her 14U team is in the city rec tournament. Which means I can’t be there to support her either.”
“What about asking—”
“Don’t even suggest I show up with another woman on my arm, Sam,” I growled at him. “Gabriella and I are officially a couple—and I’m pretty sure that’s against the rules in the couples’ handbook.”
He rolled his eyes. “Calm down. I was going to suggest you ask your mother. It’ll be win-win for you, her and LI.”
I stood and clapped him on the shoulder. “Excellent thinking. I’m headed to the hospital now. I’ll ask her after we meet with the doctors.”
“What time will you be back?”
“It’ll be a couple of hours at least. Call Q and apologize for the late notice, but I’ll swing by for my final fitting.”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
* * *
Archer Lund was in a foul mood.
And he took it out on everyone.
Except his wife.
Lucky for him because by the time the doctors left, Jax and I were both seething.
After bidding Dad a curt good-bye, Jax and I stopped down the hallway from his room.
“What the fuck was that?” Jax asked me.
“I’d say Dad is scared, but he’s got that glint in his eyes that suggests he’s just pissed off.”
“At who? Us?”
“At anyone who’s keeping him in the hospital. At himself for landing in the hospital in the first place.”
“I get that. But Jesus, Nolan. Chewing the doctor’s ass because the need for bypass was undetected? When the man absolutely refuses to go in for regular checkups?” Jax shook his head. “I seriously wanted to take the ‘subpar’ sock Dad was bitching about and shove it in his mouth. Who bitches about socks, anyway?”
I snickered.
“How are you not bothered by his attitude?”
“Because I deal with Archer Lund, CEO, every damn day, Jax. It’s just a more extreme version of him.”
“Can I remind you how happy I am not to be in your position?”
“Yes, please, rub it in that I’m completely unqualified to be even a placeholder for that man.”
Jax loomed over me. “Since when do you talk down about