Second Chance (Lake Placid Series Book 1)

by Natalie Ann

  Not that he was completely gone. He was in contact with at least one if not both of them on a daily basis, or more if need be.

  His father put his arm around Nick’s shoulders and started to lead him to the elevators. “Come on, let’s go to your office where I can get some peace and quiet away from diarrhea of the mouth over there.”

  “You love me,” Zach shouted to them as they walked away. “You know I’m adding excitement to your retirement. You’re just afraid to admit it.”

  “He’s right, you know,” his father whispered. “But don’t ever tell him that.”

  In the elevator Nick turned, looked at his father, and realized how much he’d missed him. Missed seeing him and having the comfort of another man around. He didn’t realize until that moment how nice it would be to talk to someone other than his grandmother and Mallory. “You do look good.”

  “Getting sentimental spending all that time with your grandmother?”

  “Hardly. She’s tough as nails. I’m still terrified she’s going to slap my hand with the ruler.”

  “You look good, Nick. The time away was probably the best thing for you,” his father said sincerely, and the guilt about returning to Lake Placid in a few days started to diminish.

  “Everything seems to be running smoothly here with me gone, so I figured why not spend more time there.”

  “Take all the time you need.”

  It was as simple as that, and why he loved his parents so much. They never judged, they never made him feel bad about decisions, and they always supported him.

  The elevator doors opened on the top floor and they walked to his office. He passed by Kendra’s desk and noticed there were still personal things there. He’d expected it to be cleaned off and was slightly surprised.

  “I thought you moved Kendra to someone else?”

  “I did. I don’t know why she hasn’t cleaned her desk out. Maybe she’s just waiting for you to return and make a final decision on where she should be. Maybe she thinks she has to train your replacement?”

  Nick shrugged. “Who knows? It’s not like she’s made any attempt to return my messages. I’ll talk to her while I’m here. Is she in right now?”

  Not that he had any intention of seeking her out at this moment. There was too much work to do.

  “I believe so, but the office is closing in an hour, so she won’t be much longer. Katherine isn’t working her as hard as you did.”

  Katherine was Nick’s head of finance. He was surprised his father put Kendra there, thinking the two women might not get along. Then again, maybe his father did it on purpose.

  “How’s that working out?”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t asked before now,” his father said, lifting his eyebrow, then nodding his head to close the door to Nick’s office.

  “I’ve been busy,” Nick explained.

  His father tilted his head to the side and then said, “It’s working about as well as it can be. Katherine has been in here complaining that Kendra is extremely nosy. I guess she is trying to gain access to things she shouldn’t, but it’s all protected and Kendra doesn’t have clearance. At the moment Katherine is giving her busy work. I’m sure she’ll be up here tomorrow in your ear about the situation.”

  “That would explain some of the emails I’ve gotten from Katherine asking when I was returning and saying we needed to meet, but not going into details.”

  “I’ve asked that everyone give you space. They come to me with things.”

  “I appreciate that, Dad, but this is still my company and I should have been more on top of things. I’ll talk to Katherine tomorrow. Then Kendra. I’ll figure something out.”

  He knew he would have to. He couldn’t put it off forever, even though he’d love to. Correction, he’d figured it out, he just needed to do it now.

  “Don’t work too long today. Your mother would have been here to greet you but she couldn’t get out of court. She expects you over for dinner by six thirty at the latest.”

  Nick looked at his watch. “That’s two and a half hours.”

  “You always were a smart one. Be there on time,” he father said, slapping him on the back and then walking out of the room.

  Nick sat down at his desk and looked at the monitors spread out. Four of them. He was used to working on multiple screens and having only his laptop in Lake Placid was frustrating, but he couldn’t bring monitors on the plane. Well he could, but he wouldn’t.

  He’d resigned himself to just bringing his small tower in his carry-on luggage and a second laptop. That was more than enough equipment. But that meant he’d need a monitor and keyboard when he got back.

  Picking up his phone, he called Mallory. It rang four times until she finally answered. “Am I interrupting?”

  “Yeah,” she said simply.

  “Sorry. Just wanted to let you know I’m in my office.”

  “Did you have a safe flight?”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” he said, laughing at her. She was distracted, he knew. He just hoped it was with work and not anxiety that he was here.

  “True. Sorry, I’m elbow deep in a murder right now.”

  “Sounds interesting. I need a favor.”

  “Sure, what?”

  “You know what? I think you’re going to forget this conversation because you’re focused on something else. I’ll send you a text so you can read it again later.”

  “Huh?” she said.

  He could hear her typing in the background. “Bye, Mallory.” He disconnected the call and shook his head. He typed his text asking her to get him two monitors along with a keyboard and mouse, then prayed they were there when he arrived. It would save his grandmother from dealing with the shipments and boxes.

  Two hours seemed to fly by with him going through paperwork and signing what needed to be. He’d meet with his legal team tomorrow too, then Zach and Katherine. He finished up by sending an email to his developers telling them to plan on working late the next few days.

  The last thing he wanted to do was be late for dinner tonight, though. His mother was every bit his grandmother’s daughter and he didn’t want to get on her bad side.

  He walked in his parents’ front door before six thirty and was hit head-on with a running hug from Rene.

  Gosh, he’d missed her. He’d been away for a month before, but he never missed his family as much as he had this time. Which was strange, considering he was staying with family too.

  “Hey, pipsqueak. Looks like you missed me.”

  “Of course I did. How’s the lake? How’s Grandma? I’ve been thinking of visiting myself, but I’m swamped with school right now. My last year. I’m almost done,” she said, rambling on, excited.

  “Until you decide you want another degree and go back again.”

  “No way,” she said punching his arm then adjusting her glasses. “I’m done. This is it. I’ve found my calling and this is what I want to do.”

  “I’m sure Mom and Dad are thrilled to hear it.”

  “I am,” his mother said, walking toward him with her arms wide open. “Come here, baby. Give me a hug and a kiss.”

  He wanted to cringe over the baby comment but didn’t. He just missed her too much. “Man, what a welcome I’m getting. I should go away more often.”

  His mother leaned back and eyed him closely. Her brown eyes searching his just as deeply as her mother’s had been when he first arrived. “You look rested, Nick. Grandma’s keeping you in line?”

  “Did you doubt it?” he said, hugging her again and kissing her cheek.

  “Not at all. It’s exactly what you need. Must be good if you want to go back.”

  He desperately wanted to tell them why he was going back, but couldn’t. Not without betraying Mallory.

  “It seems to be working for me right now. Why fix what isn’t broken?”

  His mother nodded and said, “Lets eat the pizza before it’s cold. Your father is already in the kitchen filling his plate.”
<
br />   “Pizza! That’s my homecoming dinner? Glad you didn’t go out of your way.”

  She slapped his arm playfully. “I had court so this is what you get.”

  Pizza was often their go-to meal on a court night when he was growing up and his father was working. It was routine and something he was actually craving. The homey feel of everyone sitting around the kitchen table talking about their day. He hadn’t had that since long before he moved out on his own.

  “This works just fine. So tell me, what’s new in Richmond?”

  His mother looked at his father, then back to him. “Let’s talk about you. You’ve put some weight back on. Almost back to yourself now.”

  “Grandma is dead set on feeding me dessert all the time.”

  “She does like to bake,” Rene said. “I miss her apple pie.”

  The mention of apple pie had Nick thinking of Mallory and he had to stop that right now. He had to focus on his family before he slipped and said something he shouldn’t.

  “It’s still as good as ever.”

  “You’ve got some color too. Not so pasty white from being indoors all time,” his mother commented.

  Geez, he couldn’t remember the last time his family picked him apart like this.

  “Would you like to schedule blood work, too, to make sure I’m healthy enough?”

  “I can draw it from you,” Rene said, laughing. “Stop complaining. We’re just glad you’re back home. For now.”

  He didn’t address her “for now” comment. Instead he tried to take the focus off of him again. He really didn’t want to be the center of attention. Not in a personal nature. “So, what’s new here?”

  Again, his mother looked at his father and he was wondering what was going on. What they weren’t telling him.

  “Not too much,” his father said around a bite of pizza.

  He didn’t believe them. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing important, Nick. Just that Paul has taken ill.”

  “Paul Rosewood? Your neighbor?” And Mallory’s stepfather.

  “Yes. He was diagnosed with liver cancer the week after you left. Stage four. They haven’t given him much time.”

  “What’s going to happen to the house?” he asked.

  He knew the house was Mallory’s parents’ but it had probably been left to Paul once Mindy died. There had to be no way Mallory could know what was going on. Not once had she mentioned her childhood home, her stepfather, and very rarely did she even talk about her mother.

  “It’s too early to tell,” his mother said quickly, then dropped her head like she didn’t want to be talking about it.

  “I went to talk to him the other day. I’ve been over a few times,” his father said. “Just to see how he was doing. He’s lonely. He never married again, as you know, and has no family really. All he had was Mindy and Mallory. And Mallory has been gone for years.”

  He looked at his father but didn’t see any signs of anything to alert him. Not that he thought anyone knew where Mallory was. His grandmother assured him that no one knew, not even his mother.

  “Did he say anything about her?”

  “Not really. Just that he wished he knew if she was alive or not. He’d want her to have her mother’s things. He asked if we could hold onto some of Mindy’s possessions in case Mallory ever came back. I told him of course we would.”

  Nick didn’t know what to say. He knew what he wanted to say, but couldn’t. Not without talking to Mallory first, so he kept his lips sealed.

  “That was nice of you,” he said to his father.

  “Maybe someday she’ll show up again. Who knows?” his father said, then picked up his pizza and continued to eat.

  Nick looked over at his mother, caught another strange look she was sending his father, then she looked at him, sent him the same look, and dropped her head to eat. Something more was going on, only he had no clue what, and he knew they’d never tell him.

  Brutally Honest

  Nick looked up at the sound of the knock on his doorframe, then the clock on his computer. “You’re in early,” he said to Katherine as she walked forward and closed his door.

  “I wanted to catch you before anyone else came in. I know you’re swamped with meetings and figured I would get to you first.”

  He frowned, then said, “I told you I’d make time for you today.”

  “I know, but like I said, I wanted to get to you first.”

  She walked in and sat in the chair across from him. She’d been employed from day one, and was one of his most valued employees.

  “What’s going on? Should I be worried with cash flow or something?”

  “You know better than that,” she said, cracking the barest of smiles. “It’s Kendra.”

  He should have figured as much. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know that’s where my father was going to put her.”

  “Listen, Nick. We all know things are a little awkward right now and you’re both going through a rough patch. I’m here to help you the best I can, but I’m worried about you.”

  “There’s nothing to be worried about. It’s all being taken care of.” Though he was touched that she was so concerned about him, he was slightly surprised by it. She’d never been a warm and fuzzy type of employee. Loyal to a fault, sure, but never emotional and definitely no drama. She ran her department with a firm hand but was highly respected. “You could have contacted me with any concerns. You know I travel a lot, but I’m always available.”

  “I know. This is different though. Your father requested we go to him with anything, and I have been. Not that there was much going on from my end. I’ve explained my concerns in regards to Kendra, but I felt it would be better to talk to you.”

  “What’s going on? What’s she doing?”

  “Her job. It’s not that. She completes everything I give fast and well. She’s always been competent.”

  He was trying not to show his confusion, but couldn’t help it. “Okay…”

  “I’m really only giving her busy work. She isn’t qualified to do much more, but she wants to.”

  “You know Kendra has always been ambitious. She has always wanted to learn as much as she could.”

  It was one of the things he was going to miss. Training someone new who was just as ambitious and eager to learn.

  Katherine leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and Nick knew right then something more was going on. “There is nothing wrong with that. I love that quality in staff, but this is different. She’s nosy. Snooping, almost. I’ve found her in places she shouldn’t be. Looking through files that she has no business looking at. You know we can tell who is trying to log into systems they shouldn’t be, and I know she is trying to. Doesn’t she realize we can see that?”

  “No, she doesn’t know that.”

  He’d never told Kendra details like that. There was no reason to. It didn’t matter that she was his assistant. It didn’t matter that she was going to be his wife. He kept certain aspects about his business private and only a handful knew the security measures in place. Technology and development was a cutthroat world, and he protected what was his and what he worked so hard to build.

  “It doesn’t really matter, I guess,” she said waving her hand. “Anyway, it was just odd.”

  “Did you ask her why she was looking into files she shouldn’t be? Does she know you knew about her trying to access them?”

  “I didn’t let on that I knew what she was trying to do. I just thought maybe she was snooping around expenses and such. I did question why she was going through filing cabinets and talking to my other staff so much, questioning things about their jobs.”

  “What was her response?”

  “She said she was bored. She wanted something to do and was trying to learn anything she could.”

  That sounded exactly like Kendra and nothing seemed out of place to him in that regard. “Did you believe her?” He’d never known Katherine’s gut to be wrong before
, though.

  “Yes and no. I believed what she was saying, but part of me finds the whole situation just a little too odd. Uncomfortable even.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I’m sure it’s uncomfortable for everyone.”

  He sat back and thought for a moment. He’d never talked to Katherine too much on a personal level. Sure he knew she was married with two grown kids, but conversations never went too in depth. Katherine just wasn’t that way.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “From a woman’s point of view. Give me your take on everything. Don’t think of me as your boss, think of me as a man that just called off his wedding and his ex still works for him.”

  “Can I be brutally honest?” she asked, her lips twitching.

  “You know you can. The door is closed.”

  He’d always told his staff that behind closed doors they could say whatever they wanted. They could vent, they could yell and swear, they could voice their concerns, but when the doors were open, they were a united front.

  “It’s really messed up. Why is she still here? I’ve been married over thirty years and I’ve never seen someone act like her. Why would she even want to be here?”

  “You know she’s not an extremely emotional person.”

  “It’s not that. Though that is odd. It’s more the confusion of her being here every day. Can I ask…did you just call off the wedding or break things off completely? I think there is mass confusion on that part and no one knows for sure. They sure as hell are afraid to ask.”

  He thought he’d been very clear he’d broken everything off with Kendra. There was no confusion in his eyes and none in his family’s.

  “I broke it off completely. She knows that. I was very clear when I told her that I didn’t love her the way I should and didn’t see myself ever being able to. That she deserved to find someone who could give her more, and it wasn’t me. I wanted her to be able to find that person.”

  Katherine smiled grimly. “That was commendable, Nick. That you were upfront and honest and I expected no different, but I’ve got to tell you, I don’t think she understands like you think she does.”