Prodigal Son (5 page)

“Sorry business,” the older man said. “How did it happen?”

Everyone looked at Jack. “I have no idea,” he said. “Until you asked me to step in for my late father, I’d been busy with my law practice.”

“He never talked about the business with you? Never mentioned how things were going?”

“No.” Jack didn’t see any point in explaining he and his father had never spoken much at all, about the company or anything. He set the second set of books on the conference table. “I found these when I was cleaning out his credenza. There was a false bottom on one of the shelves. He didn’t want anyone to find them.”

He pushed the books to the center of the table. No one seemed to want to be the first to touch them. Finally Baynes motioned for them and the lone woman on the board pushed them in his general direction.

“The chief financial officer has made copies of everything,” Jack said. “She’s already running the numbers to find out where we really are. We should have some accurate information by the end of the week.”

“The auditors are going to have hell to pay,” Baynes said absently.

Jack nodded. Every publicly traded company was required by law to be audited by an independent accounting firm. Somehow George’s double books had gotten past them.

But their problems were the least of Jack’s concerns. “I’ve prepared a statement,” he said. “We’ll issue it after the board meeting.”

Several of the board members looked at each other, but no one suggested not going public. Just as well, Jack thought. He didn’t want to have to remind them of their legal or fiduciary responsibilities.

“You asked me if I knew about this,” he said. “What about all of you?”

Baynes looked at him. “What are you suggesting?”

“That you were his board. Many of you had known my father for years. He would have talked to you.”

Baynes shook his head. “George didn’t confide in anyone. This was his company. He made that clear before he went public. Things would be done his way.”

“So you just let him run the company into the ground?”

The woman, Mrs. Keen, leaned forward. “George presented us with financial reports. We had no reason to doubt their validity or his. Your father wasn’t a bad man, Jack, but clearly he was in over his head.”

That seemed to be the consensus, he thought. “Shouldn’t you, as his board, have noticed that? Shouldn’t you have made sure the man running Hanson Media Group knew what he was doing?”

“Attacking us isn’t going to solve the problem,” Baynes said firmly.

Right. Because they were all more concerned about covering their collective asses, Jack thought grimly.

“We need to present a united front,” Mrs. Keen said. “Perhaps the board should issue a statement as well.”

“Do what you’d like,” Jack told her.

“Things would go better if we could announce that you would be taking on your father’s job permanently,” Baynes said.

Jack narrowed his gaze. “I agreed to three months and that’s all. I’m not changing my mind.”

“Be reasonable,” the older man said. “This is a crisis. The company is in real danger. We have employees, stockholders. We have a responsibility to them.”

“No,
you
have one.”

“You’re George Hanson’s oldest son,” Mrs. Keen said. “People will look to you for leadership.”

“I’m not his only son,” he pointed out. “I have two brothers.”

Baynes dismissed them with a wave of his hand. “Who are where? They don’t have the experience, the education or the temperament for this kind of work.”

Jack did his best not to lash out at them. Losing his temper would accomplish nothing. “Three months,” he said. “That’s all. In the meantime, I suggest you start looking for an interim president. Hire someone who knows what he or she is doing.”

“But—”

Jack stood. “There’s no point in having a conversation about me staying or going. I’m not changing my mind. Besides, we don’t even know who owns the majority of the company. My father’s shares are in limbo until the reading of the will. Who knows—maybe he’ll want them sold on the open market.”

The board members paled at the thought. While they were still taking that in, he made his escape. As he walked down the hall, he loosened his tie. But that wasn’t enough to wipe away the sense of being trapped.

* * *

“Come on, come on,” Samantha called as she stared at the basket and willed the ball to slide cleanly through the hoop. There was a moment of silence, followed by a
swish
of net.

“Woo hoo.” She held up her hand to Patti, one of her directors. “Two more for our team. We’re up by six.”

Patti gave her a high five, then went back into position. Perhaps playing basketball in the corridor right outside her office wasn’t standard corporate procedure, but Samantha found it really helped her people clear their heads after a long day of brainstorming.

“Lucky shot,” Phil said as he dribbled the ball. He jogged in to take his shot. Samantha moved in front of him. When he stretched up to shoot, she batted the ball away and it bounced off the wall before rolling down the hall.

The game went quiet as Jack rounded the corner and picked up the ball. Samantha could feel her staff looking at her. She knew Jack had endured the meeting from hell with the board and braced herself for him to take that out on her.

He raised his eyebrows. “Who’s winning?”

“My team,” she said quickly. “We’ve been brainstorming all day and we’re—”

“No need to explain,” he said, then bounced the ball. “Got room for one more?”

She glanced at Phil, who shrugged. “Sure,” she said.

Jack tossed the ball back, then took off his jacket. After pulling off his tie, he went to work on rolling up his sleeves.

“Who’s on the other team?” he asked.

“I am,” Phil said, then he quickly introduced everyone else. “Any good at this?”

Jack grinned. “Just get me the ball.”

Ten minutes later, Samantha knew they’d been had. Jack wasn’t just good—he was terrific. He could shoot from any angle and he rarely missed. His team pulled ahead and then beat hers by six points.

“You’re a ringer,” she said, trying to catch her breath.

“I’ve had some practice.”

“Where’d you play?” Phil asked, after slapping him on the back.

“Law school. We all did, to unwind. Grad school, too, but not so much.”

Samantha remembered that Jack had attended law school before going to Wharton. She also vaguely recalled him hanging out with friends on the basketball courts, but she’d never paid much attention.

Now she knew she’d made the right decision. Being close to Jack while he ran, dodged, threw and scored bordered on dangerous. She liked the way his body moved and the energy he put in the game. She liked how he worked with his team and how, when his shirt came unbuttoned, she got a glimpse of some very impressive abs.

Bad idea, she reminded herself. Lusting after the boss could only lead to trouble. Okay, so she wasn’t ready for a real relationship—maybe it was time to find rebound guy.

“Thanks for letting me play,” Jack told Phil.

“Any time.”

“There’s that pub on the corner,” Jack continued. “Why don’t I buy you all drinks.” He glanced at his watch. “Say half an hour?”

“Great.” Phil grinned. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Samantha waited until everyone else had disappeared into their respective offices. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Buy them drinks?” He shrugged. “I wanted to. They let me play. I needed the break.”

“The board meeting?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged into his jacket. “You’re coming, aren’t you?”

She shouldn’t. It wasn’t smart. It wasn’t a lot of things. “Sure. I’ll be there.”

“Good.”

He smiled and her toes curled. She walked into her office. Rebound guy—absolutely. She would have to get right on that.

* * *

Jack didn’t just order drinks, he ordered platters of appetizers, then proceeded to talk to each member of her team individually. Samantha watched him work the crowd and did her best not to react when he smiled at one of her female staffers.

Finally he settled in the stool next to hers. “You’ve done well,” he said in a low voice. “You have good people working for you.”

“Thanks.”

Despite the easy conversation around them, she was aware of being watched. Some of her team were mildly interested while a few—the single women—were trying to figure out the score.

“How did it go?” she asked.

“About as expected. They’re more interested in protecting themselves than what really happened. We’re making an announcement first thing in the morning. I have two phone calls scheduled with investors. The first is to tell them what happened, the second will come later when I announce our specific plan to rectify the situation.”

“Do you have a plan?”

He sipped his drink. “Not yet, but I’m hopeful.” He glanced around. “They’re all working their butts off. I want to make sure it’s not for nothing.”

“It won’t be. There will be some bad press, but we’ll get through it.”

“Until the next crisis.”

“The company is in transition,” she said. “There are always adjustments.”

“I know. What I don’t understand is why my father never had a successor picked out. He had to know he wasn’t going to live forever.”

“Maybe he was waiting for one of his sons to get interested in the company.”

Jack took another drink. “Probably. I don’t see Evan and Andrew making a beeline to Chicago and, honestly, I can’t see either of them being willing to take things over.”

She touched his arm. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“I’m aware I can walk away at any point.”

But he wouldn’t. Jack had a sense of responsibility. She respected that about him.

Once again her body reminded her that he was nothing like Vance, but her head wasn’t so sure. On the surface her ex had been a great guy, too. Successful, a caring father. He’d said and done all the right things—right up until the wedding. Then overnight he’d changed.

Her father had done the same thing. In a matter of weeks, he’d gone from a loving, supportive man to someone who’d walked out and had done his best not to have to support his only child.

Powerful men often hid dark, guilty secrets. As much as she was attracted to Jack, she was determined to keep their relationship strictly professional. She couldn’t afford to take another emotional hit right now.

“I should go,” she said, collecting her purse.

“I’m heading out, too,” he told her. “Want a ride home?”

Ah, the close confines of a car. So tempting and so dangerous.

“No, thanks. I have a few errands to run on my way home. I’ll walk.”

“Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

She smiled. “I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine on my own.”

She’d learned it was the only safe way to be.

Chapter Five

R
oger Arnet was a tall, thin blond man in his mid-fifties. He shook Jack��s hand, then sat in the visitor’s chair on the other side of the desk.

“How are you settling in?” Roger asked pleasantly. “Your father was a great man. A great man. You won’t find filling his shoes easy.”

Jack didn’t know how to answer the question. News of the second set of books had been released to the public. The response in the press had been relatively mild since Hanson Media Group wasn’t a major player in the city, but there had been plenty of uproar in the office. He wondered if Roger had any way of reconciling his insistence that George had been a great man with the reality of a company president who lied to his entire staff.

“I’m finding my way,” he said, going for a neutral response.

“Good. Good.” Roger smiled. “I understand you’re a lawyer.”

“Yes. I attended law school, then went on to business school. It was my deal with my father. I would study both and then pick.”

“You chose the law. George was very disappointed.”

Had his father spoken about him with everyone in the firm? “I’m here now,” Jack said. “Which is why I wanted to talk with you. We’re making some changes.”

“I heard about them,” Roger said. “I’ve been on vacation and when I got back, everyone was buzzing. Internet expansion, eh? Are you sure about that?”

“Very sure.”

Roger took off his glasses and pulled out a handkerchief. “Arnie’s been filling me in on your plans. Very ambitious. Very ambitious. A bit too much, if you ask me.”

Jack leaned back in his chair. “Are you saying we’re not capable of expanding our websites?”

“Expansion is one thing, but what you’re proposing is something else. But then it’s not you, is it? It’s that new girl. Samantha something.”

“Edwards. And she has my full support.”

“Of course. She’s very energetic, but in my experience, it’s better if we take things slowly. Sort of feel our way. Digital is all fine and good, but this company was founded on print media.”

“Magazines are expensive and change slowly,” Jack said. “We don’t have any publication that has circulation over a million. We’re barely breaking even on thirty percent of our magazines and we’re losing money on the rest. The Internet is a significant part of our culture and increasingly where people are spending time and money. .”

Roger nodded. Jack felt as if he’d just stepped into an alternative universe. If Roger was the head of IT in the company, shouldn’t he be pushing for
more
technology, not less?

“Arnie mentioned all of this to me,” Roger admitted. “But he’s young and he tends to get ahead of himself. I hope he wasn’t filling your head with a lot of nonsense.”

Jack was willing to respect those older than him and he was certainly willing to listen to qualified opinions; however, he wasn’t willing to be treated like an idiot.

He straightened and stared directly at Roger. “Let me be as clear as possible,” he said. “This company is on the brink of financial ruin. I’m sure you’ve read about our recent problems. The announcement that my father kept a second set of books wasn’t happy news. Doing business the old way isn’t going to keep this company going. We need change and we need it quickly. I believe that digital expansion is our best solution. Now you can get onboard with that program or you can find another company that is more to your liking.”

Roger blinked. “That’s very blunt.”

“Yes, it is. I’ve heard good things about you and I hope you’ll decide to stay, but if you do, be aware that we have a new direction and I expect everyone to be excited about it.”

“All right. I’ll consider what you said. As far as the Internet expansion, I’m concerned about the safeguards. Your target market is children and there are many predators out there.”

Jack wasn’t sure how to read him. Still, the truth would come out quickly enough. Either Roger was with him or Roger was gone.

“Protecting the children using our site is our first priority,” Jack told the other man. “Samantha’s first presentation was on Internet safeguards. She and Arnie are working very closely on that project. I appreciate your concern as well and I would ask you to oversee their work. Feel free to report back to me on any weak areas.”

Roger seemed surprised. “Why should you trust me?”

“I believe you’re genuinely concerned about the children,” Jack said. “You’re also slightly mistrustful of the changes. That will make you a good custodian of the security programs. You won’t let anyone cut corners.”

“Thank you for that. Let me think about all that you’ve said and get back to you.”

“Of course. Thanks for coming in.”

Roger shook hands with him, then walked to the door. Once there, he turned back. “I wish you could have seen your father at work here, Jack. He was brilliant. Simply brilliant.”

“So I’ve heard.”

* * *

Restless after his meeting with Roger, Jack headed to Samantha’s office.

“Got a minute?” he asked as she hung up the phone.

“Sure. Have a seat.”

He glanced at the light wood furniture, the bright prints on the walls and the purple sofa by the corner. In a matter of a week or two, Samantha had taken the space and made it her own.

“Interesting decorating,” he said as he settled in a chair.

She grinned. “You hate it.”

“Hate is strong.”

“There’s a lot of really cool stuff in the company storage facility.”

“Some of it dating back to the sixties,” Jack murmured.

“You’re right. I didn’t want to get too wild, but I like having color to inspire me.”

Which, apparently, applied to her clothes, he thought as he took in the orange-and-gold top she’d pulled on over black slacks. Her hair was loose, in a riot of red curls that tangled in her beaded earrings.

By contrast, his suit that day was gray, his shirt white and his tie a traditional burgundy. They couldn’t be more different. Which is what had always made their relationship interesting, he reminded himself.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“Have you met Roger Arnet?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Arnie’s boss, right? I shook hands with him in passing, but we haven’t spoken.”

“Be prepared. He’s not one to move with the times. He’s opposed to the Internet expansion on many levels. He thinks the plans are too ambitious.”

“Great. Just what I need. The person in charge of a critical department for me not getting onboard.”

“I know he’s going to be a problem. I told him he could get with the program or get out.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s not subtle.”

“It’s my style. I think he’s a little more willing to compromise now. He does have one legitimate concern and that’s to keep the site secure. Children are vulnerable.”

“I agree and I’ve been working with the IT guys on different ideas for that. We’re going cutting edge. No stalkers allowed.”

“Roger felt very passionately about it, as well. You might want to put him on the team.”

Samantha recoiled physically. “Do I have to?”

She sounded more like a twelve-year-old than a responsible adult.

“No, you don’t,” he said, holding in a smile. “It’s your show. You can do what you like. I’m simply pointing out that sometimes it’s better to find a way to work with those who don’t agree with us. If you make Roger feel important and really use him on the project, you’re more likely to win him over. I’ll fire him if I have to, but I would prefer not to. He knows the company and he knows his job. All my reports about him are excellent.”

“Good point,” she murmured. “I’ll do the mature thing and work with him. But I won’t like it.”

“No one is asking you to.”

“Good to know.”

She stood up and walked to a coffeepot on a low table by the window. When she held it out to him, he nodded. She poured two cups.

He took the one she offered and watched her walk back to her seat. He liked the way she moved and the way her clothes swayed with each step. When she sat back down, she sniffed her coffee before sipping, as if making sure no one had accidentally changed her drink for something else.

She’d been doing that for as long as he could remember. He used to tease her about it, which always sparked a furious argument during which she denied the action. Then he would hand her coffee and she would sniff and they would both laugh.

But this time he didn’t say anything. A couple of nights ago, at the pub, she’d shut him down good. She’d been doing it in various ways ever since they’d first met. At some point he was going to have to accept the truth. Samantha simply didn’t want him.

In his world, chemistry usually went both ways, but she was the exception to the rule. No matter how powerful the need inside of him, she didn’t feel it. It was time to accept that and move on.

“Nothing about this job is boring,” she said. “You have to admit that.”

“Right now I’d be happy with a few days of boring. That would mean no new crisis.”

She sighed. “You’ve been going from one to the other. That can’t be easy.”

He shrugged. “It is what it is. I’ll deal with it. Are you still enjoying your condo?”

“Very much. You were right—the location is fabulous. Have you had pizza from that place across the street?”

“I’m a regular.”

She sipped her coffee, then sighed. “I ordered it the other night. It’s amazing. It was so good, I actually had some for breakfast. I’ve never done that in my life—not even in college. Until I tasted their pizza, I never really understood the whole deep-dish thing. But now I get it. Heaven. Pure heaven.”

“Wait until you order their pasta.”

“Really? I might do that tonight. I’m hoping to get out this weekend and explore a little more of the neighborhood. So far all I’ve seen is work and my building.”

He consciously had to keep from offering to be her guide. He generally spent Saturday mornings with Charlie in the park, but a walking tour would give his dog plenty of exercise. They could—

No, he told himself. Samantha had made her position incredibly clear. He wasn’t going to push anymore.

“The city’s website has lots of information about points of interest, planned walks, that sort of thing.”

“Thanks,” she said, sounding a little puzzled. “I’ll check it out. But if you’re not busy we could—”

Mrs. Wycliff knocked on the open door. “Mr. Hanson, you have a call from Mr. Baynes.”

He rose. “I need to take that,” he told her, aware she’d been about to suggest something for the weekend. While he wanted to accept and spend more time with her, he knew it would be a mistake. He’d spent too much time wanting what he couldn’t have where Samantha was concerned. He needed to move on.

* * *

Saturday, Samantha dressed for the cool, clear weather, then collected what she would need for a morning spent exploring. As she stepped out of her condo, she thought about going up to Jack’s place and asking him to join her. Except she had a feeling he would say no.

Not that she could blame him. She’d been so careful to shut him down time and time again, shouldn’t she be happy that he finally got the message? It was better for both of them if they were simply work colleagues.

She walked to the elevator and hit the down button. It was better, she told herself. Sure Jack was a great guy, but he was also the type of man to push all of her buttons and not in a good way. As much as she liked him, she was also wary of him. He was too much like her father and Vance. Too much in charge. She’d been fooled already—she wasn’t willing to go there again.

Not that she was even looking for a serious relationship, she reminded herself. The best thing would be to find rebound guy and make that work. If only Jack weren’t so sexy and smart and fun to be with.

She stepped out into the crisp morning and drew in a deep breath. Enough, she thought. For the rest of the day, she refused to think about Jack. She would simply enjoy herself and—

Something bumped into the back of her legs. She turned and saw Charlie. The border collie gave her a doggy grin, then barked. Jack smiled.

“Morning,” he said, looking delicious in worn jeans and a sweatshirt.

“Hi.”

“Out to see the sights?”

She tugged on the strap of her purse/backpack. “I have everything I need right here. I downloaded some maps and packed water and money for a cab in case I get lost.”

“You picked a good day. It won’t get too hot.”

Was it just her, or had things taken a turn for the awkward? “So you and Charlie are headed for the park?”

He nodded. “Every Saturday, regardless of the weather.”

She rubbed the dog’s ears. The smart choice was simply to walk away. But she was lonely, she liked Jack and she wanted them to be friends.

“Can a non-dog owner come along?” she asked.

He hesitated, but before she could retract the question, he smiled. “Sure. When I get tired of throwing Charlie the Frisbee, you can take over.”

“I’d like that.” She fell into step beside him. “So how did you get Charlie? Did you grow up with dogs in the house?”

“No. I wasn’t actually looking for a pet. Then a buddy from my law firm invited me over for dinner. I learned later it was with an ulterior motive. His dog had six-week-old puppies he was looking to sell to unsuspecting friends. Charlie and I bonded over a game of tag.”

She laughed. “I wouldn’t have thought a hotshot-attorney type could be influenced so easily.”

“Don’t tell anyone. He moved in a couple of weeks later and I quickly found out that puppies are a ton of work. For a year he chewed everything he could get his teeth on. Then I took him to obedience training and now we understand each other better.”

They stopped at the red light on the corner. Charlie waited patiently until the light changed, then led them along the crosswalk.

“Have you been reading the papers?” Jack asked.

She had a feeling he didn’t mean the fashion reports. “I’ve noticed there was some local coverage on Hanson Media Group, but I could only find a couple of stories in the national media. You’re right—there wasn’t all that much press.”

“Sometimes it’s good to be small, relatively speaking. Now if we were one of the networks, it would be a different story.”