“You’re welcome.”
Cameron slipped behind the wheel of the Porsche, shifted into gear, and drove in the direction of the CBD. The sign atop a bank building displayed the time and temperature. It wasn’t quite noon and the mercury was already at eighty-seven degrees. He maneuvered into his assigned spot behind the office building and shut off the engine. The calendar said it was still spring, yet the heat and humidity registered differently.
Cameron reached for his jacket off the rear seat and quickened his steps as he headed to the front of the building. He nodded to the man sitting behind a desk monitoring everyone arriving and leaving the office building. The office of Singleton Investments was located on the second floor of the four-story building, and Cameron always opted to take the stairs rather than the elevator.
“Good afternoon, Rebecca,” he said greeting the receptionist. “Do I have any calls?”
Rebecca’s head popped up. It was apparent she’d gotten too much sun. The end of her nose was brick red. The natural redhead took great pains to constantly slather on sunscreen, and wear long sleeves and wide hats during the summer months.
“Good afternoon, Cameron. One call came in for you but I routed it to Preston.”
He smiled. “Thank you. Is my father in?”
“Yes. In fact, he asked me if you were back.”
“I’ll go and see him.” He made his way down the carpeted hallway to Nathan’s office. After he’d agreed to join the firm, Cameron had insisted he did not want his office close to his father’s. His relationship with Nathan at that time was fragile, but had strengthened gradually over the years once Cameron moved out of his parents’ home. And their bond was finally cemented after Belinda’s car accident when Cameron stepped into the role as consoler for his father and the entire family.
He knocked lightly on the open door. “You were looking for me?”
Nathan Singleton rose to his feet, smiling. Although he was nearing seventy-five, Nathan was still a fine figure of a man. Tall and slender with a full head of silver hair, he was usually mistaken for a man ten years younger. Cameron had inherited his patrician features and eye color.
“I wanted to know how it went.”
Cameron closed the door and sat on a leather chair next to the desk. “It went well. I’m now in the possession of my new home.”
Retaking his seat, a network of fine lines fanned out around Nathan’s eyes as he smiled. “Congratulations. I suppose this will be your last move?”
“Oh yeah. I like living in the hotel because everything I need is at my disposal, but I still feel like a guest.”
Nathan leaned back in the executive chair. “That was one of the best investments you’ve ever made.” He held up a hand. “I know I tried talking you out of it because I thought you were squandering your money but you proved me wrong.”
Cameron didn’t want to relive the arguments he’d had with his father when he informed him that he was going to buy the storm-damaged property. “No one is right all of the time, but fortunately for me it worked.”
“When do you think you’ll be able to move into your new place?”
“Hopefully it will be before the end of the year. And once the renovations are close to completion I’m going sell the hotel.” Cameron knew he’d shocked his father with this disclosure as evidenced by his stunned expression.
“Why would you sell it?”
“Right now I’m running two businesses—this one and the hotel.”
“But you have a general manager for the hotel.”
“That’s true, Dad, but I’m still responsible for everything that goes wrong. Running the hotel is twenty-four-seven, while we have structured hours here. And what’s going to happen when you retire and I take over? I’m not going to run myself into the ground trying to keep a foot in both camps.”
Nathan closed his eyes, appearing to be deep in thought. “What if I stay on for another year?”
Cameron shook his head. “No, Dad. You’ve put in enough years running this company and it’s time you enjoy the rest of your life. Take Mom on an around-the-world cruise and give her the opportunity to see a lot the countries she’s been talking about. When I saw Hannah’s cousins at her New Year’s open house they said they were taking an around-the-world cruise lasting nearly two hundred days. You and Mom can do something comparable to that even if you want a shorter trip.”
“That’s something to think about. Your mother deserves that and more for putting up with my shit all those years.”
“Thirty-five years to be exact,” Cameron said.
“That’s a long time, son. I’m surprised she took it.”
“Have you forgotten that she didn’t roll over and just take it?”
Nathan grunted. “That’s because she was rather feisty.”
