“Mr. Morgan hasn’t been feeling as well as we’d hoped,” Ian replies, “but he didn’t want to cancel the breakfast. He’s still trying to make it downstairs.”
My stomach tightens with concern. The old man has always been a mountain, a rock for the whole family to lean on. Learning that he’s growing feebler doesn’t sit well with me.
“I always imagined him going out in some kind of blaze of glory,” Toby mutters.
“He’s nowhere near dead yet,” I remind him, then look at Ian. “We’ll be in the breakfast room, and we’ll wait, no matterhow long it takes, alright? Just let him know. He can take his time.”
Cole sighs deeply. “We could go upstairs and see him.”
“I’m afraid he’s not taking any guests in the bedroom, apart from Mrs. Madison. Pardon me, Mrs. Morgan,” Ian replies.
That brings a smile to my face, knowing Ian can stomach her even less than the three of us. He’s been with our family for two decades, since long before Sheila even came into the picture. Unlike us, Ian has the misfortune of dealing with her and her son on a daily basis.
“The breakfast room it is then,” Cole grumbles.
At least the table is set, plates and coffee and tea service ready, along with some freshly baked pastries, and the smell of eggs and bacon wafts in from the kitchen next door. My brothers and I get comfortable, helping ourselves to coffee and a few bites while we anticipate what this morning might yield.
“First things first. What are we doing with Willow?” I ask my brothers. “It’s been fun and games until now, but we’re inching closer. We need something concrete.”
Toby exhales sharply, smiling as he gazes out the window. “She’s something else. Hell, she could be the one we need. She can certainly handle the three of us.”
“She’ll have to handle our twisted family, too. Sheila and Terrence included, and that prissy Katrina on top,” Cole says. “I want her; don’t get me wrong, for more than what we already have. Toby’s right. She’s different. She’s damn near perfect. But our family...”
“We’ll figure out a way,” I tell him. “We will. Sheila’s not dumb enough to come after the three of us, and Dad’s already made his peace with our lifestyle. Terrence will have Katrina and bugger off eventually, so Sheila will just have to deal with it.”
It’s clear by now that the three of us are enthralled with Willow. There’s plenty for us to crave, want, and desire about this woman. Her curves for one thing, even though she was often told she was too big, little does she comprehend that her figure is precisely what makes her so fucking desirable. Plus, her smarts and her ambition, and that dirty little side of her that comes out when her clothes come off.
Part of me hopes Dad lives long enough to get to know her a little better. I know it would give him a measure of peace to learn that we’ve found our forever girl, assuming she’ll have us.
“I didn’t like the look on Ian’s face,” Cole says. “He’s worried about Dad.”
“I thought the recovery center helped him,” Toby replies.
I offer a slight nod. “It did, but given his old age and his blood pressure, I doubt he’ll get much better. He’ll probably have more bad days than good.”
“He’ll have to retire soon,” Cole mutters, then takes a sip of coffee, “which means he’ll be looking to his heirs. Right now, I’m the only one of the three of us with an executive position in the company.”
“Cole, we can still serve in an advisory role,” I remind him. “We made that clear during the meeting with Bennington theother day.”
“It won’t be enough, not in his mind, anyway. I think he’s seriously considering Terrence,” Cole says.
“Terrence is fucking useless,” Toby grumbles. “He can’t have anything close to a deciding vote. Hell, he shouldn’t get any kind of vote.”
“We can’t stop Dad from amending the will,” Cole says. “The best we can do is make sure Terrence and Sheila don’t get a big enough slice to call the shots. She’s fiscally irresponsible, and he’s the epitome of laziness and incompetence. They’ll drive the Morgan companies into the ground.”
Toby shakes his head slowly, then takes a bite out of a scone. “Let’s just hope it doesn’t go that far. Right now, Dad’s still kicking, and you both know he’s not relinquishing the helm anytime soon.”
“He’ll delegate,” I say and look at Cole. “You’ll need to step up.”
“That was never an issue. I already have full executive control over most of the fintech branch. I’ve got forty percent on the board in the banking sector, as well. I’ll handle whatever else comes my way.”
“And in the meantime, we need to keep Sheila and Terrence from messing with Willow,” I remind him. “I doubt your warning did much. Sheila can be persistent.”
“I’ll handle her,” Cole mutters with a furrowed brow.
Toby gives him a cold grin. “You’ve handled her before, brother. She’s a fucking menace. Maybe it’s time to air out the dirty laundry and kick her off the board altogether.”
“Are you serious?” The color drains from Cole’s face.
