I ran a hand through my hair, trying to chase away the memory before it derailed my entire morning, but my brain wasn’t cooperating. In the two hours I’d been at the office, I’d managed to read some emails, but that had been about it.
Before I could get a handle on it, my assistant’s voice spoke through my intercom. “Mr. Westwood? You asked me to warn you ten minutes before you’re due in the main conference room. This is that warning.”
“Right.” I inhaled deeply, pushing my chair back and pressing the button to respond. “Thanks. I’ll be right out.”
I cleared my throat as I stood up and slipped my jacket back on. My stomach tightened as I left my office and headed down the hall. My pulse spiked as I wondered what this was about.
Earlier this morning, an email had come through from my father requesting we all meet in the main conference room this morning. A few of the other board members had been copied in as well. When I walked into the conference room, my brothers were already there, seated at the long table side by side.
Sterling had that calm expression on his face that told me there was trouble coming. He always looked completely confident and cool, but when he forced calm, it was usually because he expected problems.
I swallowed hard as I dropped into a seat beside him. “What’s going on? Do any of you know?”
Sterling shook his head. “Relax, Harrison. Whatever Harlan and the board called us in for can’t be urgent or bad. Christmas is only two weeks away. The office is winding down. They probably just want to check in with us before the break.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. “Okay. If you say so.”
They’d been here for many more festive periods than I had. Every December, W&S mostly closed for two weeks and I’d never been here before the break. They had. Although Callum only raised an eyebrow and said nothing. Jameson smirked faintly, not confirming or denying what Sterling had said.
It made me wonder if this was as normal as Sterling was making it sound, and I also didn’t quite know why he would have that forced calm expression on his face if he truly wasn’t worried at all.
No sooner had I settled in my chair and fallen silent than the doors opened again. Dad entered the room first, flanked by a few of the most senior board members. He looked unusually serene. Too calm for the conversation we’d had just yesterday.
Another guy came in behind them, quickly setting up the system to conference in the remainder of the board and heads of the various departments. When he nodded that he was done,Dad took a seat at the head of the table while the board members in attendance sank into chairs around us.
He cleared his throat, his voice steady and measured when he started without any prelude. “Gentlemen, I know you’re all busy preparing your departments for the break and that you don’t have time for meetings that could’ve been emails.”
Callum and Jameson chuckled, but the sounds abruptly cut off when Dad continued. “I’ve called you here today to officially announce my retirement.”
The words hit me like a hammer. I blinked, taken aback, and so did Callum. Jameson leaned back, smirk fading, and Sterling’s hand froze over his coffee cup. His eyes went wide, the sort of shock that made him look, for once in his life, entirely human.
We’d all known it was coming eventually, but hearing it out loud made reality slam into the room like a freight train. With Laney due any day now, it wasn’t just the company that was about to change. It was Sterling’s whole life. All at once.
Dad launched into a long spiel, polished, eloquent, making points that underscored decades of his leadership. He mentioned succession planning, growth projections, and of course, the Westwood family legacy. He left no doubt that he’d worked hard to ensure everything would be in capable hands.
A few minutes later, he was gone. The board members filed out behind him along with the dude from IT, and the doors slammed shut, leaving the four of us brothers sitting alone in stunned silence.
Long minutes passed without anyone saying a word. I traced my finger along the edge of the polished table, my mind utterly numb. Jameson’s jaw was tight. Callum’s hand drummed out a beat against his thigh. Sterling just stared straight ahead, unblinking, like he’d forgotten how to breathe.
Finally, Callum exhaled. He looked at Sterling and Jameson first. As of the first of the year, Sterling would be the CEO and Jameson, as the incoming CFO, would be his second in command. That was huge.
“Are you guys okay?” he asked. “I thought he was going to retire next summer.”
“So did I.” Sterling’s gaze flicked to him, his eyes still unnaturally wide. “It’s just a lot to process.”
Jameson gave a short laugh, but the grin on his face didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah. ‘A lot to process’ is one way of putting it.”
Just looking at the two of them, I could tell that this had blindsided them. They were both about to become fathers, Jameson to twins, and it was almost like I could see the weight of it all pressing down on them.
They gave each other a long look, their jaws tight. Sterling suddenly stood up, muttering, “Yeah, I’ll talk to you guys later. I need to talk to Laney.”
“Same. I need to call Sadie, though. Not Laney, but maybe I’ll call Laney too.” Jameson scrambled after him and they strode out side by side, bursting out through the doors and letting them swing shut behind them.
Callum leaned back in his chair once we were alone, folding his hands casually behind his head with that effortless nonchalance he carried like a shield. He let out a sigh, then inhaled a deep breath and grinned.
“Relax,” he said, his eyes sliding to mine. “I know what you’re thinking. What everyone’s thinking. We all knew this was coming. Dad retiring. It’s just a big change, is all. We’ll be alright once we’ve adjusted.”
I let out a short laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “That’s easy for you to say.”
