“Maybe.” Dylan kept his voice noncommittal. He didn’t want to argue with her over Jason Lee of all people.
Rae let out a sigh as she sorted through the receipts. “You ready for your final exam tonight?”
“After you helped me study last night, yeah. This whole going back to school thing has been a new experience after all these years.”
“Once you get your business degree and can move up to a supervisory position, I think you’ll be glad you did it,” she said. “And it’s fun having Jayden spend the evening with us when you’re in class.”
“And he loves it. I’d better—”
At the sound of their boss’s office opening, Dylan snapped his mouth shut. Rae gave her attention to her monitor.
“Dylan, can I have a word with you?”
Swallowing, he rose and faced Mr. Green. The elderly man and his father had worked to build an independent company that had thrived in spite of being part of an industry of nationwide franchises. He was a firm but fair boss. Something in his expression made Dylan’s stomach knot. Had he done something wrong?
“Of course, sir.”
* * *
Dylan followedMr. G. inside and took the chair the old man indicated. He sat at his desk, folded his hands, and stared at Dylan without saying a word.
“Can I help you with anything, sir?” he finally asked.
“You’ve been with Green Pest Control for almost eight years now.”
“Yes, sir,” Dylan said slowly, trying to think of anything he could have done that might have bothered the boss.
“You’ve been Employee of the Year the last four years running.”
“Yes, sir.” So not something he’d done wrong.
Mr. G. heaved out a breath. “I’m going to be seventy later this year.”
Dylan nodded, and then what the older man had said sunk in. Mr. G. was in excellent health and had always seemed happy to still be running his company. Had that changed?
“My wife wants me to retire and consider taking an offer for a buy-out.”
Dylan’s heart sank, and he had to struggle to keep from showing it on his face. Being bought out by one of the big franchise companies would kill the independence Green Pest Control had fought for. They wouldn’t have the flexibility to make quick changes and would have to rely on what the power brokers decided, regardless of whether they knew anything about the local area. During the years Dylan had worked for GPC, he’d seen how Mr. G.’s quick action had been able to stave off problems.
“You know I have three children,” Mr. G. said.
“Yes, sir. A doctor, a dentist, and a geneticist.”
The old man chuckled. “Ironic, isn’t it, that the children of a pest control man would all go into healthcare fields?”
Dylan shrugged, not sure what his boss was leading to.
“Well, none of them want to run my business.”
“Understandable, I guess, from their point of view,” Dylan said, bracing himself for the obvious announcement. He wondered why Mr. G was telling him only and not everyone.
“I suppose, but it’s left me in a tough spot.” The elderly man rose to his feet and began to pace his office. “To turn the company my father and I built over to a conglomerate goes against everything I’ve fought for.”
“Then you’renotselling?”
“I didn’t say that.” Mr. G. stopped in front of Dylan. “I want to sell GPC toyou.”
“M—” He choked on the word, coughed, and tried again. “Me?”
