“Don’t tell me you’re pregnant?”
“Goodness, no.” A look of surprise crossed her face and she laughed.
Blake breathed a sigh of relief and let his mind wander while Karen jabbered on about the merits of having more children. She didn’t stop talking about babies until they were in the Lexus and out of the parking garage.
“How did we ever start talking about babies?” she asked, buckling her seat belt.
“You said you had something to tell me.” Blake edged the car onto the freeway.
“That’s right,” she said with a little laugh. “How did we get so off track?”
Blake didn’t want to go down that road again. He ignored the question and raised a brow. “Your news?”
“David fired his cleaning lady.” A tiny frown furrowed Karen’s brow. “Or maybe Christy did. I don’t know for sure.”
Blake’s hands tightened around the steering wheel and an expletive slipped past his lips.
“I knew you’d be upset,” his wife said. “That’s why I didn’t tell you earlier. I feel so bad for the woman.”
Blake’s gaze shot to his wife.
“You don’t think it’s because Christy and David found out she’d been talking, do you?” she said.
“How could they?” Blake said. “I didn’t say anything to anyone. Did you?”
“Only to my sister.” Karen’s gaze shifted to her hands. “It just slipped out one day when we were talking. But Tina promised she wouldn’t say anything.”
Tina Getz had never kept a secret in her life. Blake doubted if the woman even knew what the word meant. But it didn’t matter why the cleaning lady had left, or who had done the firing. The only thing that mattered was his only link to the inner workings of his cousin’s household was gone.
Now he had to figure out what he was going to do about it.
Chapter Thirteen
David’s grandfather walked to his office door and pulled it until it clicked shut before returning to the high-backed leather desk chair. Though the meeting with the board of directors earlier in the week had gone off without a hitch, David shifted uneasily in his seat. His grandfather’s request for some of his time this morning had taken him by surprise. The older man had to know that an unscheduled meeting would throw David’s whole day into disarray. Which meant something big was up.
“I suppose you’re wondering what this is all about?” His grandfather leaned back in his chair and studied David.
“A little,” David said, knowing his grandfather expected honesty. “Does it have to do with the board meeting?”
“In a way.” The older man paused and his expression turned serious. “Remember when Harvey Jacques asked me if I would be willing to stay on the board in an advisory capacity?”
“Was that during the break?” David asked, the memory hazy at best.
His grandfather nodded. “Do you recall my answer?”
David thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t. But you said yes, didn’t you?”
“Actually I told Harv that I’d have to think about it.”
“Think about it?” David frowned. “What is there to think about?”
“I said that just to buy some time.” The older man met David’s gaze. “I plan to say no, but I needed to talk to you first.”
“You’re going to say no? But why?” A tightness gripped David’s chest. “You’re not sick, are you?”
“I’m healthy as a horse and rarin’ to get on with my life.” His grandfather chuckled. “David, Lorraine Keller has consented to be my wife. We plan to be married in October, then after our honeymoon we’ll be moving to Phoenix.”
“You’re marrying Mrs. Keller?” David couldn’t hide his shock. He knew his grandfather and the spry widow had attended various social events together over the past year, but he’d never dreamed it was more than friendship. He couldn’t imagine his grandfather married to anyone but his grandmother. “But she was Grandma’s friend.”
“That’s right. And her husband was mine. But Myra and John are both gone now. I love Lorraine. And she loves me. Your grandmother and John would have wanted us to be happy.”
“I want you to be happy, too,” David said. He knew how lonely his grandfather had been since his grandmother had died. “But why Phoenix?”
“Lorraine’s daughters live in Scottsdale,” he said. “And her grandson is in Tucson. But we’re only going to winter down there. That way I can be close to my family part of the year and she can be close to hers.”
“Sounds like you’ve got it all figured out,” David said. He paused for a moment. “Is this why you were in such a hurry for me to take over the company?”
His grandfather’s smile turned sheepish. “Lorraine and I hadn’t made any firm plans then, but I could see where our relationship was headed. I didn’t want to be tied to work.”
“But your father started the business.” David couldn’t believe the lack of regret in his grandfather’s voice. “You don’t even sound like you’re going to miss it.”
“I don’t think I will.”
“But how can you walk away from something that’s been your whole life for sixty years?”
His grandfather shook his head. “You’ve got it all wrong, David. I love the company and I’m proud of the men and women who work for us and proud of the products we produce, but the business has never been my whole life. Your grandmother, my family, my faith, that’s what gave my life meaning.”
“But Warner Enterprises is your legacy—”
“David.” His grandfather leaned forward and pinned David with his gaze. “Things of this earth are only temporary. In the grand scheme of things, they aren’t important.”
“So you’re saying it doesn’t matter if the company makes a profit or not? Or whether our employees continue to have a job or not?” David threw up his hands in frustration. “Maybe we should have just let Blake sell it off piece by piece.”
“Blake and I had a long talk yesterday. He realizes now that dismantling the company would have been a shortsighted move.”
David couldn’t believe his ears. Normally his grandfather could see through a snow job, but Blake had obviously conned the old man. David raked his fingers through his hair. When he’d come to work that morning it had seemed like a normal day. Now nothing made sense. “Tell me something. Why did you tie my taking over the company to being married?”
“I already told you,” his grandfather said. “I believe this company needs a family man at its helm.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” David said. “A single man would have more time to devote to the job.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t make much sense when you think of it that way,” his grandfather admitted. “But let me try to explain it another way. I want more for you than success in business. I want you to have a full, rich life like the one your grandmother and I shared. I was afraid if you were single when you took over, you’d stay that way. You’d be so into proving yourself, you wouldn’t have time to build a relationship. The years would pass and one day you’d look around and discover that you were all alone.”