with her mother.
*****
Jason was in a staff meeting with his entire department heads. He barked at everyone. The goodwill and patience he received from his staff was wearing thin. When the meeting was over, Franklin lagged behind.
“How you holding up?”
“I’m good.”
“You’re sure? Maybe you should take a couple weeks off. I can handle things here until you get back.”
“Can’t…I just have way too much to do.”
“Jason, you didn’t take much time off after…”
“Franklin, I’m FINE.”
“Alright, you’re fine and I’m sure that’s why you bit Sanders’ head off and mine just now.”
“Well, maybe if he came better prepared I wouldn’t have had to bite his head off.”
Franklin knew Jason was in pain but he didn’t know how to reach his friend. “Maybe. Why don’t we go grab some lunch.”
“I can’t. I told you I’ve just got too much to do. And, I’ve got to call John Lucas.”
Jason’s cell phone rang. He looked at it, saw that it was Vicky, and pressed the ignore button.
“From what I’ve seen and heard in the papers the court of public opinion seems to be turning in your favor.”
Jason gritted his teeth, “Yeah, but at what cost? They talk about me and Vicky like they knows us. They don’t give a shit about our loss or pain. They’re just trying to sell papers.”
A moment later his office phone buzzed, “Mr. Rutherford, your wife is on the line.”
Exasperated, Jason rubbed the back of his neck, “Is it an emergency?”
“She didn’t say so sir.”
“If it’s not then, tell her I’m in a meeting and take a message.”
Franklin thought that was unusual. He’d never seen Jason not make her his priority. “So, how is Vicky doing? I haven’t seen her lately.”
Jason started looking at a file “She’s holding up.”
“Well, if you don’t mind I’d like to hitch a ride on your jet when you leave tonight. I didn’t book a flight.”
“I’m not flying out tonight. I’ve got so much to do that I’ll probably have to stay the weekend.”
Franklin gave Jason a hard look. “Jay, there’s not anything here that you can’t handle from home. Don’t you think you should be home with your family…with Vicky?”
“This place isn’t going to run itself. My mother and Shirley are there with her.”
“That’s good but she needs you.”
“Franklin…I really don’t want to discuss the needs of my wife right now.”
He threw up his hands as if surrendering, “Fine. We won’t talk about her. She’s your wife.”
“I’ve got to make this call can I catch up with you later?”
Jason was putting him out of his office. Another first. Franklin took the hint. He nodded to Jason but also decided not to fly to Atlanta tonight. He needed to keep a close eye on him. Jason was going through much more than he was willing to admit.
Chapter 20
It had been a long day. Jason was sitting at the bar waiting for the bartender to bring him his drink when he smelled a familiar scent of perfume and a familiar hand touched his shoulder.
“Hi Jason.”
He turned around to see Bridget Reed.
Albeit surprised, he spoke to her. “Hi. What are you doing here in Minnesota?”
“Surprised? Well, I’m surprised to see you too. I’m here for the opening of Edward’s new foundation. It’s here on Sunday. I just wanted to come over say hi and offer my condolences. I’m so sorry about your loss.”
His smile faltered and his entire body stiffened. It didn’t go unnoticed.
“I’ve been sitting over in the corner wondering for the last fifteen minutes if I should say anything considering.... But, then I thought that was foolish. We’ve known each other forever.”
Jason recovered and gave her that lazy half smile that drove her crazy.
“Well, I’m glad you did.”
Bridget tossed her blond hair over her shoulder, “Really?”
Jason took a long sip of his drink.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
She took the stool next to him and crossed those
*****
Jason was in a staff meeting with his entire department heads. He barked at everyone. The goodwill and patience he received from his staff was wearing thin. When the meeting was over, Franklin lagged behind.
“How you holding up?”
“I’m good.”
“You’re sure? Maybe you should take a couple weeks off. I can handle things here until you get back.”
“Can’t…I just have way too much to do.”
“Jason, you didn’t take much time off after…”
“Franklin, I’m FINE.”
“Alright, you’re fine and I’m sure that’s why you bit Sanders’ head off and mine just now.”
“Well, maybe if he came better prepared I wouldn’t have had to bite his head off.”
Franklin knew Jason was in pain but he didn’t know how to reach his friend. “Maybe. Why don’t we go grab some lunch.”
“I can’t. I told you I’ve just got too much to do. And, I’ve got to call John Lucas.”
Jason’s cell phone rang. He looked at it, saw that it was Vicky, and pressed the ignore button.
“From what I’ve seen and heard in the papers the court of public opinion seems to be turning in your favor.”
Jason gritted his teeth, “Yeah, but at what cost? They talk about me and Vicky like they knows us. They don’t give a shit about our loss or pain. They’re just trying to sell papers.”
A moment later his office phone buzzed, “Mr. Rutherford, your wife is on the line.”
Exasperated, Jason rubbed the back of his neck, “Is it an emergency?”
“She didn’t say so sir.”
“If it’s not then, tell her I’m in a meeting and take a message.”
Franklin thought that was unusual. He’d never seen Jason not make her his priority. “So, how is Vicky doing? I haven’t seen her lately.”
Jason started looking at a file “She’s holding up.”
“Well, if you don’t mind I’d like to hitch a ride on your jet when you leave tonight. I didn’t book a flight.”
“I’m not flying out tonight. I’ve got so much to do that I’ll probably have to stay the weekend.”
Franklin gave Jason a hard look. “Jay, there’s not anything here that you can’t handle from home. Don’t you think you should be home with your family…with Vicky?”
“This place isn’t going to run itself. My mother and Shirley are there with her.”
“That’s good but she needs you.”
“Franklin…I really don’t want to discuss the needs of my wife right now.”
He threw up his hands as if surrendering, “Fine. We won’t talk about her. She’s your wife.”
“I’ve got to make this call can I catch up with you later?”
Jason was putting him out of his office. Another first. Franklin took the hint. He nodded to Jason but also decided not to fly to Atlanta tonight. He needed to keep a close eye on him. Jason was going through much more than he was willing to admit.
Chapter 20
It had been a long day. Jason was sitting at the bar waiting for the bartender to bring him his drink when he smelled a familiar scent of perfume and a familiar hand touched his shoulder.
“Hi Jason.”
He turned around to see Bridget Reed.
Albeit surprised, he spoke to her. “Hi. What are you doing here in Minnesota?”
“Surprised? Well, I’m surprised to see you too. I’m here for the opening of Edward’s new foundation. It’s here on Sunday. I just wanted to come over say hi and offer my condolences. I’m so sorry about your loss.”
His smile faltered and his entire body stiffened. It didn’t go unnoticed.
“I’ve been sitting over in the corner wondering for the last fifteen minutes if I should say anything considering.... But, then I thought that was foolish. We’ve known each other forever.”
Jason recovered and gave her that lazy half smile that drove her crazy.
“Well, I’m glad you did.”
Bridget tossed her blond hair over her shoulder, “Really?”
Jason took a long sip of his drink.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
She took the stool next to him and crossed those
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