“I thought he knew I’d been hired. He didn’t even know you were leaving,” Amy said with apprehension in her voice. She could be losing her dream job before it even started.
“Now, don’t you worry about anything, Amy. It will all be just fine.”
“I know you’ve worked here for a lot of years, Esther, but the look on his face wasn’t that of a happy man. I wouldn’t get too set on retirement if I were you,” Amy said, attempting to make a joke, though it fell flat.
“You’ll find Lucas is far more bark than bite. He’s riled up right now, but he’ll settle down soon. Let’s finish our work for the afternoon. By tomorrow this will be straightened out and you’ll forget all about it,” Esther promised.
Amy had her doubts, but there was no use in worrying about it. She figured she’d do the best job she could, and then maybe her position would be safe.
They got absorbed in their work, and the incident was placed on the back burner—still there, but put away for the moment.
“Dad, how do you expect me to run this company when you’re stepping in and doing things without letting me know?” Lucas was pacing in front of his father, back and forth across the parlor.
“Now, son, I told you when I left that Esther would be retiring once you got settled in. I also said I’d take care of her replacement. It’s not my fault you forgot. And it’s not Esther’s fault you didn’t take her resignation seriously.”
“I take everything seriously. At the least, you could have let me know interviews were going on so I could be a part of it. I would’ve been just fine handling them on my own.”
“I know you’re more than capable of doing your job. However, when you took over, I promised to tie up any loose ends left from my leaving. This was the final item I had to take care of,” Joseph said, leaving Lucas with little argument.
“Dad, I know you’re up to something. I just can’t figure out what it is this time, but I’m capable of hiring my own staff. It doesn’t look good for me when I don’t know what’s going on in my own offices.”
“I interviewed about thirty people, and Ms. Harper was, by far, the most qualified candidate. Believe me, you won’t have any problems with her. I checked her out extensively before sending her to you.”
It was a good thing Lucas didn’t know that Joseph was far more interested in her abilities as a possible wife than an executive assistant. Luckily, she really had done well in school and was more than capable of doing her job, and doing it well, for that matter. Lucas would’ve seen right through a woman who was only there looking for a husband.
Joseph felt Amy was a perfect candidate for Lucas. She was smart, strong, and had been through a lot in her short lifetime. She needed a family, and Joseph needed a daughter-in-law. It was a perfect match. Lucas would soon see that.
“You’ve left me with little choice. I don’t think there’s any way I can convince Esther to stay on at this point, now that she’s made up her mind. I’ll see how Ms. Harper works out, but if she doesn’t work soundly with me, then I’ll fire her and the next person will be someone I find, not you.”
“I think that’s a reasonable request,” Joseph quickly agreed, wanting to change the subject. “Now, on to other business.” Joseph knew he couldn’t give Lucas too much time to think about the matter. He was a smart boy, and Joseph didn’t want him figuring out what he was up to. If Lucas had any idea how much Joseph wanted his sons married, Lucas would go running for the hills before he had a chance to fall in love with Amy. That just wouldn’t do for Joseph. He wanted those grandchildren—the earlier, the better.
The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon going over the new benefits package Joseph had modified. Joseph may be retired, but he liked to stay involved. He’d go a little stir-crazy if he left the corporation completely. He’d promised his Katherine he wouldn’t work seventy-hour weeks anymore, but he’d never agreed to forget about the corporation his grandfather had started. She understood that and was supportive of his remaining active with the human resources department. After all, she had a huge heart herself. It was why he loved her so much, even after thirty-five years of marriage.
By the time Lucas left his father’s house, his frustration had greatly lessened. When he returned to the building, everyone was gone for the day.
As he made his way into his office, he could smell a lingering scent of vanilla in the air, just a hint, but enough to remind him of his new employee. He had a feeling Amy was going to be nothing but trouble for him if he let her stay. The best thing for both of them would be for him to simply fire her. He knew his dad would be upset, but he’d support him.