As if on cue, his telephone rang and he picked up without thinking.
"Crew Storm."
"I'm heading down there soon, and I have company."
"Dad?" The brisk excitement in his father's tone surprised him. He couldn't remember hearing him so elated, not in years, at least.
"Of course, it's your father. Who else?" he asked sourly.
"Sorry. What's going on?"
"You remember when I called you a couple of months ago about those two men stopping by my office?"
"Vaguely. You said they might be relatives of ours or something." Crew had been tied up in last-minute preparations for the resort. He could barely remember the conversation.
"Well, they are related. That's all I'm going to say until we get there. I want you to see for yourself. I will tell you that I've gotten to know them and they are good men - very good men. I think you will like them. I think they may even rival us in large families," he said with a sly chuckle.
"Sounds good, Father. It's nice for you to find some long-lost relatives. But I thought your adoption records were sealed. Are you sure you want to open all of that up?"
"I'm absolutely sure, son," he answered.
"That's good." Crew didn't know what else to say.
"How did your grand opening go? I'm looking forward to seeing what you've achieved."
"It went even better than I'd hoped. A lot has changed since you were here six months ago. I will miss this place … " he sighed as he looked around his office. The more he thought about it, the more he didn't want to let her go. Still, he was sure his attachment would fade as the excitement of new beginnings wore off.
"You don't have to, Crew. I know I told you that was the deal - that you all make a profit selling the businesses - but I think you've learned what I wanted you to. I'm very proud of you. In the end you have to choose if you want to settle in one place, or if you've found your passion and want to do it again and again with new projects."
The sudden choking in his father's voice came through the telephone line loud and clear. Crew didn't know what to say. In all his life, he'd never heard his father cry. It just didn't happen.
Crew quickly changed the subject. "Give me the dates you're coming down so I can make sure to have our best rooms available for you."
"We'll need three rooms, and any will do. The point is to see you, not to vacation," Richard said, then he promised to give his son a heads up when he knew a more exact time of his arrival.
"Three rooms? I'll have to check, but I save a block for emergencies, so I think we'll be fine." He paused for a moment. It needed to be said, but it was hard for him to get the words to come out. "Dad, you did a good thing - a really good thing."
Crew wasn't going to elaborate. His father had a big enough head already. When Richard was silent for several seconds, Crew thought they might have lost the connection. Then, he realized that his dad was just trying to regain his composure.
"Thank you, Crew. Now, enough business talk. Have you managed to find a woman yet?"
Classic. The statement made Crew laugh into the phone receiver. "No, father. I'm not looking for love. One step at a time."
"You know, you aren't getting any younger, boy. You'll be thirty-five on your next birthday. It's time to settle down and keep the family name alive. A good woman will add years to your life."
Something about the sadness of his tone alerted Crew that something was wrong, but he couldn't figure out what it might be. It was most likely just his imagination, anyway. His father was as strong and vibrant as ever. If anything were worrying him, he would be sure to tell his children, despite their reprehensible behavior before Richard finally laid down the law.
"I'm not quite ready, Dad, but I'll let you know when I find the one. As for kids, I don't see that happening. I'm not the 'dad type,'" he said, taking a large puff from his cigar and blowing the air out.
"That's utter nonsense, boy!" his father snapped, sounding much more like himself.
The tense muscles in Crew's neck relaxed. One worry down. And at least he wasn't thinking about bedding Haley Sutherland. Unfortunately, if it wasn't one kind of stress, it was another. His arousal had disappeared, and his father seemed just fine, but once again, he had his father on his back, pushing him to get married and settle down. It seemed there would be no relaxation for him today.
"Dad … " he warned.
"I'm getting to be an old man, Crew, and I demand to have some grandchildren before the good Lord decides to take me from this earth. I don't see what's so wrong with that request. Why, most people my age have at least ten grandchildren, but oh no, not me. My kids don't think about raising the next generation. They don't think about bringing me some happiness in my declining years … " Richard continued to rant for several long minutes, making Crew set down the phone and rush to the liquor cabinet, where he poured himself a shot of scotch. He needed something warm and soothing in his bloodstream. He knew this stupid speech by heart - he'd been hearing it for years, and he knew he wouldn't miss a thing.