Both men engaged in an awkward handshake. Lloyd also patted the side of Alex’s arm, which was the closest thing to a hug either of them could muster.
Sean crept out of the car and tiptoed over.
Lloyd’s cold exterior softened at the sight of his grandson, and a gentle, innocent smile spread across his face. “A pleasure to meet you, Sean.”
The feeling wasn’t mutual as Sean shielded himself behind Alex.
Aware of his intimidating personality, Lloyd did not force the issue. He’d made grown men cry in more than one business meeting, after all. “You must be hungry, so I’ve had Walter whip us up some dinner,” Lloyd said as he waved them up to the house.
As they stepped into the foyer, Sean marveled at the lavish décor. Antique medieval swords were mounted on the walls, and marble sculptures adorned every corner. A massive painting of a picturesque forest and thatched village dominated one wall.
Lloyd enjoyed his grandson’s curiosity. “You like that one?” he asked, pointing to the picture of the village.
Sean nodded.
“It was painted right here, many years ago. For centuries this estate was a haven for artists and writers seeking inspiration.”
Alex chimed in, “Until you bought it.”
Lloyd bit his tongue as they headed out back.
The trio sat at a backyard table with a five-star spread on a patio that overlooked a pristine greenbelt and lush forest. The stone railing around the patio contained Greco-Roman sculptures of ancient soldiers on the corners.
As they ate, Lloyd attempted to engage in small talk. “Quite a heatwave we’ve had.”
“Yeah, pretty hot,” Alex replied.
Lloyd would not break through Alex’s walls with chit chat. He switched his attention to his grandson and pointed out towards the greenbelt. “Sean, you see that grassy area? That’s where your father learned to ride his horse.”
Sean’s mouth dropped. “Dad, you had a horse?”
Lloyd answered for Alex. “Oh, yes. He was a magnificent stallion. What was his name?”
Alex shifted in his chair. He had no interest in taking a trip down memory lane. “Silver. His name was Silver. And yes, I remember learning to ride. I also remember the day you sold him.”
Lloyd held up his hands. Guilty as charged. “Someone offered three times market value.”
Sean noticed the statues decorating the grounds. “Cool statues.”
“Your father didn’t think so. He used to think they were going to come to life and attack our house,” Lloyd said as he took a sip of iced tea.
Sean smiled at the thought of his dad cowering over something so silly.
“Your father had a rather active imagination. Their army was led by...” Lloyd snapped his fingers, trying to remember. “Who was that boogeyman you were so afraid of?”
Alex shook his head. “It wasn’t a boogeyman. It was Achilles from The Iliad.”
Lloyd smiled as he reminisced. “That’s right. One of the few stories you hated.”
Alex glanced at his watch, already thinking about getting back on the road. “Almost everyone died, and Achilles killed most of them.”
Lloyd shifted the conversation to a happier memory. He pointed to a small clearing amidst the trees. “Remember spending hours practicing by those trees?”
Sean sat up in his chair. “Practicing what?”
“Archery. He was always trying to be like his idol, Robin Hood.” Lloyd chuckled.
“You liked Robin Hood, too?” Sean smiled at his dad, bringing the first hint of happiness to Alex’s face.
“He was quite good, too. He placed in several tournaments.”
Alex clenched his jaw. “I’m surprised you remember, given that you missed most of them.”
Sean pointed to a deer running in the forest. “Look!”
Lloyd smiled at his grandson’s delight, then made one last attempt to reconnect with Alex. “Remember when you used to pretend it was Sherwood Forest and you’d partner up with Robin Hood or become a knight of the round table?”
Alex gritted his teeth and played with the food on his plate. “Yes, and I remember you telling me that the Sheriff of Nottingham was a good man who developed the forest into affordable huts so that the peasants could have housing while earning him a fifteen percent return. And there was the tale of King Arthur selling Camelot franchises to collect royalties on all the kingdoms.”
“Had to teach you the business somehow.” Lloyd laughed sheepishly, but then grew introspective and quiet. “I’m sorry. That was wrong.”
Sean tugged on his grandfather’s arm. “But Robin Hood is out there. I saw him.”
Lloyd smirked and leaned down to Sean’s level. “Maybe, Sean. Maybe.”
Alex dropped his fork onto the plate. “Cut the crap, Dad. Why did you call?”
The language and abruptness caught Sean’s attention. Before it escalated further, Lloyd motioned to his servant. “Walter, take Sean to the kitchen and whip up his favorite dessert.”
Walter escorted Sean out of the patio, and as soon as they stepped out of earshot, Lloyd turned to Alex. Time to get down to business. “I want to give you another shot at running the company.”
“Why now?” Alex asked.
“I’m sick.”
Though stunned, Alex refused to let it show. “What’s wrong?”
“Doesn’t matter. I won’t be able to run the company much longer.”
Alex wiped his mouth with his napkin and considered his response. There were so many things he wanted to say to his father, but settled on something short and simple. “I can’t. I’ve just been offered partner. Thanks, but I’m going to continue on my own.”
Though saddened, Lloyd was proud of his son. “That’s fantastic news. You worked hard for that.”
Alex had been dreaming about this moment for years. He wanted to tell his father off and let him know he did it his way and without help. But this moment of victory wasn’t at all like he imagined. Leave it to his father to spoil that, too.
“We should get on the road.” Alex rose to his feet.
Lloyd motioned for his son to sit back down. “Nonsense. Stay the night at least.”
“We really should get going,” Alex said.
“Please stay, Alex. Don’t deprive an old man of the opportunity to know his grandson.”
There it was again—that wavering voice that cracked with vulnerability. Alex wanted to remain angry at his father, but it was hard. He sat back down. “All right, but I need to leave first thing tomorrow.”
Lloyd nodded in gratitude, then jumped to his feet and disappeared inside. A moment later, his booming voice echoed through the halls. “Who wants to see my collection of medieval swords?”
Sean shouted back, “Me!”
Alex shook his head and smiled as he looked out onto the greenbelt. Despite the walls, Alex still loved his dad and had fond memories of this place.
Once nighttime arrived, Alex led Sean into his old bedroom. Upon entering, Alex discovered a shrine to his childhood. Pictures, trophies, and toys were all displayed, just as he remembered them. One photo showed an eight-year-old Alex in a red hoodie riding his horse, Silver. Another featured Alex in a prestigious private high school uniform. Others pictured Alex competing in a variety of high school sports, including lacrosse, archery, and polo. Sean studied a picture of Alex and his father in suits, meeting with high society business executives. Alex appeared out of his element as Lloyd beamed with pride.
Sean moved through the room, taking in all the details that told him bits about his father that he never knew. He came upon a life-sized portrait of a giant man in a red, white, and blue basketball uniform mounted to the wall. At seven feet, the photo of the man almost reached the ceiling.
“Who’s that?” Sean asked in awe.
Alex smiled as he looked up at his all-time favorite player. “That’s Patrick Ewing. He played center for the most awesome team in the world, the New York Knicks.”
“Wow, he’s tall. I bet they must’ve been the best team ever. Did they win the championship?”
“They were pretty close a few times,” Alex replied.
“What happened?” Sean asked, not realizing the sensitivity of the topic.
Alex loved happy endings. Unfortunately, like the story of Achilles, not everything had one, and the New York Knicks from Alex’s youth were one of the first times in his life that he learned things didn’t always turn out the way he hoped. It was a lesson that still stung to this day. A distant gaze washed over Alex. Each year, he poured his heart and soul into the Knicks, and each year, the playoffs would roll around, leaving him devastated. One man and one team caused almost all the pain.
“What happened?” Sean asked again.
Through gritted teeth, Alex muttered, “Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls happened.”
“Michael Jordan must’ve been amazing to beat a guy like him.”
“He was… pretty good, I guess,” Alex said, still unable to admit that Jordan was better than his childhood hero. He untucked the bed for his son.
Sean moved on and continued to explore the room. His curiosity led him into the closet. Nothing but old clothes and a bookcase. One tattered book caught his eye. It was titled Legends & Fairy Tales. The faded cover showed legendary heroes and villains—Robin Hood, King Arthur, Achilles, and the big bad wolf.
Sean thumbed through the pages, skimming the faded ink. “Can I read before bed?” He asked as he hopped into bed.
“Only for a half-hour.” Alex kissed Sean’s forehead.
“Why don’t you and Grandpa get along?”
“That’s a story for another time,” Alex said, not wanting to spoil his son’s enchanting evening with his grandfather.
After leaving Sean, Alex wandered the house as memories haunted him like ghosts. He stopped when he reached the grand library. The turret-shaped room had vaulted forty-foot ceilings with handmade bookshelves filled with the classics. Only one portion of the wall didn’t have books. Instead, it had a large painting of a woman in a meadow in the early night sky. Alex drifted in, captivated by the painting. The woman had welcoming green eyes, long brown hair, and a soft smile.
Lloyd shuffled in.
“The painting looks different.” Alex motioned with his hand across the painting.
Lloyd squinted his eyes and looked closer. “How so?”
“Her smile looked bigger before… and I could’ve sworn there were stars in the sky.” Alex became transfixed by the painting. “I used to sneak in here after bedtime and wonder what made her smile, where she was going... what she was like.”
Lloyd swallowed. “You weren’t particularly sneaky, son. It used to break my heart, watching you look at your mother.”
The two men stood in silence, staring at this image that held so many conflicting emotions for both of them. Before it became too much, Lloyd switched topics. “How’s Anna doing?”
“She’s on a date,” Alex said, never taking his eyes off the painting.
“Oh. I didn’t know you were...”
Alex interrupted, “We’re not... yet. We’re in a trial separation that is becoming more permanent by the day.” He held up his hand to show his bare ring finger. “Neither of us have been wearing our rings for months.”
Lloyd pursed his lips. “I’ve been down that path,” he said and looked back at the painting of his wife. “As I get to the end of my life, I realize that for all my business success, none of it really matters. Family—that’s what matters.”
Alex faced his father. “That’s what matters? Then, thanks earlier for offering me something that doesn’t matter.”
Lloyd held up his hands to protest. “No, no, no. That’s not...”
Alex pointed at his father. “You’ve been keeping tabs on me, haven’t you?”
“Of course. You’re my son.”
“You knew I was going to be made partner. Well, I made it without you. You were hoping I’d fail, so I’d have to crawl back and beg for another chance. When that didn’t happen, you needed another way to control me. Are you even sick?”
Lloyd’s shoulders slumped, and he looked down at the ground, shaking his head. “I’m sorry you think so little of me. I guess I did a worse job at being a father than I thought.”
Knots filled Alex’s stomach as guilt, anger, and regret swirled inside.
Almost in a whisper, Lloyd offered, “My hope in all this is that you wouldn’t make the same mistakes I did.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not anything like you.” Alex left the library and his father alone.
When he returned to his bedroom, he found pajamas laid out on the bed. He shoved them aside and laid down without even bothering to take his shoes off. He grabbed his smartphone and checked his emails. Nothing interesting. Alex then pulled up Anna’s number and paused. He wanted more than anything to call, but fear gripped hold. What if she was with Marc? He opted for a text and typed—Are you home?
His finger drifted to the send button, but he hesitated, afraid of what the answer might be. He summoned the courage and pressed the button. With the message sent, it was now out of his hands, so he did the only thing he could. He stared at the screen, hoping for an immediate response. Nothing. After two minutes, he gave up and placed the phone on the nightstand, then attempted to settle back down into bed.
The phone buzzed. He darted up, snatched the phone, and checked the text.
Yes, I’m home.
Alex smiled and typed a quick response. How was dinner?
A moment later, the response—It was okay.
“I’ve heard ‘okay’ before. That means it was terrible.” Alex brightened by the moment and fired off another text.
I made partner today.
The three dots emerged. Alex tapped the side of his phone until Anna’s response popped up.
Congratulations. Very proud of you. Know how much that means.
Alex stroked his chin and considered his next move. He started typing—Would love to celebrate with you and Sean. How about Mediterraneo for breakfast? I promise it will be better than ‘okay.’
Filled with anxiety, Alex tapped his leg. He hadn’t been this nervous since the first time he asked Anna out.
The text bubble popped up—Sounds nice. See you at nine.
Brimming with confidence, Alex added the finishing touch.
Miss you. Love Alex.
Alex was on top of the world until the phone buzzed again. It wasn’t a text from Anna. It was an e-mail from Ted Biltmore.
Alex opened the message, and his face dropped as he read—United Bank is reconsidering the deal. Be in the office at eight, and we’ll discuss.
Anna’s text popped up next. Alex’s head slumped as he read it.
Love you too.
Alex then typed a response he dreaded—Need to reschedule breakfast. Hopefully, we can do dinner instead? Will text you tomorrow. Sorry.
After hitting send, Alex leaned back, now fearful of Anna’s response. As he waited, a faint, almost inaudible scream piqued his attention. As he strained to listen, he could’ve sworn he heard a cry for help.
A moment later, another scream rang out, this one louder. Concerned, Alex got out of bed and ambled down the hallway to check on Sean. He peeked into the bedroom. The bed was empty and the door leading to the backyard was open. Panicked and horrified, Alex rushed outside, and in the vast expanse of the greenbelt, a figure disappeared into the forest.
This was every parent’s nightmare, except Alex wasn’t sleeping.
Chapter 3
Alex rushed out the backdoor, down the patio steps, and onto the greenbelt. He raced towards the spot where he saw the figure disappear into the woods.
“Sean. Sean!” he shouted.
The figure that slipped into the trees had disappeared. Upon reaching the edge of the forest, Alex found nothing but dancing shadows. Even more frightening, an animal howled nearby, and it sounded big and dangerous.
Alex sprinted thr
ough the trees until he came into a small clearing and discovered an ominous old cabin in the middle. The front door creaked from side to side as another howl filled the forest. Birds flew away at the sound of cracking twigs from heavy footsteps that moved closer and closer.
Alex turned and spotted Sean on the opposite side of the cabin, book in hand, staring dumbstruck at the mysterious dwelling. Alex rushed over and hugged his son. “Thank God, you’re okay. Why did you run out like that?”
“Someone was crying for help,” Sean said.
“Who?”
Sean shrugged.
Alex eyed the book. “Are you imagining things again?”
“No, I really heard someone.”
A swishing noise emanated from inside the cabin.
Alex pushed Sean behind him to shield him from danger.
Sean whispered, “Who lives here?”
“No one. Your grandfather boarded it up.”
“How come?” Sean asked.
“Artists and writers used to live out here for free. When Dad bought the property, he kicked them out and locked it up.”
Something shuffled inside.
“Are you sure they left?” Sean asked.
The howl from the animal in the forest grew louder, followed by rustling in the bushes.
Alex grabbed Sean, knocking the book from his hand, and pushed the door in. On alert for whatever was inside, Alex prepared to defend himself and protect Sean. He exhaled upon spotting a field mouse scurrying away. He shut the door and slammed the wooden beam down to lock it. A second later, something slammed against the door, testing the strength of the old hinges. An unnerving moment of silence followed. Then a bellowing roar erupted that rattled the cabin.
Alex searched for a weapon but could only find an antique painting easel. He splintered off one leg as another thunderous roar buckled and cracked the support beams, causing dust to fill the room. The cabin was on the verge of collapse.
Frightened, Sean buried his head in Alex’s leg.
Then, silence.
Scared and breathing heavily, Alex waited while holding the puny wooden leg like a baseball bat. Finding his courage, Alex inched toward the door and peeked through a slat. The view stunned him. It was morning. He also found no sign of whatever made the roar—just a peaceful forest. He lifted the wooden beam, nudged the door open, and stepped out of the cabin, with Sean following on his heels.
Ghosts of Sherwood Page 2
