Securing Zoey

by Susan Stoker

  Bubba wasn’t surprised his pop had decided to give money away to the charities that meant the most to him. He’d always been a sucker for animals and kids. He’d hated how many homeless and struggling people there were in their hometown, as well. Alaska wasn’t an easy place to be without a home or food to eat. The last one was a bit more surprising, but he supposed since his dad had been sick, he’d seen the need for care at the end of one’s life.

  “As for Heritage Plastics,” the lawyer continued, “Colin was ever thankful that his friend, Sean, decided all those years ago to go into business with him and to take a gamble. Sean, you’re already a fifty-percent owner, but Colin is giving you another five percent of his shares. Malcom, you’ll get twenty-three percent; Mark, you get seventeen; and Zoey, you’ll receive the last five percent.”

  Bubba was surprised at how his dad had broken up his half of the business. By giving Sean an additional five percent, that gave him the majority share, even if his dad had given all the rest of his shares to Malcom.

  “This is bullshit,” Malcom snapped. “Seriously. I’ve been by his side for over a decade. I’ve hired and fired employees and basically kept things going day to day. What has she done? Nothing. Not one fucking thing,” he spat as he glared at Zoey.

  Bubba tensed. He was as surprised as his brother was, but then again, he hadn’t worked at the factory a day in his life. He didn’t really know anything about running a business the size of his pop’s. But he wasn’t going to let Malcom belittle and harangue Zoey.

  “That was uncalled for, bro,” he said in a low, harsh tone.

  Malcom shook his head and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. “Was it?” he asked. “How would you know? You don’t give a shit about any of it. You haven’t bothered to step foot in Juneau since you left. You left us high and dry and didn’t care. You were off saving the world, but didn’t give two shits about the family you left behind. Did Pop tell you about the time he almost lost the house? No, I can see by the look on your face that he didn’t. Things were tough and he fell behind on the mortgage. But it wasn’t you who came to his rescue, it was me. The business took an upswing not too long after that and everything turned out all right, but my point is that you didn’t know or care.

  “There are countless other times when I was there for him and you weren’t. But of course, throughout it all, Pop couldn’t stop singing your praises! Good ol’ Mark, the Navy SEAL hero! God, what a joke.”

  Bubba was shocked by Malcom’s outburst. He had no idea his brother held this much animosity for him. “I didn’t know you guys needed help because no one told me,” he fired back.

  “Whatever,” Malcom huffed.

  Bubba clenched his fist in his lap. He didn’t know how to fix this. He’d regretted staying away, but the more time that passed, the harder it was to call up his pop and tell him he was coming to visit. He’d emailed and called every now and then, but of course, that wasn’t enough.

  If he was being honest with himself…he was afraid his pop would talk him into staying and running Heritage Plastics with him and Malcom. Which was silly; it wasn’t as if he could just go AWOL from the navy.

  He’d fucked up, and all the regret he’d felt before this trip crushed down on him even harder.

  When he felt Zoey’s hand lightly squeeze his thigh under the table, Bubba closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.

  He needed that. Needed her to ground him.

  It wasn’t as if he’d had an easy life. He didn’t tell his pop or brother any of the horrors he’d seen or gone through. Hadn’t told them about when he’d been captured by the Taliban. His life hadn’t been sunshine and roses, but he’d loved his family too much to burden them with those details. He supposed that was why his pop hadn’t told him about his troubles either.

  “Er…if we can continue?” Kenneth asked.

  Bubba glanced over at Zoey and saw that her gaze was locked on the lawyer. She wasn’t looking at him or Malcom. But she kept her hand right where it was.

  Moving slowly so as not to draw attention to either of them, he covered her hand with his. As usual, it was chilly, so he wrapped his fingers around hers, trying to give her some of his warmth.

  Half an hour later, the lawyer was finished reading the will. They’d signed all the legal papers he’d prepared and everyone was dispersing. Mark had left Zoey standing with Rocco and Phantom in the small lobby. They’d make sure she was all right and no one harassed her or said anything out of line.

  He jogged to catch up with Sean and his wife. “Sean?”

  His pop’s oldest friend turned to face him. “I’m sorry about Colin.”

  “Me too,” Bubba said. “I know we haven’t talked much over the years, but I just wanted to thank you.” He stood eye-to-eye with Sean and saw that the man looked tired. He was a few years older than his dad had been, but his brown hair hadn’t started to gray yet and his blue eyes were as clear as ever. Living in Alaska obviously agreed with him as he seemed strong and healthy.

  “Thank me? For what?” Sean asked.

  “For being Pop’s friend. For letting him do something he loved. I know you guys didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but I also know he respected you a hell of a lot.”

  Sean nodded. Then his lips pressed together and he sighed.

  “What?”

  Sean’s blue gaze met Bubba’s, and he asked, “Can I be honest here?”

  “I’d prefer it.”

  “I’m not that thrilled about Colin’s decisions regarding the business.”

  Bubba stiffened as the older man went on.

  “Malcom’s been a big help, but he’s a bit hotheaded. Doesn’t think before he acts, and we’ve lost some good employees as a result. You haven’t stepped foot in the factory and don’t know the first thing about what it is we do, or the business side of things. I mean, you’re his son, and you’re certainly entitled to a part of his estate, but I figured he’d leave you money instead of actual shares in Heritage. And him leaving any part of the business to Zoey just baffles me.”

  “But he made sure you had a controlling percentage,” Bubba said.

  “I know. But that doesn’t mean I can sit around and make all the decisions. There’s a lot that goes into an organization the size of ours. I can’t do it by myself. Colin and I talked daily about profits and expenses, our employees, and even to brainstorm about new products. We were in talks about expanding overseas when he passed away, and that’s something I strongly feel we should still consider. But now, instead of just two people making the decisions, there are four. Are you planning on moving back to Juneau?”

  “You know I’m not,” Bubba told Sean.

  “Yeah. That’s what I thought.” The older man sighed again. “Even though you’ve only got a seventeen-percent interest, I’ll need your input, and there will be things you’ll need to sign. Expect lots of calls and emails while we figure this out.”

  Bubba looked into Sean’s eyes and saw that he was serious. “I could sell you my portion,” he said.

  For the first time, he saw a bit of friendliness creep into the other man’s expression, but he shook his head. “That’s decent of you, son, but that’s not going to solve the issue of needing help running this thing.”

  “I could sell to Malcom,” Bubba offered. He thought Sean would jump at that opportunity, but instead, he immediately shook his head again.

  “No. That would make my problems worse. We’ll think of something. Just promise that you’ll take my calls?”

  “Of course,” he agreed immediately.

  Then Sean stuck out his hand, and Bubba shook it.

  “Again, I’m sorry about your dad. Colin was a good man, and he loved you very much.”

  Before Bubba let his dad’s friend go, he asked, “Can you tell me what happened? I mean, I thought Pop was pretty healthy.”

  “Yeah. So did I. But you know him. He didn’t like to go to the doctor. He came down with a stomach bug and couldn’t shake it. Never rea
lly recovered. I saw him down at the factory one day, then the next thing I knew, Malcom was calling and telling me he’d passed away in his sleep.”

  It was pretty much the same thing Zoey had told him. Bubba frowned. “Damn.”

  “Yeah. Anyway, I’m glad your friends found you. Take care of yourself. Watch your back. Life is short, and any one of us could find ourselves in the same shape as your father.”

  “I will,” Bubba said. He didn’t really like Sean’s insinuation. Had he been threatening him? Or was it just a general statement? Bubba couldn’t tell.

  They nodded at each other, then Sean turned with his wife and walked away.

  Bubba thought it was a little weird that Vivian hadn’t said anything. She’d simply stood next to her husband, watching them as they’d talked. Even though she was five years younger than her husband, Alaska hadn’t been as kind to her. She had deep lines on her face and it was more than obvious she dyed her blonde hair. She’d fidgeted in her slight heels as Bubba had talked to her husband as if impatient to leave. Not only that, but Bubba had felt Vivian’s intense gaze on him while he’d spoken to her husband. It made him uneasy, but knowing he needed to talk to the lawyer before he left, Bubba put it out of his mind.

  He caught up to Kenneth and his wife before they left the conference room. “Can I talk to you for a second?” he asked.

  The lawyer nodded.

  Bubba looked at Tracy Eklund and raised a brow.

  “I’m his assistant,” she told him haughtily. “Anything you say to him, you can say to me.”

  Bubba knew that wasn’t how it worked, but since he didn’t really have anything private he needed to discuss, he let it go. “I’m headed back to California tomorrow. I won’t be around to sign any other paperwork, so I just wanted to make sure everything was good?”

  “It should be,” Kenneth said. “I’m assuming your address in California will be the same as it was when I contacted you previously?”

  “Yeah.” Bubba wanted to be sarcastic and tell the man he hadn’t actually had the opportunity to move in the last week, since he’d been in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, but he refrained. “I need a favor, though.”

  The lawyer arched a brow.

  “Zoey’s coming to California with me.”

  “Really?” Tracy asked.

  When Bubba glared at her with what he knew was a protective look on his face, she rushed to explain.

  “I’m just surprised. I mean, she’s spent most of her life in Juneau. It just seems fast. Things must’ve gone well out there in the bush.”

  Feeling his ire rise, Bubba did his best to push it down. He knew people would talk about how fast their relationship seemed to be progressing, but he didn’t care. Intense experiences had a way of cutting through the bullshit in life and showcasing what was important.

  But he had a feeling nothing he said to this blowhard would matter, so Bubba merely said, “We’ll be in contact with her new address, but what I was going to ask was if you could recommend a service to look after Zoey’s house. We haven’t talked about what she wants to do with it, but if she decides to stay in California, she’ll need to either rent it out or sell it. And whether she moves to Riverton permanently or decides to come back to Juneau, in the meantime, she’ll need someone to look after it for her. Make sure there aren’t any leaks or anything.”

  “I can help,” Tracy offered immediately. “I’ve got a great realtor, and I’m willing to assist in packing up her stuff and helping to stage the house if she wants to sell.”

  “Thank you. We’ll be in touch,” Bubba said, wanting nothing more than to get out of the building and out of this state. The hair on the back of his neck was standing straight up, and he didn’t know why. He turned and saw his brother was still in the lobby.

  Glancing at Rocco and Phantom where they were still standing with Zoey, he gave them a small chin lift, indicating that they should meet him outside.

  Nodding, Phantom leaned over and said something to Zoey. He then took her elbow and led her toward the door. She looked back at him, and Bubba did his best to smile. He knew he hadn’t really succeeded when she looked extremely worried as his friends led her out of the office.

  Taking a deep breath, Bubba wandered over to where his twin was standing. “You okay?” he asked.

  Malcom merely shook his head. “Let me guess, you’re out of here.”

  Feeling bad for a split second, Bubba nodded. “I’ve been gone too long. I had a few days’ leave to come up for the reading of the will and Pop’s memorial service, but I obviously used more than I’d planned. I need to get back.” Bubba had been upset when he’d heard his dad’s memorial had gone on without him, but not exactly surprised. He’d told Zoey that would probably happen, but it was still a little sad. He and Zoey would just have to have their own private ceremony when they got back to California.

  “Right. I’d expect nothing less,” Malcom muttered.

  Angry now, Bubba growled, “You want to do this here? Fine. What are you pissed about, bro? That Pop gave me some of his money? That he gave his investments to charity? That you didn’t get all of his business?”

  “You really want to know?” Malcom asked.

  “Yeah, I really do.”

  “Fine. I’m pissed that even though Pop worshiped the ground you walked on, you couldn’t bring yourself to get up here to visit him even once. I’m pissed that he gave you part of the business, since you haven’t been involved for even one day in your entire life and made it clear you hated everything about it from day one. And I’m even more pissed that he gave any part of it to that bitch who’s been milking him from the day she met him!”

  Bubba could handle Malcom being upset that he hadn’t been to Juneau to visit. He was mad at himself for that. But he couldn’t let his dig at Zoey go. “Why do you dislike her so much?” he asked between clenched teeth.

  Malcom sighed, and his voice gentled just a bit. “Look, I get that you two had a harrowing experience together. I’m happier than I can say that you’re all right. But Zoey’s not what you think. You don’t know her like you think you do.”

  Bubba didn’t believe one word his brother was saying, but he asked, “And you do?”

  “Yeah, Mark. I do. She’s been hanging around him since we graduated. She’s always got one sob story or another. She talked him into renting her that house for half what he could’ve gotten from someone else. Then she wheedled her way into his private life too. Coming over and playing board games. Watching TV. She had her eye on his money and business the entire time. I wouldn’t be surprised if she knocked him off to get that house. She was probably working with Ashley, that incompetent nurse he hired. Hell, she probably poisoned him!”

  Bubba was genuinely stunned by his brother’s resentment toward Zoey. It was true he didn’t know her like Malcom did, but he honestly couldn’t see her doing any of the things he was accusing her of.

  “First of all, you hired Ashley, not Dad. Secondly, Zoey was in Anchorage visiting her mother when Pop passed,” Bubba reminded him.

  He snorted. “Right. I thought you were worldly, bro. She could’ve hired someone to kill him. Like I said, all it would take is one dose of arsenic or cyanide or something. If she was working with the nurse, it would’ve been easy.”

  “Seriously? Jesus, Malcom, what’s wrong with you? I can’t believe you’re actually accusing Zoey of killing Dad! Normal people don’t immediately think ‘murder’ when their loved ones die. I’m sorry you didn’t get more of Dad’s money than you wanted, but that’s no reason to be such an asshole.”

  Bubba was done with this conversation. “I’m headed back to Riverton in the morning. But I’m going to do a better job of being involved. If you need anything, call. If I’m not on a mission, I’ll always be available. I can help with the business and making decisions. I’m sorry I wasn’t around for Pop, but I’m here for you. I love you, Malcom. You’re my brother. My twin. And we might annoy each other, but that doesn’
t mean we aren’t family.”

  He saw Malcom struggle with some inner demon for a moment before nodding. He held out a hand, and Bubba shook it.

  “Thanks, bro. I’m going to take you up on that. And don’t be surprised if I ask you to come back up here at some point in the near future. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes shit that has to happen now that Pop’s gone. And since the two of us are the second and third biggest owners of the business, we have to be involved in those decisions.”

  “Understood,” Bubba told him. “Be careful out there, Mal. Someone wanted me and Zoey out of the way. You could be targeted next.”

  “You think Sean is pissed he didn’t get Dad’s shares?”

  Bubba should’ve been surprised at how quickly Malcom jumped to that conclusion, but after his accusations of murder, he wasn’t. “I have no idea. All I’m saying is for you to watch your back. You’re my only family now. I don’t want to lose you too.” Then Bubba surprised both of them when he reached out and pulled Malcom in for a quick hug. It was a little awkward, but it felt good. Right. “I’ve missed you,” he told him when they stepped back.

  Malcom nodded and said, “I’ll be in touch.” Then he turned on his heel and left.

  Taking a deep breath, Bubba looked up at the ceiling for a brief moment. “I’m trying, Pop,” he whispered, before exiting the room to go find Zoey and his teammates.

  Late the next morning, Zoey sat on a commercial flight next to Mark. They’d all spent the night in her little house. She’d felt guilty that Mark’s friends had to sleep on the floor, but they’d reassured her they’d slept in much worse places. She’d headed to bed early, unable to keep her eyes open, and didn’t even hear Mark when he came in later. She’d woken up with her nose tucked into his neck, feeling warm and cozy.