Layer by Layer (Riggings Brothers 1)

That’s that.

Now here she is, and I have to try like hell to forget those moments. Wallowing in those memories won’t do either of us a bit of good.

“Good morning,” Gail says cheerily. “Oh, what is all of this?” she asks, looking at the mini garden center Sawyer has turned the reception area into.

“The plant, I noticed it was too big for the pot.” Sawyer points to the plant and its new home. “So I came in early to repot it.”

“And you helped?” Gail asks me with raised eyebrows.

“No. I didn’t help.” It takes everything I have not to growl the reply.

“He did.” Sawyer is quick to add. “He moved it for me.”

“Well….” Gail beams, and I inwardly groan. I don’t need her romanticizing the act of kindness. Besides, if my new assistant threw out her back, I’d be even more fucked than I already am. It was for the greater good of the business that I offered my assistance.

“Get this cleaned up,” I say, narrowing my gaze on Sawyer before turning and stalking toward my office. I don’t stick around to see what I’m sure is pain from my brashness flash in her eyes.

My morning consists of a conference call from hell. We have a new location in Idaho, and the manager doesn’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. At least not anymore. When we hired him, he checked off all the boxes, his references were tight, and he impressed all of us. Now, however, he’s slacking on the job, missing deadlines, and doesn’t appear to be the same guy we hired over a year ago. I made it clear that if he doesn’t pull his head out of his ass, he’ll be looking for a new job. Then I spent an hour typing up the conversation to send to Gail for his personnel file. Needless to say, that’s not my favorite part of the job.

My favorite is seeing the company thrive. A company that my father built with one truck, just he and my mother. We’ve grown by leaps and bounds over the last twenty years, and eight of that I’ve been at the helm. I love watching the family legacy live on. I was young, merely twenty-four years old when Dad decided to retire. He said he wanted more time with Mom while they were both still healthy enough to travel and live life to its fullest. Marshall, the youngest, was sixteen, but that didn’t stop my parents from enjoying life. They didn’t start to travel until Marshall was a freshman in college.

As the oldest of five brothers, it was always I who would take the reins. Not that my brothers minded. They all have their own niche, so to speak, and they each bring that to the table to help make this company what it is today. All five of us love this company and what it stands for. They make my job easy. I know I have my four best friends, my blood, who have my back. I don’t have to worry about some money-hungry CFO or marketing guru who thinks they know what’s best for Riggins Enterprises. We are Riggins Enterprises. It’s in our blood.

“Knock, knock,” Sawyer says, sticking her head in the door. “Sorry to interrupt. Your one o’clock canceled. I told them we’d have to see where we could fit them back into the schedule in the next month or so,” she says, stepping into the room.

“How did you know to do that?” I ask. I hate when there is a last-minute meeting cancelation that’s been on the books for months. If there are extenuating circumstances, I look past it. However, my time is just as valuable as theirs, and if they cancel, they have to wait. That’s my rule.

“Sam.” Sawyer smiles, and I swear it lights up the already bright room. “She said if they didn’t have a good reason to push them off. Was that okay?” she asks, suddenly unsure.

“What was the reason?”

“They needed more time.”

I nod. “Thank you, Sawyer.”

“You’re welcome. Can I get you anything?”

“No. Thank you,” I say, rubbing at my temples. She nods and slips out the door. I’m glad Sam is training her; that’s one less stress I need to worry about. Turning to my laptop, I pull up a contract I’ve been working on and begin to read through it.

Riggins Enterprises also buys up smaller companies who are struggling, and often times, we’ve even invested in them to help them thrive. Our motivation is not to eliminate the competition, but to make money. Sometimes investing makes sense, and other times, it’s more beneficial for both parties for them to sell. The contract I’m working on now is for a sale. Grant is taking the lead on this one, but as CEO, it’s my job to review and approve the contract before he closes the deal.