Barb sighed. “I hate this.”
“Me too,” Kelsey agreed. But she owed it to the company and Nathan not to let this turn melancholy. Everyone in the room was aware of Seward’s accident and the circumstances. “The schedule?”
With a nod, Barb turned her computer screen for Kelsey to see.
Because she wasn’t fully concentrating, the words appeared jumbled. She shook her head to focus her attention. To her, logistics were a complicated chess game and the key to success was looking toward the end of the day and working backward.
One of the other field supervisors joined them and within a minute or so, suggestions began to flow.
The meeting between Nathan and Seward lasted considerably longer than she’d anticipated. Numerous times she flicked her gaze toward the office, her tension growing.
But she schooled her features so that she projected confidence.
The tugboat crew was reassigned, timing was sorted out, extra loads were assigned and everyone returned to their jobs.
She jumped when the door opened.
Nathan walked with Seward while he collected his personal belongings then he escorted him to the front door.
From there, the security guard followed Seward out.
She exhaled.
The office would have a pall over it for at least a couple of hours, maybe more, she knew. Seward was liked by most people, but she was sure there had been some who’d wanted him fired from the beginning. She doubted anyone would think that Donovan was randomly firing people just because he was the new boss. Still, any time an employee was let go, it seemed to take time for balance to be restored.
It would take some time for her to recover, as well.
Nathan spent a few minutes visiting with the staff and she went back into Jameson’s office to call Lawrence and let him know that things had been handled.
When she joined Nathan, he asked, “Ready?”
She nodded.
“How did it go?” she asked when they were on the road.
“As expected.”
Because of the way he gripped the steering wheel, his watch was exposed. She saw a 3D pulsing red heart floating just above the screen. She’d only seen pink previously, and she wondered if the thing was reacting to his mood.
“Coffee?” he asked. “I figured we could stop at Marvin’s.”
She nodded.
While he drove, she responded to email. He was quieter than usual, and that struck her as odd. Maybe the whole thing had bothered him and he wasn’t as big of a heartless hard-ass as she’d labeled him.
He dropped her off in front of the shop and told her he’d go and park then join her.
She ordered them each a slice of quiche, and she had his coffee and her mocha on the table when he walked through the door.
The man who entered the restaurant with a cheery hello to Marvin was different than the man she’d ridden with. Nathan’s face was more relaxed, his movements less rigid.
“You did well this morning,” he said as he slid into a seat across from her.
“So did you.”
He took a sip of the coffee then nodded appreciatively before saying, “Coming from you, that’s a compliment.”
Kelsey sighed.
“I know you disagree with my decision, but you put that aside. As I suspected, others in the company have taken their cue from your behavior. Loyalty is the hardest when you disagree with a course of action, and you showed impressive leadership ability. I appreciate your support of Donovan Logistics.”
“I like Seward and his family,” she said. “I spent some time with the Newmans on Tuesday, and Mrs. Newman let me know that the company really would have been in trouble if it hadn’t been for Donovan’s flexibility in moving up timelines. She told me you’d pulled off something close to a miracle.”
He shrugged. For the first time since she’d known him, he looked a bit uncomfortable.
“I’d prefer that we could have kept Seward.” The next bit, she had a difficult time admitting to herself, much less him. “I was thinking on a micro level, a personal one. But I understand you’re looking at the company as a whole.”
“Sometimes, Kelsey, it’s easier to come in from the outside. I wasn’t burdened by an existing relationship with Captain Seward,” he said. “Making difficult decisions, some that you wish you didn’t have to, is what separates success from failure in business. It’s about the bottom line. You don’t have to like a particular course of action, but you have to be willing to commit to it. A good CEO can’t risk the entire company for one individual.”
“Career advice?”
“Probably worth every penny you paid for it.”
“It was free.”
“My point exactly.”
Marvin’s daughter brought over the quiche, complemented by fresh-cut fruit.