Page 41 of On the Fly
Ander,
If you’re reading this, then I’m gone. I hope I found a way to convey my wishes to you without ending in an argument like we always seem to do. You should know, I consider what’s come of our relationship to be the biggest failure of my life. I was always hard on you, but out of all my children, you’re the one who has the greatest potential to lead my beloved airline into the future.
Son, I’m not going to pretend my views have changed. If you’re going to truly lead, you must see Rora as your family. Open your heart. Get out among our people, learn their lives. It’s not enough to understand how this business operates. You must be kind and generous. Instill confidence in your staff and they’ll never let you down. They’ve never let me down. Ander, you must learn to love. Open your heart—find yourself a good woman. Love her, have babies with her. Your mother wants grandchildren. Give them to her.
These aren’t new words. I’ve said them often, but this is my last desperate plea to you. I’m afraid if you ignore me again, this time Rora will become one of the businesses your consulting firm chops up and sells to the highest bidder.
That terrifies me for your mother and your brothers and sister, but I’ve said all I can. How this next step plays out is in your hands.
Take care, Ander. I wish we had gotten along better, son. One day I hope you have a child of your own. Please know that the joy that you feel with them, even when you encounter struggles, could only be a fraction of the joy I felt having you all in my life.
I love you very much.
Your father
Ander read the words again before crumpling the letter in his hands. Tears welled in his eyes that he refused to let fall. He’d never been good enough for his old man. Nothing Ander ever did resulted in words of pride from his father. Instead, it was bullshit like this—pointing out his inability to open his heart, demanding he take care of his mother and his siblings without regard for what he could have offered all along. Insulting his company, as though it were nothing more than a hatchet business, when he saved as many companies as he’d helped to dismantle.
His anger and hurt built rapidly. He shook his head to clear the emotions. He’d tried to be part of his father’s life—part of Rora. But dear old dad had rejected him at every turn, not letting him into the company—ultimately proving exactly what he thought of his son’s abilities. He’d muttered on about Ander making his own way before being part of Rora, but the real reason was that he wasn’t good enough. None of them were.
Even after Ander had graduated college and started his own company, seeing it succeed beyond measure over the years. Not even then did his dad consider bringing him in. So, how dare the man try to guilt him into some action even after his death. More than anything, he wanted to walk out the office door and never look back at this mess of a company.
There was a time he had admired his dad…loved him with all his heart. And look what loving someone got you—judgment, betrayal. He’d not known how to protect himself from the hurt as a teenager and young adult, but he’d learned over the years. He’d let his guard down this week, agreeing to keep this company going—enjoying Emma, getting to know her and wanting that to continue. Ander shook his head. No more. Boundaries protected you, prevented the pain of betrayal, prevented you from being used. Those lessons had been learned a long time ago.
Erik opened the office door and walked in, stopping short as he looked at Ander then around the room. “Flight delayed on the tarmac in DC. I just got here.” He tossed a duffle beside the door, his gaze landing on Emma’s sleeping form before returning to Ander. “So, it’s bad?”
Ander tossed his crumpled letter in the trash bucket under the desk and got to his feet. He needed to escape the confines of these walls. He couldn’t do anything more. Their asshole father didn’t deserve any of them. He wouldn’t be manipulated into taking on this company, not by a year-old letter and not by his family. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
“Tell me something.” Erik made his way over to the desk.
“He left you a note. It’s on the table. Have fun with that.” Ander went for Emma and had to cool the aggression as he bent down. When he’d looked at her before, her spunky attitude and ability to fight with him on any topic sent electricity sizzling through his body, giving him energy and drive. Now, that energy fled, completely zapped. His father had a plan for everyone’s lives, and he’d use guilt to get them to toe the line. He wasn’t having it. “Emma, it’s time to go.” God, even his voice was harder than he remembered it being.
She turned, her eyes opening, worry splayed over her brow as she sat up. “What’s happened?”
“Nothing. It’s time to go.” Ander took his suit coat and shrugged it on.
“Buddy, what’s wrong?” Erik tried to stop him, but Ander just shook his head. He headed toward the office door.
Ander glanced Emma’s direction. She now sat upright on the couch but was obviously still waking up. “I’ll be by the elevator.” He gave Erik a two-finger salute and walked out. Let him deal with their father for a while. He was done, emotionally and physically.
Chapter 21
Emma watched Ander as he practically fled the room. What the heck had happened? She’d been asleep. How long had she been out? She glanced to the window. Millions of stars twinkled in a dark sky. It couldn’t have been more than a couple hours. She looked over to the man standing by Ander’s desk, staring at the empty office doorway. That must be Erik. She hadn’t even heard him arrive.
“What happened?” She shook her head to clear the lingering sleep and focus, then made her way over to where she’d discarded her shoes by the conference table. He shifted his attention to her.
The man leaned against the edge of the desk, his shoulders slumping. “I have no idea. I was hoping you could tell me. I’ve been here less than two minutes.” He lifted a hand and waved toward where Ander had departed, as if to encompass that in his answer.
Emma slipped her shoes on. She glanced at the door then shifted her attention to the man at the desk. “You must be Erik?”
“Oh.” He stood up and took a step in her direction. “Sorry about that. After hearing about you from Mom and talking with you on the phone earlier this evening, I felt like I knew you already. Yes, I’m Erik Jorgensen. It’s nice to finally put a face with a voice.” He smiled a winning smile, something sure to curry the favor of many a good old boy and melt the panties off more than one woman. But it didn’t reach his eyes, though he seemed to try. They shook hands.
Erik nodded toward the office door. “Shouldn’t you go after him?”
Emma glanced behind her one more time. “No. He’ll either wait or he won’t. I’m a big girl and can make my way back to the hotel if he isn’t where he said he’ll be. I’d rather figure out what happened after I fell asleep.” She tipped her head to indicate Ander’s desk and the papers littering the top. She scooted around Erik and looked over the latest spreadsheets. Ander had made notes to the side. The overseas accounts appeared to be legit and the balances current. At this rate, they’d have to hire a forensic accountant to unravel whatever the owner had done here. Emma sighed. Nothing on the desk appeared dire enough to warrant Ander’s abrupt departure or his surly attitude.
“What is all this?” Erik had been standing over her shoulder, reviewing the documents with her. She glanced back at him before shuffling though the paperwork one more time. Finding nothing calamitous enough to have truly bothered Ander, she stepped away.
“The docs on the desk are the ones we found in the safe. They appear to be account ledgers for several overseas accounts, all with substantial balances.” Emma tipped her head toward the conference table. “Over there are the internal Rora documents that we’d been going through, none of which mention these new accounts.” She threw her hands in the air. “None of it makes sense. We’re going to have to start at the top and work our way through. Obviously, cash is being skimmed off the top before the books are worked, but I can’t be sure it’s not still legit. Best I can tell, the tax returns, the books, and then those newly discovered accounts all tell a different story.” Emma put her hands on her hips, turning in circles to take in the room. Something in here had driven Ander to act so upset. What could it be?
