Page 8 of Galen's Redemption
Nowthatwas something Galen had never heard before. Olivia had been with him for three years. Prior to her, he’d had a string of assistants who were adequate but never really stood out in their jobs. The first week after she’d been hired, Olivia came in and soaked up everything he told her she’d be responsible for.On the second week, she started organizing his life, keeping his schedule immaculate. She knew where he needed to be, when he had to be there, who he had to talk to, and more. In fact, Galen was in awe of her.
“Do you remember when you told me you wanted to restructure my filing system?”
She chuckled. “I have no idea how anyone worked with that.”
Galen winced. “That was how I set it up.”
“Oh, I know.” She winked. “And it was awful.”
They both laughed, and the pressure in Galen’s chest lessened. He chuckled, recalling her riding roughshod over him for the whole filing system thing. She’d ranted and raved about it, saying it was the equivalent of a teenager’s room. This one was no shrinking violet, and Galen thought maybe that was why he liked her.
She cocked her head to the rightand regarded Galen with… concern? “Can I say something that’s likely to get me in trouble for overstepping?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“You’re too good for this place.”
Her words were a splash of cold water in Galen’s face. “What the hell does that mean?”
If he thought she was going to back off, he was wrong.
She leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “You aren’t your father. You’re tough, butyou have a heart. I know how hard you work to protect it, and it makes me sad that you can’t be who you really are.”
Sweat trickled down Galen’s back.
“I am who I am.”
“Mr. Merriweather…. Galen, I’ve watched you for three years. I’ve seen girls here throw themselves at you, hoping the rumors about what kind of person your father is would also extend to you. You never once gave them even a notice.But Judd in Accounting? When he delivers the daily reports, you can’t take your eyes off him.”
No, this couldn’t be happening. No one was supposed to know. He’d tried so damn hard to keep it a secret, and now Olivia had the power to destroy his career and his life with a few words in the right ear.
“You can stop freaking out. I’m not going to say anything to anyone. My baby brother is gay, andif someone hurts him, I will scratch their fucking eyes out.” The corner of her lip curled up. “You remind me a lot of him, you know. Our father is a dick, and he proves it every time he opens his mouth. Aiden? He’s got a soft heart, would never speak harshly to anyone. He’s the guy who rescues baby animals and nurses them back to health, then sets them free. When he discovered Wicca, he becamea convert right away, and all because of their motto: ‘An’ it harm none, do what ye will.’ It didn’t last long, but his core is still the same. He wants the world to be a better place, and he does what he can to make it so.”
“He sounds like an amazing kid.”
She beamed at him. “He is. He’s twenty-four now, and he’s got a heart as big as the whole outdoors.” Her lips thinned out as she scowled.“Not long after his fourteenth birthday, he came to my apartment one night, in tears because Dad had seen something on the news about a Pride parade and started going off on fucking faggots and how they were ruining things for decent people. Aiden threw himself on my bed and sobbed, trying hard to get the words out, but each time he looked at me, he only stammered. I took his hand and told him thatno matter what he had to say, I loved him, and that he only needed to remember that.”
Galen held his breath, unable to tear himself away from her story. “And?”
“He told me he was gay and that our father hated him.” She sighed. “You want to know the sad thing? I should have been able to tell him that, no, our father would never hate him, but the truth of the matter was, I couldn’t lie to him.Dad hated so many people, and for the stupidest of reasons.” She snorted. “How much does it suck that I couldn’t tell my brother his father loved him?”
“Where is he now?”
“He lives with me. I told him to make himself at home, then went over to get his stuff. Aiden has enough problems, and I wasn’t going to have our father make him feel bad about himself. Do you know what he said when I toldhim I’d come for Aiden’s things? I never said a word about Aiden being gay, just that he couldn’t live with our parents anymore. Dad said, and I quote, ‘Always knew the kid was one ofthem. Go on. Get his shit and get it the hell out of here. And tell him he’s not welcome back in this house ever again.’ A few weeks after he moved in, their lawyer contacted me and said that our parents were signingAiden over to me, as he wasn’t their problem anymore. It crushed Aiden’s spirit for a time, but I was glad because I became his legal guardian, and that allowed me to put him on my insurance here.”
“Oh, damn. That’s harsh.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “That’s the kind of person he is. Neither Aiden or I have seen him since, and while I don’t miss him at all, Aiden still thinks there was somethinghe could have done or said that would have made the situation better.” She gave a wistful sigh. “That’s who he is, though. He wants everyone happy, no matter what. He takes every failure personally. What makes it worse? He’s got Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, and it makes walking hard for him. To get around, he uses a walker, or if he’s doing something where he’d need to be on his feet for an extendedperiod, he uses a wheelchair.” She gave a proud smile. “When he was younger, some of the kids at school were pretty harsh, but Aiden never let it stop him from getting out there and living his life.”
In all the time Olivia had worked for him, Galen had never once asked her anything personal, and now he knew that had been a mistake. She was a bright, strong, independent woman, and it was obvioushow much she cared about Aiden.
“Will he be okay?”
“We think he’s about as good as he’s going to get. When he went to our parents and complained about his legs aching, they told him that it was growing pains and that he’d be fine. He wasn’t. Over the next couple years, the aches got worse, and finally they took him in. By then the damage was done. They were able to make things a little better,but he’s got the potential for rheumatoid arthritis later in life, and a hip replacement is likely. But he still smiles every freaking day. When things here are tough, his smile is what gets me up and moving in the morning.”
An unusual feeling swept over Galen. His stomach fluttered and his heart thumped faster. “Is there anything I can do?”
She shook her head. “Thank you for asking, but no.I’ve got good insurance, and Aiden gets to see specialists, so it’s okay.” She frowned. “But back to you. Do you like working here?”
