Page 93 of The Worst Best Man
“Thinking about?” For his father to verbalize such a bombshell, he’d gone past the considering stage and into planning and implementing. But retirement shouldn’t be in Ferris’s vocabulary.
Ferris eyed his glass. “I’ve given my life to this company. We’ve achieved something your great-grandfather and grandfather couldn’t have envisioned.”
“And you’re comfortable just walking away from it?” Aiden asked. He sat his untouched drink on the walnut side table and rested his elbows on his knees. His hands dangled between his knees.
“Jacqueline and I are getting a divorce,” Ferris said, dropping the next boom as though he were casually commenting on the weather.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I’ve met someone else. My relationship with your stepmother has run its course. We’ve already spoken to our attorneys and are letting them hash out a settlement.”
“Dad, what the hell is going on?”
Ferris sipped his scotch and sighed. “It might be a mid-life crisis, but son, this is the most fun I’ve had in my life. I think it’s time I had some.”
“I’m happy for you,” Aiden said. He probably was. He wasn’t entirely sure. He’d never developed more than a superficial relationship with his stepmother. And she’d rightfully favored her own son over Aiden. He couldn’t say that he’d be sorry that he would no longer suffer through her incessant to-do lists that she nattered on about.
“I have to go to the salon and then the dermatologist. Then it’s lunch with so and so’s club. Soul Cycle afterwards. Then there’s the board meeting for such and such. I just don’t see how I’m going to find the time to have dinner. People ask me how I do it. They just don’t realize that I’m hanging by a thread!”Always a martyr.
“Her name is Alice, and she’s a clothing designer. Not high fashion but outdoorsy, athletic lines. Smart, vivacious. We’re going to take the boat down the coast and cruise the Bahamas this spring and summer.”
Aiden made a mental note to contact the family law firm immediately and have an iron clad prenup drafted before Alice became a Kilbourn.
Aiden stared at the man who looked like his father but sounded like a complete stranger. However, as Ferris had taught him, it didn’t pay to show surprise or confusion in any situation. Even if his father was losing his damn mind.
“Congratulations,” Aiden said.
Ferris raised his glass in a toast. “I’ve built an empire. I think it’s time I started enjoying the perks.”
Mid-life crisis? Or perhaps an undetected brain tumor?Maybe a visit with the concierge doctor his father favored was in order.
“You certainly deserve to use your time as you see fit,” Aiden responded.
“I wouldn’t be doing any of this if I wasn’t one-hundred percent confident in your ability to step into my shoes as CEO. You’ve been groomed your entire life for this, Aiden. I know you won’t let me down.”
“What about Elliot?” Aiden asked.
“I know you’re not pleased with how I handled him over the Barbados situation—”
“He abducted someone, Dad.”
Ferris at least had the good grace to look embarrassed. “It was a family matter that got out of hand.”
“It was a felony no matter where it happened.”
“He’s always wanted to be you, son. And, unfortunately for him, he’ll never be. You can’t blame him for being rash with his decisions living in your shadow. He acts out because he’s not you, and I can’t see punishing him for that fact.”
“Elliot does not put this family first. He doesn’t put the business first. He puts himself first.”
“And that’s why I’m counting on you to lead him. Groom him into a Kilbourn man. I’ll be the first to admit that he’s an embarrassment.”
An embarrassment? Aiden suddenly wanted that drink, but he forced himself to ignore it.
“He’s not just an embarrassment. He’s a danger. He wanted to put Boris Donaldson in our company for a reason.” A reason Aiden had yet to discover.
“Elliot is harmless and misguided. I need you to take him under your wing. I need you to do this for me, Aiden. I know it’s not easy. But when my father stepped down, I had to make tough choices, too. It’s part of passing the torch. Someday you’ll ask something of your son.”
Aiden bit back a reply. He was forty fucking years old. His girlfriend wouldn’t even consent to meet his parents, not that he could blame her now. Building a new generation to carry the weight of a family legacy was not on his to-do list.
