him off his game and he needed to figure out why.
After unsuccessfully trying to focus, Jaxon gave up on the weights and hit the showers.
Just as he reached his car, his phone rang. "Hello."
"Hey, it's your mom."
"Mom, I know it's you." He laughed. She'd only been using a cell phone for a few months and wasn't very tech savvy. She kept forgetting her cell number would show on his screen.
"Oh, sorry. I forgot." She paused. "How much longer do you think you'll be in Memphis?"
"I'm not sure. There are some things I'm trying to straighten out down here." He knew he was lying to himself, more than to her.
"Is there a lot wrong?" she asked with concern.
"No, ma'am," he assured her. "I've decided to restructure one of the departments and I want to make sure it's handled smoothly."
"I know you will take care of it." She paused. "You've made the company more successful than even your father did when he was alive."
That may be true, but it wasn't something he'd done intentionally. He'd fired many of his father's cronies because he didn't like them and they'd shielded his father and his cheating from his mother. The increase in sales was a benefit, but unexpected. Apparently, his father's most trusted board and executives had been screwing him while his father was whoring around. "Thanks mom. I think things will be better soon."
"Well, I've been nominated for an award." Her voice was filled with barely controlled excitement. "They're going to announce the winners at the Women of Excellence dinner."
His parents divorced when he was a child and since that time, there had been only two things his mother had dedicated herself to: him and volunteering. When he left for college, her home was empty and it broke her heart because she feared he would never return. He'd actually thought about it. But, when his father died, someone had to take over the family business. That was six years ago. Each year, it grew harder for him to walk in his father's footsteps, but it was important to his mother. So, even if it had been hands-off for the most part, a Slater ran Slater Enterprises.
At the reading of the will, he met the stewardess his father had left them for. However, he'd never begun a new family with her. Her disappointment at the reading of the will was obvious. Bitterness filled him as he remembered how she'd then come on to every other man in the room.
"Women of Excellence," he repeated. "That sounds like a big deal."
"Oh, it is, and I'd love for my successful handsome son to be my escort."
He couldn't remember the last time his mother had been on a date, or mentioned a man, romantically. He and his father owed her. His father broke her hear, and Jaxon had become her whole heart. She deserved more—grandchildren—to love and spoil. He'd been so busy living that he hadn't thought much about her or anyone else. Definitely not as far as starting a family. "Of course, mom." He smiled into the phone. "When?"
"March 10th. But, I want to be sure you put it on your calendar."
"I'll be there." It was a promise he couldn't break. She was the only woman he'd ever been able to be completely honest with. No matter what he did or didn't do, she stood beside him. How could his father ever have left a woman so beautiful and kind? How could the damn man have left his son? What kind of husband or father would he make with a role model like that?
"And maybe you can wear one of your wonderful dark suits with a green shirt to match your eyes. I'll wear a full-length gown." She paused. "We'll have a glorious time."
Jaxon paused before he walked into the staff meeting. Rumors about why the two groups were merging had swirled around the office. Rodney reported them all, partly because of his concern for his own job and because he seemed to like gossip.
People were sitting in groups according to their respective divisions. He did however, notice a few of Barbara's group had defected to the so-called enemy blending with Darling and her
After unsuccessfully trying to focus, Jaxon gave up on the weights and hit the showers.
Just as he reached his car, his phone rang. "Hello."
"Hey, it's your mom."
"Mom, I know it's you." He laughed. She'd only been using a cell phone for a few months and wasn't very tech savvy. She kept forgetting her cell number would show on his screen.
"Oh, sorry. I forgot." She paused. "How much longer do you think you'll be in Memphis?"
"I'm not sure. There are some things I'm trying to straighten out down here." He knew he was lying to himself, more than to her.
"Is there a lot wrong?" she asked with concern.
"No, ma'am," he assured her. "I've decided to restructure one of the departments and I want to make sure it's handled smoothly."
"I know you will take care of it." She paused. "You've made the company more successful than even your father did when he was alive."
That may be true, but it wasn't something he'd done intentionally. He'd fired many of his father's cronies because he didn't like them and they'd shielded his father and his cheating from his mother. The increase in sales was a benefit, but unexpected. Apparently, his father's most trusted board and executives had been screwing him while his father was whoring around. "Thanks mom. I think things will be better soon."
"Well, I've been nominated for an award." Her voice was filled with barely controlled excitement. "They're going to announce the winners at the Women of Excellence dinner."
His parents divorced when he was a child and since that time, there had been only two things his mother had dedicated herself to: him and volunteering. When he left for college, her home was empty and it broke her heart because she feared he would never return. He'd actually thought about it. But, when his father died, someone had to take over the family business. That was six years ago. Each year, it grew harder for him to walk in his father's footsteps, but it was important to his mother. So, even if it had been hands-off for the most part, a Slater ran Slater Enterprises.
At the reading of the will, he met the stewardess his father had left them for. However, he'd never begun a new family with her. Her disappointment at the reading of the will was obvious. Bitterness filled him as he remembered how she'd then come on to every other man in the room.
"Women of Excellence," he repeated. "That sounds like a big deal."
"Oh, it is, and I'd love for my successful handsome son to be my escort."
He couldn't remember the last time his mother had been on a date, or mentioned a man, romantically. He and his father owed her. His father broke her hear, and Jaxon had become her whole heart. She deserved more—grandchildren—to love and spoil. He'd been so busy living that he hadn't thought much about her or anyone else. Definitely not as far as starting a family. "Of course, mom." He smiled into the phone. "When?"
"March 10th. But, I want to be sure you put it on your calendar."
"I'll be there." It was a promise he couldn't break. She was the only woman he'd ever been able to be completely honest with. No matter what he did or didn't do, she stood beside him. How could his father ever have left a woman so beautiful and kind? How could the damn man have left his son? What kind of husband or father would he make with a role model like that?
"And maybe you can wear one of your wonderful dark suits with a green shirt to match your eyes. I'll wear a full-length gown." She paused. "We'll have a glorious time."
Jaxon paused before he walked into the staff meeting. Rumors about why the two groups were merging had swirled around the office. Rodney reported them all, partly because of his concern for his own job and because he seemed to like gossip.
People were sitting in groups according to their respective divisions. He did however, notice a few of Barbara's group had defected to the so-called enemy blending with Darling and her
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