Page 52 of Family Bonds- Kelsey & Van

“What kind of check are you doing on the staff?” he asked.

He took notes on the firm that was hired and used. “Is this something you can do or want to get involved in?” Kyle asked. “I guess I’m curious if you plan on taking a role or just want to find out what is going on and sit back?”

“I haven’t fully decided,” he said. “I don’t plan on sitting back, but I don’t want to step on toes either.”

“My daughter might have mentioned she’d like to see me slow down,” Kyle said. “Am I wrong?”

“No,” he said. “But that won’t sway my decision either.”

“Good,” Kyle said. “Security is a weak spot of mine. I hire out for it or lean on Griffin, which I hate to do. But that is for my business. He’s got his hands full with the casino and a small part of Atlantic Rise since it’s his wife’s hotel. The three hotels with you are overseen by someone else.”

“I can take a look at things,” he said. “I won’t say security is my strong suit, but I’m not unfamiliar with it. I’m used to solving things and piecing stuff together.”

But he’d know more about security than he would anything else when it came to the hotels.

“Do that at your own pace,” he said. “And if you’d like to meet with Griffin or our personnel at each hotel, we can easily arrange that.”

He read between the lines that Kyle might want to pass that buck, but he wasn’t going to take anything on without having a full understanding of it.

“What was my grandfather’s role here?” he asked. “I know you said he cut back over the past few years, but prior to that?”

“Barry liked to be on site more. He always felt making an appearance helps keep people honest.”

“Was there theft or dishonesty?” he asked.

“Nothing more than normal. I’ve got so many businesses and properties that I can’t be everywhere at once. I’ve got staff under me that I trust to do those things. I’ve got a Director of Operations that focuses on the hotels and properties that I own. The day-to-day issues. They normally end up on my desk at some point, but it’s nice when that can be prevented.”

“You’ve got a lot more ventures than these three hotels,” he said. “You’d like to not run them, right?”

Kyle laughed. “It was nice sharing that duty with Barry. He did more of the work than me for a long time.”

Van leaned back and crossed his arms to get comfortable. “You were a silent investor making decisions behind the scenes?”

“I was,” Kyle said. “In the beginning. Everything was working and running smoothly and Barry kept it going. As I said, he was getting on in years and his health wasn’t the greatest. We hired a Director of Operations solely for those three hotels that Barry vetted out more than me. It was to take the load off of Barry in the past few years. His name is Christian Cromer.”

“When do I get to meet him?” he asked.

“I can arrange it anytime you want,” Kyle said. “He’s not aware you are on this island.”

“What?” he asked. “Why is that?”

“Let’s say that Christian does a good job—I’m not complaining about that—but he was close enough to Barry that I believe he felt he might have been left something. Not sure.”

“He knows it was all left to me?” he asked.

“Of course. There have been whispers that Christian is fine with you not being here.”

“Because if I take an interest he might lose his job?” he asked. Just what he didn’t want to deal with.

“Could be,” he said. “But until I know your intentions, I haven’t said a word. You living here didn’t mean you were going to take an interest in the hotels. You could easily learn what you want, then collect your income, and live the rest of your life the way you are.”

“It’s not what you want though, is it?” he asked.

“This isn’t about what I want,” Kyle said.

“I’m asking you though. I’d like to know,” he said. “We are partners and I should know that.”

Kyle smiled. “I’m happy to hear you say that. For me, selfishly, I’d like you to take an active interest. It’d take a weight off my shoulders that I’d gladly continue to carry, but would allow me to focus on other ventures if it wasn’t there. Second of all, I think you need it in your life. Not just something to take up your time but to help you heal and accept things.”

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