Page 1 of Everything I Want

Prologue

Scott

Ten Months Ago . . .

I'm leaned back in my office chair. Eyes closed, and trying to take deep breaths to calm myself down after that meeting, where they basically slashed my budget to hell and expect more on less.

A knock sounds at my office door, and I curse under my breath. If this is another executive coming to tell me that this budget slash is what's best for the company I'm going to snap. It's not what's best for my seniors and their families. The families who chose our facility because we treat their parents like family and create a home like environment.

"Come in," I bark at the person who dares to knock on my door.

"Woah, Pops, easy. Just me and Keith." My son, Jason, walks through the door followed by his brother.

"Sorry boys, bad day." I sit forward and scrub my hands over my face.

“We can see that anything having us over for dinner tonight might fix?” Keith fishes for an invite like he usually does.

“Angela is coming over again tonight?” I ask.

Their roommate’s girlfriend has been coming over more and more lately. Either they don’t get along, or he kicks the boys out, I haven’t decided which is the factor that ends up with them at my house for dinner.

”Yea,” Jason rolls his eyes. “She’s always over.”

“Sorry boys. How about I call in a pizza and you can grab it on your way over. And maybe some beer too.”

I toss a couple of twenties on the desk in their direction.

“Knew we could count on you, Pops."

Keith continues to ramble on but something, or rather someone has caught my attention in the lobby.

I find myself staring at a woman with porcelain skin, striking blue eyes, and dark shoulder length hair. Her smile is what catches my breath.

Lorelei Harper.

I’ve seen her around town, but our circles have never mixed much for us to get to know one another very well.

But I have a feeling that’s all about to change. Lorelei is known as the town's sweetheart. People are always talking about how she helped them. If she's here, I can only hope it's about the ad I posted last week looking for volunteers.

Jason snaps his fingers in front of my face, “Hello, earth to Scott Ward!”

“What?” I snap back to the current conversation with my boys, “What did you say?”

Both boys lean out my office door to see what has caught my attention.

”Mm, not bad Pops. You got good taste for sure,” Keith jokes with me.

”Back to the question, boys,” I ask growing impatient.

“Just tell us what time tonight and we will be out of your hair so you can go make your moves on your woman.” Thank the lord these boys just want food and beer on my tab.

“6:00 sound good to you?”

“Excellent, Pops. See you soon.”

Jason nudges Keith and they thankfully leave my office right as one of the nurses escort Lorelei into it.

I see the boys over their heads making faces and giving me a thumbs up as they leave. As much as their antics can annoy me, they do bring a grin to my otherwise grumpy face.

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