Page 13 of A Love So Sweet

Lance sighed heavily.“How much is the operation?”

“The thirty percent—"

“No, how much is the full half that your family will be responsible for paying?”

“Two-hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.”

Dawson’s jaw trembled. “Lance, you know I would never take from this company unless my back was against the wall. Please, don’t fire me. I need this job.”

“Dawson, am I not paying you enough? The last time I checked, you were making a salary of a high six figures a year—almost seven.”

“You pay me a very generous salary, Lance. But with the mortgage, the bills, and the only one bringing in income, I couldn’t sustain it all with my daughter’s new health developments. It’s just not enough anymore. Her medicine alone costs upward to four-thousand dollars a month.”

Lance gritted his teeth,and his heart squeezed. “When I asked you to think about becoming my partner, you told me you couldn’t right now. That would’ve taken your salary to a number most people dream about.”

Dawson nodded. “You’re right. You’re absolutely right.” He sighed. “I hope it’s okay for me to say, I’ve been distracted. I can’t take on the new role and focus on my family simultaneously. I understand that it sounds as if I have a bunch of excuses. But the reality is, if I had taken that position, while it would have given me the income I need, it would’ve also taken me away from what is most precious to me, and that’s my daughter. I need that time to be with her, and at the same time, I have to come up with the money or….” His eyes watered, and his throat clogged.

Lance’s throat also tightened,and for a moment, he put himself in Dawson’s shoes. Would he have done the same thing had the roles been reversed?

“I’m goingto pay for your daughters’ surgery.”

Dawson’s mouth dropped as he sucked in a quick breath. “What?”

“I want you to understand something. You were my friend before you were my employee. You could’ve come to me with this long ago, and it would’ve been settled. I understand as a man, we feel as if problems within our family are ours to solve. But that is not the case. I want you to know you don’t have to go through this alone. I am here for you. I always have been, and always will be.”

Tears spilled from Dawson’s eyes, and his body shook as he wept.

Lance moved forward and grabbed him, pulling him into a tight embrace as the man cried on his shoulder.

“Thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me. I’ll do whatever I need to do to make it up to you. Whatever it is, I don’t care. I’ll do what it takes.”

“Right now, the only thing I want you to do is to take some time off. I’m sorry about your daughter, and I hope that she gets the help she needs.”

Dawson stepped back, his misty eyes settling on Lance. “Before you say anything, “Lance said, “this is not up for debate. It would be best if you focused on your family—on your daughter, and that includes spending time together. Your position is safe. And you will continue to get your salary while you’re away from work. When you’re ready to come back, please think about that position. It’s still available if you want it, Co-Director.”

Lance strolled across the café,grabbed some napkins, and handed them to Dawson.

“Co-director,” Dawson said, wiping his face. “It does have a nice little ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Lance smiled. “It does.” He rubbed his bearded jaw. “It also comes with a lot of work, so make sure it’s something that you truly want before you agree. But for now, go spend time with your family.”

Dawson cried, and he took two steps to pull Lance back into another embrace.

They stilled there, emotions gripping both men. After a minute, Dawson finally released Lance. “Thank you again.”

“Before you leave, go to the office and send me an email with all the information that I need to clear the balance. And if you have the drone in your possession, I’d like to get that back.”

Dawson nodded. “Absolutely.” He repeated. “Absolutely.

With the employeesgathered back inside the cafeteria, Lance brought them up to speed on what was going on with Dawson, letting them know he would be absent for a while.

“Alvin, I’ll need you to pick up Dawson’s workload. Your salary will change to match what you are making from your current position plus Dawson's. Is that okay with you?”

“Hell yeah – I mean, excuse my French, yes sir.”

Everyone in the room laughed. “Thank you for helping out.”

“No problem at all.”

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