Page 70 of Tempest

“Oh, you’ll see me in action later on tonight.” Her brother, Phoebe, and Grace pulled in next to them, and she waved. “No more sexy talk, Ryan.”

“Spoilsport.”

Mac and Rick slid into a space on the other side, and the guys jumped out, along with the dog.

“Thank you one and all. No way this could happen without each and every one of you,” Ivy said, as she led the group toward the front doors.

They were met by a life-size picture of their father on the far wall. Ivy stopped, took a deep breath, and felt Colin take her hand. “He was bigger than life. No doubt about it.”

“I used to think he could reach the moon when I was little,” Colin said quietly. “He seemed like a giant to me, and I thought as long as he was around, nothing bad could happen. Turns out, he was the bad thing that happened. My mama fell apart after he left, and she never put herself back together again.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “I guess our lives just got a lot brighter since we’re free of his shadow.”

“What Daddy did or didn’t do doesn’t matter anymore. We’re adults, and it’s up to us how happy we’re going to be,” Ivy said with conviction. Taking long strides, she marched up to the wide reception desk and introduced herself to a woman who looked like a real-life Barbie. Bless her heart. “I’m Ivy Bellows and this is my brother, Colin.” The receptionist raked her eyes over Colin like she wanted to eat him for lunch, and Ivy cleared her throat. Better add that item to the agenda: replace the Barbie. The company didn’t need this woman using the lobby as a bar. She could pick up men on her own time.

Colin was getting impatient, so he coughed. “Let the CFO and COO know that the new owners are here.”

Leave it to Colin to cut to the chase. “Thank you,” Ivy added.

They watched the flustered woman tap her long pink nails against the phone and speak into it. “Davis and Brook will be right down. Welcome to Bellows Energy.”

Ryan led Ivy away from the desk and Colin followed. “Give her a month’s severance and I bet she leaves quietly. Your daddy must have liked to look at her when he came in every day.”

“I doubt he left it at looking,” Colin said.

Ken came through a door at the back of the lobby and greeted everyone. “We’re all set up. We’ll start on the executive floor and work our way down.”

“Where can Phoebe and Grace set up?” Ivy asked.

“I have the conference room down here designated for them,” Ken replied.

Colin lifted one of Phoebe’s cases with her computers, and Mac lifted Grace’s. “Ivy, I’ll leave Rocko with you today. He’s going to sit by your side all day,” Mac said, as he handed her the leash.

“Thanks, Mac.” Resting her hand on the dog’s head, she petted him. “Rocko, you just let me know when you get a bad feeling about someone.”

Ken led the small group through a door off the lobby, and Ivy figured they would be set up in twenty minutes. Which should give them plenty of time to meet with Davis and Brook. They were the first ones on the agenda. The company was going to be rocked today, and it was only the beginning. There didn’t seem to be a way around it. Better to take a big hit and get it over with.

The elevators doors slid open, and two men emerged in a rush. Ivy recognized them from the funeral. Time to pull up that boss lady underwear and get on with it. Colin emerged from the side door, and she motioned him over.

The shorter man took the lead and introduced himself. “I’m Davis, and we spoke at the reception. I’m the COO for Bellows Energy, and we’re happy to welcome you here today.”

The taller man stepped forward and shook hands with her and Colin. “I’m Brook Ford and we spoke last week. I’m the CFO, and I look forward to working with you both.”

Ivy motioned for Ryan and Rick to join them. “We have a big day ahead of us with lots of changes. This is Ryan Cordell and Rick Blakely. They’re are working with us during this time of transition. Let’s go on up and get started.”

Brook and Davis exchanged looks, and Ivy smiled to herself. They had no idea what was about to happen. If they were lucky, it would go smoothly. As the group approached the elevator, Ivy stopped. “You both go on up and we’ll take the next one.”

Ivy held on to Rocko’s leash and watched the doors close. Ryan wrapped his arm around her and she let out a shiver. “We set?”

“Yes,” Colin answered. “Phoebe has the network running through her laptop, and she has it locked down. People think they’re working, but none of the information is going to the mainframe. She has control of all of the assets of the company and the well information. Butchko is implementing the security measures as we speak, and the well automation should be complete by Wednesday.”

The elevator doors opened and they stepped on. Rick hung back and saluted the group. “I’ll be on the front door as people leave. Don’t want any last-minute surprises.”

Ryan gave him a thumbs-up. “Coms are working, so we’ll let you know if anything crazy is heading your way.”

Ivy watched them both tap their right ears. “When did you guys do that?”

“Back at the house. Ken brought us mics yesterday, and we set them up last night. We’re locked and loaded. Let’s go.”

The doors slid closed and she shook her head. “This is crazy. How did we get in this TV movie of the week?”

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