Chapter Eight
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Jace looked up in surprise at the yell and smiled at his father. “Working.”
“You’re supposed to be relaxing in the sunshine,” John Hunter said gruffly, crossing the office and reaching to pull his son into a hug as Jace stood up. “You’re still too damned thin, though at least you’ve got some color back in your face. Why’d you leave Sunfish?”
“It was just time, Dad. I hadn’t been to the Sydney offices in a while, figured I’d drop in and see how things are here.” He smiled through the open door at the anxious PA hovering outside and waved her off before closing the door. While he’d left orders he wasn’t to be disturbed, he hadn’t expected his father to turn up. She could hardly have kept the company CEO from walking in.
“Humph.” John scowled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you’d probably have ordered the pilots not to pick me up, and I’d have had to get a commercial flight. Which would be boring.” Jace grinned.
“You’re not too proud to fly commercial.”
“No, but I didn’t want to deal with anyone who recognized me asking why.”
John grunted again, but Jace could tell he was already forgiven. “So talk to me about the island. How did you like it?” John grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator hidden in an antique wooden cabinet and took a seat.
“It’s beautiful,” Jace said, knowing the word was inadequate. “And the setup is magnificent. I met quite a few guests and nobody had a single gripe. The staff are absolutely on top of customer service, going above and beyond to make everybody happy. I was incredibly impressed with Luke Collyer.”
“Good man, that.” John nodded in agreement.
“It was really nice,” Jace said, thinking it through for the first time, “to be in the middle of one of our businesses, for once. On the ground floor, seeing how the service gets delivered to customers. The staff at Sunfish, they’re the heart and soul of that place. They’re the face Hunter Enterprises shows to customers, and I gotta say they’re doing a hell of a job.”
John cocked his head curiously, listening to Jace’s impassioned words. “You really liked being there, huh?”
“Yeah.” More than liked, he’d loved it. He’d felt comfortable there, for the first time in a long time. The staff on Sunfish were down-to-earth, not afraid to get their hands dirty, hardworking people with a genuine love for what they did. They were far removed from the high-society crowd of New Yorkers who’d been Jace’s social circle for the last few years. The mere thought of returning to that sterile, artificial life repulsed him now, and he knew he had to say something.
“Dad–even though I’m feeling better, I don’t think I want to go back to the New York office. I… don’t think I want to take over Hunter Enterprises from you. Ever.”
To his complete astonishment, his father smiled broadly. “Took you long enough to figure that out.”
Jace’s jaw dropped open. “What?”
“Oh, you could do it, and you’d do it damned well, but you’d hate every minute of it. You’re not ruthless enough, son. I love you more than I’ve ever been able to express, but you’ve got your mother’s heart. God rest her soul.”
Jace could hardly believe his ears. He’d always been afraid of disappointing his father, had always striven to be someone John could be proud of. “What will you do with the company?” he asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. “I don’t want you to run yourself into the ground with it.” It was a large part of the reason he’d worked so hard to be able to step up, knowing John wasn’t getting any younger.
“I’m gonna privatize the company. The market’s ripe for an IPO, we’ll list forty per cent of the stock initially and see how things go. I’ll put twenty percent in a trust for you and your heirs; Hunter Enterprises will always look after you, but it was my dream, not yours.”
Jace was too choked up to speak.
John reached out to grab him into a tight hug. “I’m damned proud of you, son. Always will be. But you gotta find your own dreams to follow.”
Father and son embraced for several long minutes, and John’s voice was husky when he finally pulled back and said, “So what’s your plan?”
“I don’t know, yet.” Except he rather thought he did. “I think I’d like to go back into architecture.”
“You did graduate top of your class when you got your degree, and God knows Hunter Enterprises can always keep you in work even if you don’t take on any other clients.” John smiled a little mistily at him.
“I think I’d like to design houses rather than commercial premises, though.” Spending time in the villa he’d designed as his graduation project had made him think more about the ergonomics of design, about marrying beautiful design with a home that was easy to live in and maintain.
“The only thing I have to ask you is that you keep everything on the down low until we’ve taken the initial stock offering to market.” John gave him a serious look. “There are a fair number of our senior staff, folks who’ve been with us a long time, who have a stake in the company.”
Jace knew most of the people his father was talking about. He’d grown up around them, called them uncles and aunts, absorbed the business of Hunter Enterprises by learning from their expertise.
“It’s only right to do our best to make those shares worth as much as possible,” Jace agreed. “Of course, Dad. You can count on me.”
“I know.” John clapped a strong hand on his shoulder. “We’re taking Hunter Enterprises straight to the top of the Dow Jones.”
“Just one thing,” Jace said. “That twenty percent share you’re putting into a trust? Could it maybe include complete ownership of Sunfish Island?”
“Of course.” John looked at him curiously. “Sunfish is pretty special to you, eh?”
“It’s a pretty special place.” He wanted to make sure nobody else could ever come in and impose their own wishes on the island, sack staff and change the guest relations policies that gave the resort such a special atmosphere. Wanted to make sure no matter what, that Sunfish would always be Nessa’s refuge.
“It’s yours. Forever. I’ll make sure of it,” John promised, no further questions asked, for which Jace was grateful.
* * *
The news that Hunter Enterprises was going public sent shock waves through the staff at Sunfish Island. They all worried about what it might mean for their jobs, at least until John Hunter phoned Luke personally and told him Sunfish Island was being specifically excluded from the sale.
“Ownership of the island, the resort and everything to do with it has already been transferred into a trust, the sole beneficiary of which is Jace, at the present time, though any heirs of his will also be included at a later date.”
After getting his breath back, Luke had to ask why.
A rich chuckle answered the question. “Seems he fell in love with the place, wanted to make sure no corporate types could come in and ruin it. He has ultimate say over anything that happens on the island now–and he asked me to let you know that he has full confidence in you.” John paused to let that sink in. “You impressed him, Luke. He’ll be in touch soon to let you know that himself, I’m sure, but we’re both up to our eyes at the moment, as I’m sure you can imagine. He’s in London right now.”
Luke was still in a certain degree of shock. “This is so unexpected, Mr. Hunter, but thank you so much for calling to tell me in person. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Don’t know what magic you’re working on that island but Jace came back a changed man, determined to follow his own dreams. If it was something you said to him, thank you.”
“I… don’t think it was me.”
“No?” John asked curiously.
Luke said nothing.
There was a brief silence on the line, and then John said, “There was a girl, huh? Jace wouldn’t talk about it, but I read between the lines.”
Luke rubbed his forehead, wondered how much he should say. “He didn’t tell her who he was. I accidentally dropped him in it, and she didn’t take it well.”
“Ahh,” John said. “Well, whoever she is, she made him take a good hard look at himself, and he realized he didn’t like the path he was on. I must ask you to keep this particular tidbit quiet, but after the stock goes to market, Jace is stepping back from his role here. Going back to architecture, and I have to tell you, I couldn’t be happier for him.”
Thanking John, Luke ended the call and sat dumbfounded in his office chair for several minutes, thinking through the implications of what he’d just learned. At last, a broad smile on his face, he pushed himself to his feet. The staff would all be relieved to know their jobs were safe, but there was one person he really should tell first.
* * *
Nessa had taken a few days off after she broke up with Jace, but knowing he’d left the island, she found herself returning sooner than she had originally planned. Dropping back into her usual routine, she still sometimes found herself looking at the seat he’d always taken at the end of the bar, wishing he was there, looking at her with those steady ice-blue eyes. She’d asked herself a thousand times if she’d done the right thing in ending their relationship. We were ships that passed in the night, she told herself. Now I’m back in my safe harbor and he’s off across the ocean somewhere.
“Hey.” It was Luke who slid onto the bar stool, smiling at her. “Got some news.”
“You’re not saving it for the staff meeting?” She wiped up a small puddle of spilled soda on the bar with a rag, but couldn’t avoid meeting his eyes. It was quiet today, and she had no customers to tend to.
“Thought you might like to hear it first. Turns out Hunter Enterprises no longer owns Sunfish.”
“What?” Nessa’s jaw dropped. “It’s already been sold–before the share offer? Who’s the new owner?”
“Jace Hunter.”
The cloth she’d been using to wipe the bar fell from nerveless fingers. “Jace?”
“Got the news from John Hunter himself. Jace apparently wanted to make sure Sunfish was safe from any corporate meddling. I’ve been assured he has complete faith in my ability to run the place… though I’m pretty sure there’s one particular staff member I daren’t fire.”
Nessa found herself clinging to the edge of the bar to hold herself up because her legs felt too shaky to support her. “He did that for me?”
“Pretty sure you’re a fairly large part of his motive, yeah.” Luke eyed her sympathetically. “You know,” he said in an apparent non sequitur, “Olivia still knows a hell of a lot of New York movers and shakers from her days as a marketing guru in the Big Apple.”
Nessa eyed him curiously. “So?”
Luke grinned. “So, I have an idea.”