“It’s his. Shaun said Tyler wanted all his family there,” Charles said.
And that now includes us.Anyone else and Ethan would’ve blown it off without a second thought. Seeing how Shaun was with Tyler was touching. He’d heard that Shaun adopted him when he married Tyler’s mother Morgan. Not something he would’ve expected from a Henderson, but he had to admit, Ethan respected Shaun for his actions. He might still be an asshole in business, but he was a good father.
Charles continued and said, “It appears you made an impression on Tyler.”
“Me? Why do you say that?” he asked.
“Shaun said you’re the only one who has their name on the card.”
“I don’t get it. I didn’t do anything but sit and play with him for an hour.” It wasn’t something their father had ever done with them. The only time they had seen him was when he wanted to talk about the business. Charles actually spent the most time with their father. Ethan wasn’t jealous about that at all.
“That’s all it takes sometimes to develop a bond. Guess you’re more of a natural with kids than you thought.”
He had no plans of having any children. He saw what the family life was doing to his brothers. Not saying they weren’t any fun any longer, but he couldn’t recall the last time they all went out to a bar after work and just shot the shit. There was always at least one that had to get home to a sick kid or some promise they had made to their wife. Ethan didn’t want to be tied down. Not even to his job.
Ethan laughed. “It’s Legos, that’s it. I wouldn’t call that a nurturing touch.” He quickly changed the subject, because the last thing he needed was Charles telling him how being a father had changed his life. Ethan could see that for himself. “So when is this birthday party taking place?”
“Next month.”
“Good. I should be back by then,” Ethan stated. By the look on his face, Charles picked up on that. “That’s why I wanted to meet with you. I’m taking a vacation.”
“Did I miss something, because I don’t recall you talking about this before.”
“A last minute decision,” Ethan stated.
Charles peered at him before asking, “And who is coving your work while you’re gone?”
“No one. I’ll pick up where I left off when I get back,” he stated firmly.
“A month?”
“My being here right now is a waste of my time and you know it,” Ethan snarled. The last few leads he’d brought to his brothers fell through and it pissed him off. Nailing large customers like those weren’t easy. It took long hours and a hell of a lot of negotiation. His fuse was running short and he didn’t want to say or do anything they all might regret later. Taking a break wasn’t just for his sake, but what was best for the company. The best for our family. “The last three prospects fell through.” Glaring at Charles he added, “It wasn’t due to lack of effort on my part.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“And yet I’m still clueless as to what had gone wrong.” This was the perfect time for Charles to divulge what Seth was doing with Dean. Ethan waited, and Charles said nothing. “If there isn’t anything else, I’ve got some packing to do.”
“Ethan, just because there has been a few issues lately, that doesn’t mean you’re not needed here.”
“Don’t worry Charles, I know my value. A year or two ago, I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the demand. Now I’m delivering more than the others can keep up with. Maybe if they spent more time worrying about Lawson Steel and less about whatever the hell was going on with the Hendersons, they would be able to handle their workload.” It was out on the table. Ethan couldn’t be any clearer than that.
Charles rested his elbows on his desk and responded, “Ethan, things have changed. It was foolish of any of us to think that things could remain the same. After learning what our ancestors had done and how it affected so many, there was no going back. Not accepting the Hendersons as family doesn’t change the fact that they are. Honestly, I’m not sure they like it any more than we do. But if any of us are going to move forward, we have to learn from the past.”
Charles was right about one thing, Ethan didn’t like it. For years he’d thought Charles was the one who didn’t adapt to change very well and that he was the easy going guy. Was he being stubborn by not welcoming them with open arms? Apparently so by the way Charles was talking.
“There is a huge difference for acknowledging our relations and us becoming buddies.”
Charles nodded. “Why don’t you take this time off and get to know them better?”
Ethan choked back his laughter. “You’re joking right?”
“No,” Charles replied straight faced.
“Charles, I’m taking a month off and going off the grid. The only thing that I’m going to be thinking about is”
“You hate it here that much?” Charles cut in.
“Lawson Steel is in my blood. I’m not leaving the company. I just need a break. From what I figure, there isn’t a better time than now.”