It抯 her mom tone that sets me at ease. The same tone I抳e heard her use with her own kids for years.
I chuckle to myself. Destiny抯 in for it now.
Katelyn Storm lives up to her name. When she flips into mom mode, nobody gets by with anything.
Somehow, I think the joke抯 on me, though.
Destiny was raised by a sailor, and I know I抦 the reason she抯 got a mouth like one. With my career, my stress, and my flaws, the harshness bleeds out.
I can hardly blame my daughter sometimes for hurling my own caustic words back at me梚f only she didn抰 do it in a voice that sounds more like my dead wife抯 with every passing month.
But if wishes came true, I wouldn抰 feel that hard knot in my gut whenever Aster抯 face flashes in my mind.
I know I should just count my blessings and shut the hell up.
She抯 a great kid梥olid grades, harmless friends, no police visits yet. I抳e only got a few more years with her before she抯 off to college.
Dess doesn抰 know where she抯 going to school yet, but I doubt it抣l be anywhere near here. And honestly, I抣l endorse that decision with minimal grumbling.
My baby girl needs distance to work out her life梐s long as I抦 still a phone call away to bail her out for the times any missteps trip her up.
Hell, maybe distance is what I need, too.
That girl is the glue that抯 held my world together for fifteen goddamned years.
She抯 the reason I still wake up and stomp into this office.
Once she抯 gone, I抣l be staring down a chasm.
If I抦 being honest, I need this new spin on old drinks for more than the next quarter抯 profits.
Hell, I抦 desperate for a new line of beverages. Fresh tricks to refine. Wired Cup has survived generations of market changes for a reason. We抳e always adapted.
We抳e laid down roots in the northwest for good reason. Not just branding and quality, but because my great-grandfather swore he wouldn抰 compromise the integrity of our product.
We抮e not sitting ducks, waiting to be knocked out by the competition. Though without something new, something bold and electrifying, we抮e facing the worst kind of death by boredom.
I won抰 let that happen.
Once I抳e had time to catch up on emails for an hour, I head for Kate抯 office. I find Destiny sprawled out on the floor, playing with her phone.
She sees me standing in the doorway and smiles up at me. 揑 threw together three aesthetic music videos this afternoon. You still like Johnny Cash, Dad??
揥ithout question, and I suppose that抯 a good skill to have.?Then I remember she抯 here to shadow and square my shoulders. 揂ren抰 you supposed to be working? Or at least taking notes about the work everyone else is doing??
揈h, yeah, it抯 just…？She lays a hand over her face, groaning softly. 揅offee抯 so boring.?
揧ou let her play on her phone ever since we got back??I look at Kate, who抯 hunched over her laptop.
She doesn抰 raise her head. 揔eep her out of trouble, you said. She抯 not knocking over any liquor stores, right??
I hold in a sigh.
揌ave you started tracking down wolverine chick yet??I ask.
揌oney badger. Get it right,?Destiny mutters.
揥hat was her name again??Katelyn asks.
揑 don抰 remember. Call the store and find out.?
揌uh? I thought you chased us out so you could creep her info.?Destiny抯 eyes never leave her screen.
揜egardless, I抎 like to run a proper background check before she gets here. We can抰 hire a bank robber or Peeping Thomasina, no matter how good her coffee concoctions might be.?
揧eah, right!?Destiny lowers her phone and gives me a disbelieving look. 揢m, stalker-ish much??
揧es. Also, I want a proposal ready before she arrives. We can seal the deal and won抰 have to worry about her working for any competitors,?I say, brushing off my daughter抯 complaints about my methods. 揝he抯 also less likely to stall negotiations if we hit her with a number on the spot. Make it a fair, generous offer. Dess, I抣l show you how we do hiring proposals once Katelyn has her researched.?
My daughter looks like I just pushed a rancid lemon wedge into her mouth.
揑s this what you do all day? Guzzle coffee and spy on people??
揥hen you put it that way, I really do deserve a break at home. More decaf and less snark,?I tell her, looking at Kate. 揌ave HR ready. I抣l sign off on everything, but we抳e got to move fast. I don抰 want to risk blowing this.?
揧eet,?Destiny says.
揥hat??I ask.
Kate finally looks up from her laptop over her glasses. 揟hat抯 young-speak for cool. My kids say it all the time.?
揃ah, I抦 lucky I haven抰 heard it before.?I wonder how the copywriters ever keep up with trends in slang.