This Tender Melody. Kianna Alexander

lifestyle.” He gestured around the room as if to draw her attention toward the expensive oil paintings, brass fixtures and other material possessions around the space.

      While all the things they owned were very nice, and she did enjoy having a measure of financial security and freedom, none of that mattered to her nearly as much as her father’s well-being. “You know we appreciate all your hard work. I just don’t want you to worry. When the time comes, I’ll be ready to take over at FTI.”

      Silence fell in the room. She knew she’d taken a risk by bringing up her eventual assumption of the CEO position, but she hadn’t expected this. Studying her father’s face, she found it unreadable. Was he confused or feeling out of sorts due to whatever was ailing him? Or did he doubt her ability to lead the company? She couldn’t tell, but she didn’t dare ask.

      “I don’t want to talk about this now. I’m going to bed.” He turned around and stalked down the hallway, his hands formed into fists at his sides.

      Once he was gone, she helped her mother tidy up. When the board game had been put away, she followed her mother into the kitchen and asked the question that was burning in her mind.

      “Mama, what’s wrong with Daddy?”

      She shrugged. “I wish I knew. I’ve been trying to get him to go to the doctor for two solid weeks now.” She rolled up the sleeves of her blue shirtdress, and turned on the tap to wash out the glasses they’d used.

      Her mother’s words made her nervous. If her mother couldn’t get him to go see a doctor, she knew her own chances were pretty slim. Still, there was no way around the worry she felt regarding him. Maybe she was being overly cautious, but where her father’s health was concerned, she’d much rather be persistent with her requests for him to see a doctor than find out too late that something was wrong.

      With the three glasses set upside down to dry, Eve followed Louise back into the family room. Every inch of the house was filled with sweet memories of her childhood. As an only child of a well-off family, it was pretty likely she’d been overindulged. What mattered most to her, though, was the love her parents had showered her with at every given opportunity. They’d always made time for her, and that was the best gift she could have received, more precious to her than a boatload of jewels. “We have to make him go in for a physical. Something is wrong, I just know it.”

      Louise sat down on the sofa and sighed. “I know it, too. I’ve been with that man almost fifty years, and I can tell he’s not himself. He’s just so damn stubborn.” She ran a hand through her glossy short salt-and-pepper locks. Her brown eyes, shaped the same as Eve’s, held all the affection and concern she felt for her husband of forty-six years.

      “So what are we going to do about him?” She took a seat next to her mother, looking across at the family photograph on the wall above the console table. The picture had been taken when she was about ten, around Christmastime. While part of her cringed at the wayward pigtail standing straight up on one side of her head, her heart smiled as she looked upon her father’s face. In the photograph, he looked young, strong and steadfast—a broad-shouldered, sharp-dressed man lovingly embracing his wife and daughter. That was the man she knew and loved—not the tired, bent man she’d been seeing lately.

      “I’m gonna keep after him. I intend to nag him until he gets himself checked out, no matter how long it takes. I’ve been putting up with him all these years, and I’m not giving him up now.”

      “Thanks, Mama. I think this software launch has put a lot of extra stress on Daddy’s shoulders.” She knew how excited her father was about the upcoming MyBusiness Sapphire product, an enthusiasm she shared. This would be the most comprehensive software suite they’d offered in years, and even though the launch was still a few months away, the product would be officially announced this week. After that, they’d have to contend with media attention and any possible competition from other firms, in addition to their already-packed launch preparation to-do list. “Everybody’s been working so hard on it.”

      “I know. Times like this, I really enjoy my position as a silent board member. When y’all get to scrambling around, I don’t have to take part in any of it.”

      She was familiar with her mother’s point of view. For Louise, it was enough to be a part of Joseph’s dream. She’d never had any interest in the intricate inner workings of the business, or in keeping up with ever-changing technological trends. When it came time to plan a party, though, Louise could be counted on to have everything in place. Celebrations were her forte.

      “I guess I’ll get on home, and get myself together for this week.” She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and stood. “Need help with anything before I go?”

      Louise shook her head. “Maid will be in tomorrow, so go on home. I’ll see you at the offices tomorrow.”

      She kissed her mother on the cheek again, then left, closing the front door behind her.

      Outside, she climbed into her midsized SUV and started the engine. Alone in her car, she thought about the look that had come over her father’s face when she mentioned taking over at FTI. She was the only heir to the business, and she’d worked hard alongside her parents to make it a success. Could he really doubt her abilities now, after everything she’d put into her work?

      The city lights twinkled in the darkness, dotting the I-77 corridor like gems. Easing into the turn lane, she took a moment to take in the sight of the city. For a few seconds she admired the skyline. Then the light changed, and she turned her truck in the direction of her house.

      * * *

      Darius Winstead lifted the lid of his grill and turned over the four steaks on the grate. As he closed the lid, he took in the magnificent view from the patio of his vacation condo. Only a few hundred yards away, the Atlantic Ocean ebbed and flowed beneath a beautiful crystal-blue sky. The view was part of the reason he had bought his little Emerald Isle retreat, and he had plans to spend many more days here during his awesome retirement.

      Just beyond the patio steps, his boys were competing in an epic game of volleyball, using the net he’d perched in the sand the day he’d bought the place. The three of them were his closest friends in the world; they all shared the same passion for sports and music—jazz in particular. They were grunting and shouting, and making serves and volleys as if they were professional athletes and the championship hung in the balance. The sight of it tickled him. If he weren’t busy tending the grill, he’d be out there with them.

      At twenty-eight, Darius had been a hot commodity in the tech world. Having graduated at the top of his class from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with his master of science in information technology, he’d earned the opportunity to intern for his mentor, Joseph Franklin, at his software company. In a little less than four years, Darius had created the first smartphone operating system and sold it for $300 million. He then happily left the office politics and stuffy meetings behind. Even Rashad, Darius’s closest friend, had called him a dumb ass for getting out of the software game when he did, but he had no regrets. He’d loved the creative side of software development, but the business side of things had pushed him far away. He didn’t want to spend the rest of his life sitting in board meetings, going over expense reports and kowtowing to stockholders.

      Now, at thirty-six, Darius spent his days doing the things he loved, and felt incredibly blessed to be able to do so. His time was his own, and that was just the way he wanted it. Just a few days after his official retirement party, he’d done the one thing he’d always wanted to do, the thing he’d been planning for months—form a band. He’d given up playing his bass during his early days in the tech business, but the day he’d picked it up again was as if he’d never put it down. His boys had been happy to join him in practicing, and once they’d felt comfortable with their skills, he’d started marketing the group. He and his friends were now the Queen City Gents, a jazz quartet that played regular local gigs and enjoyed an enthusiastic, mostly female following.

      He watched Rashad McRae, his buddy since undergrad, take a flying leap that would have made any professional basketball player jealous as he