Page 19 of The Grizzly Situation

BRENT

I hadn’t been kidding.I was constantly thinking about Uly. No clue why, but he was on my mind all the time. Bits of conversation in the office had me wondering what his take on it would be. Having the lunch that Chef Amelia had made for me had me worried Uly would slather it with tartar sauce. Just the thought of him made me smile at the oddest times.

Now? I was stone sober. I could hear the fear in his voice. I had to wonder what life had been like for Uly growing up. Had he always been clumsy? By his own admission, it seemed that way. Did that mean he shouldn’t be hired for a job? Hell, no.

“Thank you for thinking about my needs, Uly. I can assure you, unless you turn out to be an axe murderer, nothing will make me rescind the offer of a job. I’d like you to work for us, and we can definitely point you in a direction of some things you might find to be a comfortable fit.”

“Darn. Now you know my secret. Let me put away my axe.” He sucked in a breath. “Kidding. Really, thank you.”

There was a smile over his ability to joke, even when he was uncertain. “Don’t thank me. I told you, someone once gave me help when I needed it, and I’m determined to return that favor whenever I can.”

“Chaim?”

“Not now, cub,” he grunted, lowering the bar to his chest, then lifting it again.

I stood there, arms at my side, staring at the floor, doing my best not to cry. “What did my Dad say to you?”

He blew out an explosive breath, and put the bar back on the holders. I looked up, and when he turned to me, I could see the frustration on his face.

“We won’t be able to lift with you anymore. Your father forbid it.”

Pain and anger seared through me. Why was my father taking away my friend? No, not just a friend. The very best one I’d ever had. Hell, at the time probably the only one I had.

He got up and gripped my shoulder as he stared me in the eyes. “You gotta do something for me, cub.”

“Anything.”

“Don’t forget your promise. Be strong, be kind. Help those who need it whenever you can.” Then he hugged me, putting his chin atop my head as Benjy flanked me on the other side. “We’re gonna miss you, Brent.”

Then the two of them sandwiched me in an embrace. They both smelled of sweat and determination. Even at the end, Chaim would always be who he was, refusing to change for anyone, even my father.

We held on for a long while, because I knew once I let go, they’d walk out of my life, and that would be the last time we spoke. It was also the day the anger I had toward my father rooted itself in my heart.

“Mr. Lockhart? Are you there?”

Damn it. I had to track Chaim down. He was on my mind far too much for it to be coincidence.

“Sorry. Remember the friend I told you about? I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately.”

“Then you should find him. We tend to remember good friends, and they’re hard to come by.”

Once again, Uly was right. “I’ll do that. Anyway, is there anything I can do for you to make your doctor’s visit easier?”

He chuckled. “Tell me where to get insurance?”

“Sure, one sec.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean?—“

I’d already swapped over to the company browser, got the information, and then texted it to him before going back to the call.

“I sent you the link to our company insurance.”

“I wasn’t serious.”

And I knew he wasn’t. The difference? I was. “I’m aware, but I also want you to work for us, and I’m doing this to show my commitment. Ours is one of the best insurances around. We cover pretty much everything.” I thought a moment, trying to come up with anything the sleuth paid for themselves. “No, we covereverything. No one who works for us should ever have to go without because of medical bills.”

“That’s…. generous.”