"What?" Rick demanded, grabbing Joe by the shoulders.
Joe looked up into Rick's eyes. He saw an intensity there that he couldn't look away from. "I care about you," Joe said softly. "I feel closer to you than I ever felt to anyone, my brother included. I just don't know if it's because I'm grateful for all that you've done for me or if it's something more than that."
"And my buying you things would only confuse you more," Rick deduced. "I understand and I promise, I will only give you gifts on special occasions."
Joe leaned up and kissed Rick. Rick let his hands slide down Joe's arms then fall to his waist as Joe raised his arms and wrapped them around Rick's neck. Soon, Joe sighed and leaned back against Rick's muscular arms. "We better get going," Joe said. "We can grab something to eat at the mall before we go shopping."
Unable to accomplish anything else in Grand Rapids, Fenton and Frank took the next flight home. Frank dropped his overnight bag on the floor of his bedroom and grabbed the handset. He dialed the Shaw's, grateful Callie had decided to save money by commuting to Bayport University instead of living on campus.
"Callie, I need to talk to you," Frank said as soon as she answered. "Can I come over?"
"Of course you can," Callie told him. "You know you don't have to ask." Callie's forehead wrinkled in concern. Even though Frank had been torn up over Joe's leaving he had still asked her to marry him shortly before she started college. They were planning their wedding for April because it was Callie's favorite month. "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you about it when I get there," promised Frank. "About ten minutes. Love you," he ended the conversation and hung up.
Ten minutes later when Frank brought the van to a stop in the Shaw's driveway, Callie was on the porch waiting for him. She ran down the steps and met Frank as he climbed down from the driver's seat.
Frank pulled her into his arms and gave her a long, welcoming kiss. "I missed you," he whispered as their lips parted.
"I missed you too," Callie returned, looking into his eyes with unmitigated curiosity. "But I want to know what's wrong and don't tell me nothing. I can see it in your face."
"We found Joe," Frank informed her.
"What?" she gasped, her brown eyes widening in delight. "Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be at home with him? Is he okay? Where did you find him?" She fired off question after question.
"Let's sit down," Franks aid wearily. They moved to the porch and sat down on the swing, neither concerned about the forty-degree temperature. Frank told Callie about both his and his dad's meetings with Joe. Then he told her about the restraining orders.
"So you can't even get close enough to him to apologize?" Callie asked in dismay.
Frank shook his head. "Dad's sending Sam in undercover at Tyrell Enterprises to try and put a jinx on the restraining orders," he informed her. "And on the chance he manages to postpone a renewal, we need Joe to be willing to at least listen to us."
"How can you do that?" Callie asked.
"That's where you come in," said Frank. "If you will? If you could get a job in the photographic department over Christmas then maybe you could soften him up a bit or at least find out how much he does hate us? Maybe see if we stand any chance at all of getting him back?"
"Of course I'll do it," Callie told him. "But I doubt a couple of weeks will do the trick. But don't worry," she continued seeing the crushed look on his face. "I can skip next semester. Really, it's okay," she added as Frank started to object. "I really want Joe to be at our wedding."
"Me too," Frank said, his voice breaking as Callie pulled him into her arms.
"Joe, I'd like you to meet Gillian Langer. She will be working in your department," Peter Cassavantas, the head of personnel, introduced the young red head who had accompanied Peter into Joe's office. "Gillian, this is your boss, Joe Hardy."
"Hi, Gillian," Joe greeted the girl, not recognizing Callie under the dye job and make up. She had even used green colored contacts to alter her appearance. "Welcome to Tyrell Enterprises."
"Thank you," Callie replied.
"Well, I will leave you to it," Pete said then departed.
Joe stood up. "Come on," he invited her. "I'll show you around. This is my office," he began before taking a step. "All department meetings are held in here. Also, the completed layouts for our projects are showcased in the area to your left."
Callie looked to her left and saw a large table, an easel, and two chairs. Her gaze continued around the room until they came to rest on the stuffed rabbit.
"That's Mr. Hoppit," Joe informed her. "You could say he's my good luck charm."
"Oh? He's brought you a lot of luck?" Callie asked.
"No," Joe admitted. "But the person who gave him to me has." He smiled fondly at the critter then headed for the door. "Come on. I'll show you the rest of the place."
"Who have we here?" asked Lani, straightening up as Joe and Gillian entered the outer office. Lani and Pat had been busy on errands when Peter had brought in Gillian so they were surprised to see the beautiful girl accompanying Joe from his office.
Joe made the introductions and Lani came over to stand beside Callie. "I'll show you around," Lani offered, leering at her.
"Heel boy," Joe instructed him, laughing. "Se's engaged."
Callie held up her left hand that still had the ring on it that Frank had given her. She was surprised that Joe had noticed but grateful he had stopped Lani in his tracks. She had a job to do and fending off an unwanted suitor wasn't it.
"Lucky stiff," Lani growled. "But I'll show you around anyhow," he offered, smiling although the predatory gleam had vanished from his eyes. "Mr. Tyrell wants to see Joe in his office ASAP."
When Joe returned to the photographic department Callie had given up trying to get Pat and Lani to talk about Joe. The one time she had tried, Pat had looked down her nose and informed her, "You can gossip about anyone and anything except another employee. That, my dear, is ground for immediate dismissal." So Callie had taken her coat and hung it up in the corner with the others and started going through negatives as instructed.
"Gillian, I need you to come with me in the field," Joe said.
"You need me?" Lani inquired hopefully. He hated staying inside all day.
"Not this time," Joe replied. "I just need help carrying my equipment and someone to take notes."
"Where are we going?" Callie asked as she helped Joe gather his gear.
"Several places over the next few weeks," Joe answered. "Rick just purchased a motel chain and he wants photos and descriptions of each place. We've been assigned the ones within a two hundred-mile radius. He's letting acquisition deal with the ones to the south and west and advertising is handling what's left. Once this is complete, he will start renovations and after that, we go back to take more photos and plan a layout for a brochure."
"It sounds rather complicated," Callie said. "How do you know what to do?" she asked. "I mean, you look so young to be in charge."
"I was very lucky," Joe told her with a smile. "I started working here at the end of June. I took courses at the local college in the mornings. Just the courses I needed to do my job," he clarified. "In the afternoons, I trained for a managerial position and was taught how to do layouts and storyboards and things of that nature. After work, I attended night school. I got my diploma last Friday," he added proudly.
"How did you get the college to accept you when you hadn't even finished high school?" Callie demanded in amazement.
"Rick took care of that," Joe answered. "Okay, I think that's all we need," he said. "Let's move out."
"Are we taking a company car?" Callie inquired, following Joe to the elevator.
"No," Joe answered. "We're taking Rick's Laredo."
"The CEO is letting you take his personal car?" Callie gasped in surprise. "Wow! I wonder if I'll ever get to use it?"
"Don't count on it," Joe told her as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor and he walked out. "I live with Rick," he explained, leaving a dumbfounded Callie who had to run to avoid being hit by the closing elevator doors.
Joe looked up into Rick's eyes. He saw an intensity there that he couldn't look away from. "I care about you," Joe said softly. "I feel closer to you than I ever felt to anyone, my brother included. I just don't know if it's because I'm grateful for all that you've done for me or if it's something more than that."
"And my buying you things would only confuse you more," Rick deduced. "I understand and I promise, I will only give you gifts on special occasions."
Joe leaned up and kissed Rick. Rick let his hands slide down Joe's arms then fall to his waist as Joe raised his arms and wrapped them around Rick's neck. Soon, Joe sighed and leaned back against Rick's muscular arms. "We better get going," Joe said. "We can grab something to eat at the mall before we go shopping."
Unable to accomplish anything else in Grand Rapids, Fenton and Frank took the next flight home. Frank dropped his overnight bag on the floor of his bedroom and grabbed the handset. He dialed the Shaw's, grateful Callie had decided to save money by commuting to Bayport University instead of living on campus.
"Callie, I need to talk to you," Frank said as soon as she answered. "Can I come over?"
"Of course you can," Callie told him. "You know you don't have to ask." Callie's forehead wrinkled in concern. Even though Frank had been torn up over Joe's leaving he had still asked her to marry him shortly before she started college. They were planning their wedding for April because it was Callie's favorite month. "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you about it when I get there," promised Frank. "About ten minutes. Love you," he ended the conversation and hung up.
Ten minutes later when Frank brought the van to a stop in the Shaw's driveway, Callie was on the porch waiting for him. She ran down the steps and met Frank as he climbed down from the driver's seat.
Frank pulled her into his arms and gave her a long, welcoming kiss. "I missed you," he whispered as their lips parted.
"I missed you too," Callie returned, looking into his eyes with unmitigated curiosity. "But I want to know what's wrong and don't tell me nothing. I can see it in your face."
"We found Joe," Frank informed her.
"What?" she gasped, her brown eyes widening in delight. "Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be at home with him? Is he okay? Where did you find him?" She fired off question after question.
"Let's sit down," Franks aid wearily. They moved to the porch and sat down on the swing, neither concerned about the forty-degree temperature. Frank told Callie about both his and his dad's meetings with Joe. Then he told her about the restraining orders.
"So you can't even get close enough to him to apologize?" Callie asked in dismay.
Frank shook his head. "Dad's sending Sam in undercover at Tyrell Enterprises to try and put a jinx on the restraining orders," he informed her. "And on the chance he manages to postpone a renewal, we need Joe to be willing to at least listen to us."
"How can you do that?" Callie asked.
"That's where you come in," said Frank. "If you will? If you could get a job in the photographic department over Christmas then maybe you could soften him up a bit or at least find out how much he does hate us? Maybe see if we stand any chance at all of getting him back?"
"Of course I'll do it," Callie told him. "But I doubt a couple of weeks will do the trick. But don't worry," she continued seeing the crushed look on his face. "I can skip next semester. Really, it's okay," she added as Frank started to object. "I really want Joe to be at our wedding."
"Me too," Frank said, his voice breaking as Callie pulled him into her arms.
"Joe, I'd like you to meet Gillian Langer. She will be working in your department," Peter Cassavantas, the head of personnel, introduced the young red head who had accompanied Peter into Joe's office. "Gillian, this is your boss, Joe Hardy."
"Hi, Gillian," Joe greeted the girl, not recognizing Callie under the dye job and make up. She had even used green colored contacts to alter her appearance. "Welcome to Tyrell Enterprises."
"Thank you," Callie replied.
"Well, I will leave you to it," Pete said then departed.
Joe stood up. "Come on," he invited her. "I'll show you around. This is my office," he began before taking a step. "All department meetings are held in here. Also, the completed layouts for our projects are showcased in the area to your left."
Callie looked to her left and saw a large table, an easel, and two chairs. Her gaze continued around the room until they came to rest on the stuffed rabbit.
"That's Mr. Hoppit," Joe informed her. "You could say he's my good luck charm."
"Oh? He's brought you a lot of luck?" Callie asked.
"No," Joe admitted. "But the person who gave him to me has." He smiled fondly at the critter then headed for the door. "Come on. I'll show you the rest of the place."
"Who have we here?" asked Lani, straightening up as Joe and Gillian entered the outer office. Lani and Pat had been busy on errands when Peter had brought in Gillian so they were surprised to see the beautiful girl accompanying Joe from his office.
Joe made the introductions and Lani came over to stand beside Callie. "I'll show you around," Lani offered, leering at her.
"Heel boy," Joe instructed him, laughing. "Se's engaged."
Callie held up her left hand that still had the ring on it that Frank had given her. She was surprised that Joe had noticed but grateful he had stopped Lani in his tracks. She had a job to do and fending off an unwanted suitor wasn't it.
"Lucky stiff," Lani growled. "But I'll show you around anyhow," he offered, smiling although the predatory gleam had vanished from his eyes. "Mr. Tyrell wants to see Joe in his office ASAP."
When Joe returned to the photographic department Callie had given up trying to get Pat and Lani to talk about Joe. The one time she had tried, Pat had looked down her nose and informed her, "You can gossip about anyone and anything except another employee. That, my dear, is ground for immediate dismissal." So Callie had taken her coat and hung it up in the corner with the others and started going through negatives as instructed.
"Gillian, I need you to come with me in the field," Joe said.
"You need me?" Lani inquired hopefully. He hated staying inside all day.
"Not this time," Joe replied. "I just need help carrying my equipment and someone to take notes."
"Where are we going?" Callie asked as she helped Joe gather his gear.
"Several places over the next few weeks," Joe answered. "Rick just purchased a motel chain and he wants photos and descriptions of each place. We've been assigned the ones within a two hundred-mile radius. He's letting acquisition deal with the ones to the south and west and advertising is handling what's left. Once this is complete, he will start renovations and after that, we go back to take more photos and plan a layout for a brochure."
"It sounds rather complicated," Callie said. "How do you know what to do?" she asked. "I mean, you look so young to be in charge."
"I was very lucky," Joe told her with a smile. "I started working here at the end of June. I took courses at the local college in the mornings. Just the courses I needed to do my job," he clarified. "In the afternoons, I trained for a managerial position and was taught how to do layouts and storyboards and things of that nature. After work, I attended night school. I got my diploma last Friday," he added proudly.
"How did you get the college to accept you when you hadn't even finished high school?" Callie demanded in amazement.
"Rick took care of that," Joe answered. "Okay, I think that's all we need," he said. "Let's move out."
"Are we taking a company car?" Callie inquired, following Joe to the elevator.
"No," Joe answered. "We're taking Rick's Laredo."
"The CEO is letting you take his personal car?" Callie gasped in surprise. "Wow! I wonder if I'll ever get to use it?"
"Don't count on it," Joe told her as the elevator doors opened on the ground floor and he walked out. "I live with Rick," he explained, leaving a dumbfounded Callie who had to run to avoid being hit by the closing elevator doors.