“That’s all a big brother can ask.”
The conversation then went to other areas until the waitress brought their food. The atmosphere was pleasant, but although Caden had accepted Sedrick’s apology, there was something that still bothered him about that night at Shiloh’s grand opening. He could understand Sedrick’s hostility toward him somewhat, but what was up with the Greene family? Namely Michael Greene, his wife, Yolanda, and their son, Ivan, who was currently running for mayor. Granted, at the time, Caden hadn’t known about his mother’s affair with Mr. Greene, but even if he’d known, why would the family hold animosity toward him for what his mother and Michael Greene had done? Hell, he’d only been fourteen at the time. Had the hostility he’d seen in their eyes had anything to do with the affair, or was it something else altogether?
“How’s your father doing?”
Caden lifted a brow and glanced over at Sedrick, surprised he’d asked. “Dad is fine. We go see him fairly regularly.”
“That’s good. I understand he’s doing great things while in jail.”
Honestly, his father’s imprisonment was a topic he didn’t want to discuss with Sedrick. His bitterness wasn’t as deep as Dalton’s, but he hadn’t yet let go of the way the Timmonses had treated them when their father went to prison. “That might be true, but he doesn’t belong in prison.”
“Oh.”
Caden heard doubt in that Oh. “And we plan to hire someone to prove his innocence.” Sedrick nodded, and for a brief moment, Caden thought he saw an odd expression cross Sedrick’s features.
Caden turned to his meal, convinced he’d just imagined it.
*
Dalton reached for his cell phone when it rang. He glanced at it quickly, not recognizing the number, but that didn’t mean anything. “Dalton Granger.”
“Mr. Granger. This is—”
“I know who this is,” Dalton cut in, recognizing the voice. “Percy, I thought we agreed that you would drop the ‘Mr. Granger,’” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“It’s hard. You own the company.”
“My family owns the company. How are things working out for you in the systems and technology department?”
He and Percy Johnson had attended the same high school, and although they hadn’t been what one would consider close friends, they had played on the same football teams since middle school. Percy had been a damn good quarterback in high school and had gotten a scholarship to attend South Carolina University. He surprised everyone and turned it down when his girlfriend Tina got pregnant. He’d done the honorable thing by staying here and getting married.
Dalton had run into Percy waiting on tables in a nightclub he often frequented, the same club where he’d met Jules the first time. He had been holding a conversation with Percy, catching up on old times, when Percy mentioned he had recently gotten a degree in computer technology, graduating at the top of his class, but was having a hard time finding a job. Percy had been working during the days at Cullum Meat Plant as a forklift operator and moonlighting at night as a waiter.
The one thing Dalton would never forget was that Percy had been one of the few kids at school who hadn’t given him a rough time about his dad being in prison. In fact, Percy told him that he thought Dalton’s father was innocent. That had meant a lot to Dalton at the time and was something he would never forget. That was the main reason he’d given Percy a job at Granger Aeronautics, right there on the spot. That had been a few months ago and, from what he heard, Percy was a hard worker and an asset to the company.
“Things are just wonderful, Mr....” Percy cleared his throat. “I mean, Dalton.”