Junior Year Box Set

“To start, I can see the personal management part of your business and our wealth management as combining well. We got into the construction end when my dad wanted to do REITs, or Real Estate Investment Trusts. It provided a way for our investors to buy into trusts that create and manage income-producing real estate.

“I’ve also talked to Bev, and we agree that, with the help of your family, you’ve started something that could really grow. With the right people helping you, I expect we could build your little business into something special,” Jack suggested.

“I would bet my son is open to this. I’d like to talk to him and our management team. Do you have a proposal for what you want to do?” Dad asked.

“We can talk. My long-term goal is to eventually retire. Harper has little to no interest in taking over. I’ve been approached about selling out, but I’d rather partner with someone I like and trust. Maybe down the road, you’d end up buying me out. At least this way, I’d have the backing to keep my business intact,” Jack said.

“Are you having problems?” I asked.

“Not now, but your infusion of cash helped me not to have to make any drastic decisions. With you as part of the business, I would hope not to get myself in that position again. With your backing, I would breathe easier,” Jack said.

“Talk to my dad and to Caryn, who runs the day-to-day operations. My dad’s right, I’m interested. I’ve learned to find people who know what they’re doing and let them do what they do best. You wouldn’t worry about me getting into your business,” I said.

“I wasn’t worried about that. I’ll talk to your dad and to Caryn,” Jack said.

It looked like Caryn would get her chance to use her MBA. To think, she had hired on as my PA.

◊◊◊ Thursday August 18

We’d put impressive back-to-back wins in the books. We’d taken down Colombia 6–0 and then beaten Brazil in a shortened 10–0 game. This put us at 6–0 with only Mexico left to play in pool play. We were one up on Cuba, and three up on Mexico. We could lose our next game and make it into the Gold Medal Game.

Still, there was some pressure to win the last game against Mexico. We’d won five straight COPABE Pan American ‘AAA’ Championships, and I didn’t want to break the streak. We had already secured a spot in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup next year in Thunder Bay, Canada. The top four teams would get to participate. Right now, it looked like that would be USA, Cuba, Mexico, and Nicaragua. The unfortunate part for me was it was next summer, and I would be off doing my James Bond movie.

We didn’t have a game today, and the coaches had decided to give us the day off. I stepped into the shower to get my day started. As I let the hot water do its magic and wake me up, I reflected on some of the other stuff going on in my life.

Baseball would be over on Tuesday. The Gold Medal Game would be played on Monday, but Baseball USA wanted us to meet the press on Tuesday. I’d called Coach Hope to tell him I wouldn’t be back in town until Wednesday. School started on Thursday, so he told me he would see me then. I got the sense that something was up, but I was happy with how it was working out. This schedule would give me a couple of days to get home and back into the swing of things. I’d been on the run for most of the summer, and I welcomed having a couple of days where I didn’t have to worry about sports.

My Lincoln teammates would go home on Tuesday with the rest of the people who were still here.

Brook was a little perturbed. While Brook was here in Mexico, Destiny Crown had made a play for being head cheerleader. Jan Duke had called Yuri to tell her boyfriend the goings-on back home and mentioned it. I just smiled at the drama, because I knew all too well what team strife was like. Even though Brook was out of sight, the other cheerleaders all liked and respected her. They had pushed back on Destiny’s coup attempt. I predicted there would be hell to pay when Brook got back home.

I got out of the shower and dressed for the day. The coaches had given us some choices for activities we might participate in.

Monterrey was the third-largest city in Mexico. It was the capital of the state of Nuevo León. It was a study in contrasts, from its highly industrialized factory districts to its scenic natural setting, and from its modern urban core to its historic colonial architecture. The city was surrounded by mountains, and the view to the east was dominated by saddle-shaped Cerro de la Silla, or Saddle Mountain. The mountains were known for their canyons, caves, and waterfalls.