Covered in Coal by Silla Webb Read Free Book Online

cards for Kentucky and West Virginia. The mandatory three week class, could have been as simple as walking in the training facility and dropping my name, according to James. He said the certification is just a legality in case I need to go underground, but if I’m gonna run the mines the way Daddy intended, I’m gonna do it the right way.
    So, for the last two weeks, I have sat in a class full of men learning safety procedures, the different equipment used for Surface and Underground Mining, etc.  God, I hate the thoughts of having to ever go underground. Hell I don’t even want to work at the damn office. The coal dust cakes all over everything, and the disgusting smell of sulfur turns my stomach just to think about it.
    I walk into the office and am immediately greeted by Shelly, who is quickly on my heels with a cup of coffee in one hand while balancing a note pad and pen in the other.
    “Good Morning, Ms. Simon. Glad to see you in the office bright and early.” Shelly says with her usual chipper tone.
    “Good Morning, Shelly, how are you? I must say I am happy to see a familiar face. God, I haven’t been in this office is so many damn years, I’m nervous as hell.”
    Shelly laughs. “Oh no worries, Ms. Simon. I’m sure you will run the company as smoothly as your father. He made a wise decision in handing Simon Energy down to you. Now, you do have a meeting this morning with your Foremen and Supervisors. They should all be in by eight o’clock. Day shift just went underground, so once the bosses make their rounds, they’ll be out. Here is the spreadsheets of the employees, listed by the mines they work at.  It may take you a while to learn everyone, but as long as you know your Foremen and Supervisors, they can handle everyone else for you.” Taking the documents from Shelly’s hand, I thank her for her time and walk into Daddy’s office. My office.
    Closing the door, I take a deep breath, and look around. The feeling is absolutely sorrowful. I miss Daddy terribly, but I don’t want to be here, in this office, or in Kentucky for that matter. I miss South Carolina. I miss the ocean breeze, I miss the simplicity that my life was before I found out that Daddy was dying.
    But all of that is behind me. Now, I’m the powerful CEO of Simon Energy, and although starting my life over isn’t ideal, I’ll make the best of it. One day at a time. Baby steps. It won’t be easy, but I’ve learned over the last seven years, that there isn’t a moment in life that will come easy.
    I suck back the anxiety that is rising in my chest, and decide to jump right into work, and prepare for my first meeting. I sit down at my desk, and power on the laptop computer. The tech department already forwarded all of Daddy’s emails over to my new company email, so I decide to start there first.
    After an hour of reading through month old emails, I lift my tired eyes from the computer screen to check the time. It is almost eight o’clock. Shit! I completely forgot to go over the employee file Shelly had given me. Guess I am going into this meeting a little blind. Hope I see at least a couple familiar faces.
    Standing from my desk, I straighten my suit, and grab my messenger bag, and head out of my office. Shelly directs me to the conference room, as if I’ve never been here before. Around the table sits ten of the finest miners Simon Energy has. I glance quickly from face to face, giving each a friendly smile, when the one I least expect to be here, in this damn room, hell even at this damn mines, sits back in his chair and grins a cocky grin back at me. Colton Weston. What the hell! Hoping nobody notices the anxiety I feel constrict my chest, I sit quickly at the head chair and begin the meeting.
    “Good Morning, y’all. I’m sure most of you know me. I’m Big John’s daughter, Carly, the new CEO of Simon Energy. I will run this company just as my Daddy did. You know my expectations, as they are the same as Big John’s.