| |
Emma had to give her mother credit; she waited until at least nine o'clock before she knocked on the door to the apartment. Megan was an early riser, and Emma had half been expecting her at seven, but was grateful for the extra couple of hours of peace and quiet to just get her bearings and make her plans.
"Good morning, Mom. Come on in, the coffee is already made."
Megan gave her daughter a hug and sat down at the kitchen table that overlooked the pier that went out to the middle of the pond. She watched absentmindedly as the ducks floated in the pond and a large blue heron stood at the edge of the dock watching the ducks. Emma sat down enjoying the quiet, but she was pretty sure her mother had something on her mind. She didn't speak, allowing her mother to form her thoughts. Emma already had a good idea of what was going on.
"I'm so glad you're home. And in time for Christmas, too. That's what makes this so heartbreaking."
"Don't keep me in suspense, Mom, just spit it out and let me know what's going on. It has something to do with that phone call Aiden got last night, doesn't it?"
"I'm afraid so. Aiden's being called in to consult on an FBI issue. The unfortunate part is it must be right away and we're not even going to be in America. We're flying to Europe. I feel so bad, it's your first Christmas home, and I can't be here."
Emma rose, giving her mother a reassuring hug, before sitting back down with a playful wink. "Europe for Christmas? Sounds like a sweet deal to me. Besides, you knew what this marriage was going to entail with Aiden's job. I'm a grown woman now, Mom. You don't have to worry about whether Santa Claus is going to fill my stockings."
Megan looked at her daughter as if seeing her as a grown woman for the first time. Then the worried frown that puckered her eyebrows disappeared, and a slow smile spread across her lips.
"Okay, if I'm honest I am excited about being overseas for Christmas. I just worry about you."
"There is no need to worry about me." Emma hesitated and then figured what the heck, her mother was going to need to know about it anyway, "besides I've been working on a job for somebody right here in Citrus Beach. And that's gonna take up most of my time over the holidays. I wouldn't have been much company anyway."
Megan clapped her hands in delight, excited over her daughter's announcement. "And when were you going to tell us about this? How did you get the job? No, wait, I know. Charlotte had something to do with this, didn't she?"
"Yes, she did. Just like she did with you and several others, Charlotte has had a hand in getting my business started. She introduced me to a couple of her friends, and I've been doing a few small commissions for them. But the big job came when she introduced me to Midge Anderson. I'm not only doing all the design work for her holidays, but I'm also working with their company to redesign and modernize their image."
Megan grinned back at her daughter, thrilled for her as she remembered Charlotte's helping hand in getting her own gardening business started. Charlotte was the town matriarch one of the richest women in the county, and she believed in putting her money to good use for the community. And often that meant helping startup companies such as Emma's. "Does my cousin Paul know about this? He sure has been pushing to get your studio done."
"I've never really come out and told him, but I think he knows something's up. He decided to do the studio before starting at my house. Speaking of which, I can take care of the animals while you're gone, I'm sure the dogs will need somebody's attention full-time more so than the rambling cats around the property."
Emma hadn't even finished speaking before Megan was shaking her head. "You don't have to worry about Barney and Gypsy. They've been invited on the European trip as well. And Aiden insists they go to keep me company. Personally, I think he can't bear the thought of Gypsy not being with us. Barney's a little bit more self-sufficient, but Gypsy just dotes on Aiden's attention."
"You're leaving today, aren't you?"
"I'm afraid so. You know the nature of Aiden's job; everything is an emergency, and they're not going to let a little thing like celebrating the holidays get in the way. We fly out tonight."
"Then shouldn't you be at home packing?"
Megan chuckled and assured her she had plenty of time to pack. But she did get to her feet, making the move to leave. And Emma was right. Even though it wouldn't take her long to pack, she still had to arrange for the dogs to travel. Thankfully, because of Aiden's job, their paperwork was in order.
"Lunch is at the house. I'd like to go over a few things with you about what's going on around here. And you're welcome to move over to the house while we're gone," Megan said to Emma.
Emma steered her mother toward the door. shaking her head. "Stop worrying about me. I'm fine right here, and I've already unpacked. It makes no sense to move over to the house if the animals aren't there. Besides, I have the feeling I'm going to be kept busy with this job. Now go, do what you have to do, and I'll see you at lunchtime."
Emma gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek and then firmly shut the door behind her, not allowing her to have the last word.
***
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT Janice and Sam aren't here anymore. I never thought they would finally get together, let alone spend so much time flying around. Janice always seemed like such a homebody, and Sam was such a flyboy." Emma looked toward the office as if expecting to see Janice standing in the doorway.
"It's funny how things work out, but they are so happy. And Zoe has done such a fantastic job taking over the running of my company. That's why it makes it so easy to just take off when Aiden's job demands it," Megan smiled.
Emma and Megan both turned to look at the young woman sitting across from them, the subject of their discussion. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a loose, efficient ponytail, and she grinned back at them.
"I'm honored to take over Janice's position. And like you, I'm happy for her. And thank you for the vote of confidence, Megan—it means a lot." Zoe picked up a pen and paper that was sitting by her side on the table. "I think we got everything covered for the business. We've had everything laid out for the next two months with the comings and goings of the customers, so your trip won't interrupt the flow of work. Enjoy yourself and take advantage of the situation. I bet it's beautiful over there. And take lots of pictures to share with us."
Lunch had turned into more of a business lunch as Megan went over anything she thought Emma would need to know about staying on the family compound. Zoe had come over and was going over the running of the business, and Paul had popped in to report on the final stages of Emma's design studio. She was heading over there after lunch to check it out.
As usual, Megan had everything in perfect order. Her business and home life could run smoothly for up to three months at any time. That had always been her business motto, and her customers' lives were never completely interrupted by anything that might come up. Be it an unexpected school trip for Emma or now in her later years an unexpected trip with her husband. Zoe had been trained by Janice, Megan's former assistant, and the young woman could easily handle the comings and goings of the staff and customer demands. Emma watched Zoe jot down a few more notes before she got to her feet.
"I think that about covers it, Megan. I'll take care of that one last item we discussed before the day is out. You and Aiden enjoy your trip and don't worry about things back here. We're only a phone call away after all."
"Thank you, Zoe, for everything."
"I've arranged for a car to pick you and Aiden up in a couple of hours to take you to the airport. You're going to need a little extra time for loading the dogs." Zoe gave her boss a warm hug and whispered, "Enjoy yourself, and Merry Christmas."
Then she said goodbye to the two women and let herself out the back door. Emma watched her walk across the parking lot to Megan's office. "It's funny how things change. I remember when Zoe was involved in that runaway scandal and was afraid of what her future held. Now look at her. You've done a good thing with her, Mom."
Megan gave a nod as she also remembered Zoe's past. Then she realized Emma was getting up to clear the table and she put a stop to that immediately. "Leave it. The cleaning crew is coming as soon as I leave, so they'll take care of it. You and I are going out to sit by the pool and catch up."
Her tone left no room for arguments, and Emma put the plate back down on the table with a shrug. A few minutes later, the two of them were stretched out on lounge chairs soaking in the Florida sun. It was still cold, and Emma was glad she grabbed a heavy sweater to wear. "You're sure you're okay having Christmas here alone?" The worry in Megan's voice was hard to miss.
"Stop fretting, Mom. I'm hardly to be alone between Paul and his family and catching up with old friends. Time will fly by, and you'll be home before I know it. By the way, I saw Jake at Susie's on my way in. Will he take care of Aiden's office while you guys are gone?"
"Yes, I don't know how Jake does it between classes at the college and a part-time job and getting his investigator license, but he loves it. Aiden is thrilled knowing that Jake is there to manage the office so that he can take on these specialty jobs. Secretly, I think he's hoping that when Jake graduates, he will take over parts of the business."
"Well, that sure worked out well for both of them. And to think Jake and Aiden met by parking a car at the valet at the yacht club." Emma gave a soft chuckle at the memory.
"You're right, it was meant to be. Now tell me about this job you're working on—don't leave out any details." Emma pulled her sweater a little tighter around her shoulders and then told her mother about her new project. The few hours that she had with her mother sped by quickly.
Before she knew it, Aiden had returned. He put both dogs on their leashes with words of encouragement, and he was urging Megan to say her goodbyes. It was time for them to leave for the airport.