It was Josh’s cell phone. They had overslept and James was calling, reminding Josh they were supposed to meet him at her mother’s house fifteen minutes ago. Josh sprang from bed, brushing his teeth and dressing at breakneck speeds.
Groggily, Honor organized a mental checklist. “Take the house key. You guys get started and I’ll join you in a little while, after I call James’ attorney to schedule an appointment. I can get Cody dressed and fed and bring him with me, if you move his car-seat into my rental car.”
“Sounds like a plan, but how about I just take your car and leave you my truck?” Josh stopped, sensing something was wrong. “Is everything alright?”
“Last night’s trip into the spirit world was, um… troubling. But it’s too long a story to tell with James waiting for you.”
Josh sat down by her. “He can wait if you need to talk.”
Honor smiled at the sweet gesture. “Don’t be silly. I’m fine. We’ll catch-up later.”
Josh stood. “Okay, if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
With that, Josh grabbed her keys from beside his, gave her a quick kiss goodbye, and dashed out the door.
Honor laid back on her pillows, thinking about Darcy’s predicament and wondering what she was supposed to learn from all this. She thought she had solved the mystery of her association with Darcy. After all, she and Darcy had both fallen in love after they had been married to someone else. So why was Darcy’s spirit continuing to visit her, sharing such private and painful memories?
Honor drifted back to sleep, and was thrilled to find the older versions of both Margaret and Darcy sitting at the parlor table in her room. Excited to learn the answers to her questions, Honor sat down with them.
Sadly, Margaret was just about to speak when Cody started waking up. As Honor fell back through the fog into her own bed again, she heard Margaret say, “You are only beginning to learn what you need to know. Be patient.”
Moments later, Cody was at her bedside, complaining about the cold. She oriented herself as quickly as possible, then reached down and grabbed him, pulling him under her covers while tickling him, making him squeal with delight.
“Tickling should warm you up! Let me know when you’re warm and I’ll stop!”
“I’m warm! I’m warm!” he howled.
She hugged him as he calmed down. “Your Daddy is already at my mom’s house with Uncle James, and we’re going to meet them there after breakfast.”
“I want pancakes,” Cody announced, without missing a beat.
Honor tickled him again. “You’re going to turn into a pancake if you’re not careful!”
Honor dressed Cody in Spiderman-adorned clothes, from his underwear to his tee-shirt. “Who taught you so much about Spiderman?”
“I don’t know,” he replied absently.
Honor decided to pursue the question from a different angle. “I thought your mommy, Amy, taught you about using spider webs to keep the bad dreams away when you slept.”
“Un-huh… ghosts can’t bother me under a web.”
Honor continued to gently pry. “What else does your mommy say?”
“She can’t move to Florida, but she said I shouldn’t be sad because she’ll keep watching over me from heaven.” After a moment, he added wistfully, “but I don’t think she’ll be able to sing me Happy Birthday from there.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Honor promised, “If she can’t, then I’ll sing it to you twice, Cody. Once from me and once from her.”
Cody brightened. “Two Happy Birthdays…one from Mommy Amy and one from Mommy Honor.” Honor was startled to hear him call her Mommy, but she liked the sound of it.
The new “Mommy” title was still fresh in her mind when the waitress asked what her son would like for breakfast. Cody grinned when she winked at him. “He’ll have pancakes,” she said.
***
By the time Honor and Cody arrived at her mother’s house, the two men had nearly finished their survey of home repair recommendations.
Cody ran to Josh, shouting, “Daddy, did you know Honor can drive your truck?”
Josh reached down for his son. “Well, good morning to you, too! Do you think Honor drives as good as Daddy?”
“Yeah,” Cody replied.
Josh started to tickle him. “What? Are you sure about that?”
Cody squealed with laughter. “No! You drive better!”
Josh set the still-laughing child back on his feet. “That’s more like it.” Then he held his hand up in a tickle-threatening claw at Honor. “And what about you? Who do you think drives better?”
Honor grabbed his hand and kissed him hello. “Why don’t we call it a tie?”
“Sure… use your womanly wiles on me to win the argument, see if I care.” Josh pulled her close and kissed her again; more deeply.
James turned to Cody. “Are they always so mushy?”
“Yep… all the time,” Cody frowned, shaking his head.
James joined in, shaking his head in mock disgust.
Turning back to the couple, James got down to business. “Honor, my brother was right. This home is a beauty, but it does need some work.”
He and Josh walked her through the house to show her their repair and remodeling recommendations. Honor was impressed with how much Josh knew about vintage home restoration. Some of the rooms just required a fresh coat of paint, but the kitchen and bathrooms called for major renovations. Also, the wood floors needed to be refinished, the pool deck would have to be replaced and the entire yard required landscaping.
Just as they finished their summary, Sarah Jacobs returned Honor’s phone call. In her message earlier that morning, Honor had requested that Sarah contact Leon Goldstein on her behalf.
Sarah wasted little time on pleasantries. “Leon’s sending me copies of all relevant documents via overnight mail, but in the meantime, he faxed me the corporation structure summary and your non-compete agreement.” She paused. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Honor, but from what I’ve read so far, the structure of your corporation is so biased in favor of your ex-husband, that Leon should have been ashamed of himself for allowing you to participate in the process without legal representation. Frankly, the terms of your non-compete agreement are some of the most onerous I’ve ever read.”
Honor’s heart sank.
Having delivered the worst of the news, Sarah softened. “This is serious, but I don’t want you to become disheartened. When corporate paperwork is so obviously full of ill-intent, it can actually be easier to get a judge to side with the plaintiff than when the wording is more or less evenly weighted. I need some time to study the detailed documents when they arrive, but would you be available to meet with me later this week?”
Numbly, Honor agreed, the reality of her situation finally beginning to sink in. She hung up and told Josh and James about Sarah’s findings.
Josh hugged her close. “I know things look bad right now, but I’m sure everything will work out.”
“My brother’s right. If anyone can find a way out of a contract dispute, it’s Sarah,” James encouraged.
Determined to shake off her increasing sense of dread with regard to Soft Fix, Honor nodded and changed the subject. “About the renovation; I know all the Js are in the construction business, but I’m not sure who does what. I mean, do they handle all the types of work I need to have done?”
“James, you know more about what everyone does than I do… you tell her.”
James nodded and began, “Well, you already know that Josh and I are general contractors, but where I specialize in new construction and additions, Josh here prefers renovating old houses. Personally, that kind of work makes me crazy, because you never know what kind of damage you’re going to find when you open up an old wall.” He nodded at his brother. “But Josh has a real knack for being able to tell if the basic structure of a house is solid or not.”
Josh smiled at the compliment.
“I’m the oldest of the Js, named after my Dad. The second oldest, John, is an architect. Like Josh, he prefers restoring historic homes and buildings. You can bet he’s going to want to work on this project! He’s really good, but you can’t tell him that, because his head is big enough already.” He and Josh shared a brotherly laugh.
“Next in line is Jacob. He handles landscaping, outdoor lighting and installs pavers.” James turned to Josh. “Everyone wants paved driveways and decorative retention walls these days. Jacob says pavers account for over half of his work this year.”
Josh raised his eyebrows. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of paving work since I’ve been back in town, but I had no idea the industry has grown that much.”
Honor interrupted. “Before you go off on a tangent, who’s next in line?”
“Okay, let’s see…where was I? Oh yeah, next are Jeff and Jeremy, the twins. They’re in business together. They build swimming pools, decks, and irrigation systems.” He turned to Josh. “I swear those boys are happiest when they’re hip deep in dirt, installing a job.”
Josh nodded. “You know, it makes sense, given the way they kept their room when we were growing up.”
“You’re right!” James chuckled. “Anyway, next is Jesse, who’s a plumber, and then Jerrod, who’s an amazing electrician.” Again, he turned to Josh. “You should see the automated theater room he just designed for an estate in Indian Rocks.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“It’s spectacular. Remind me to tell you about it later.” Shifting his attention back to Honor, James continued, “Next in line is Justin, who, like the twins, prefers to work outside. He specializes in gutter system and screened enclosure installations, but he also does rescreening work…especially after an active hurricane season. A few years ago, he formed a partnership with a contractor who installs emergency power generators. They dubbed themselves the Storm Chasers, since they get so much work after a good storm blows through.” He grinned. “Oh yeah…I almost forgot. You’ll love this, Josh… his partner’s name is Joel Jenkins and they call him JJ!”
When their outburst of laughter subsided, James rubbed his chin, trying to remember where he left off. “Hmmm…let’s see. Next there’s Joseph, who’s an independent framer and dry wall hanger. Then, of course, there’s Josh here. He’s the only one of us who ever left Florida. But, hallelujah, he finally figured out what a mistake he made and has agreed to move back here where he belongs! Finally, there’s Jason, the baby of the family. He does concrete foundation and block work. And that’s it…that’s all the Js.”
Puzzled, Honor studied Josh. Why didn’t he tell James that he decided to move to Chicago? And why was he avoiding making eye contact with her? Then she understood. It was simple. He had changed his mind. Not that she could blame him. After all, why wouldn’t he want to live close to his wonderful family? It would be good for Cody, and Josh could work year-round in this weather. Still, she was reeling. His decision meant she would soon be returning to Chicago alone. Their relationship had just been a vacation fling after all.