Chapter 10
By the time Peter got to his office Friday morning, the news was already public: Mayor Fleming’s Committee had made its decision. Peter would be heading the biggest historical project Boston had seen in decades.
The high ceiling of the Rowland and Michaels Architectural Firm lobby echoed with excited voices. A table with bottles on ice, paper plates, and a cake had been set up in the lobby, and Boston Tribune reporters crowded outside. Jake waited for Peter inside his glass-walled office with two plastic flutes of wine.
Peter spotted him through the pandemonium.
“You did it!” Jake shouted, hugging him.
“Who told you?”
“I called, and your receptionist gave me the good news. A toast!” They raised their glasses. “To the best friend anyone could have, a great project, and a wonderful future. Cheers!” Jake took a drink.
Peter took a sip and handed his glass to Jake. “Man, I can’t do this. I have to drive to the airport.” He checked his watch. “If I leave now, I’ll have time to grab something to eat.”
“You’re going to Colorado? Now?”
“Yep.”
“Wait a minute—what did Tara say?”
“I told her about Maddy.” Peter paused and then continued packing notebooks and folders off his desk into his bag. “I said this was something I had to do.”
“Get out!” Jake set down his glass. “How did she take it?”
“Not particularly well. I’m sorry to hurt her, but— honestly she’s just so preoccupied with the wedding and flowers and something called wedgewood that I don’t think it registered.”
“Peter, I’m surprised. You sound good. Strong.”
“I have a lot of things to fix.” Peter crossed the room, collecting paperwork. “I’m worried about Tara. She’s upset with me, I know, and the truth is she didn’t do anything wrong. She couldn’t possibly have seen this coming. At the same time I have so much work to do when I get back. I have to be in Boston when they break ground, and then there’s the possible wedding thing—”
“What do you mean, ‘possible’?”
Peter closed his bag with a snap. “I don’t know what I’m going to find, Jake.” He stood with his hands tight on the clasp. “I’m going there because it feels right. Every part of me is telling me that I am where I should be. Maybe I’m going to find Maddy, maybe I’m not. Maybe she’ll want to talk, and maybe she’ll curse me out. I have no idea. It’s been twenty years. So I’m not going to worry about that. I’m just going to go.”
Jake tipped his head, sizing Peter up. “Where did all this energy come from? You’ve been practically dead on your feet for weeks.”
“I feel like this is my time, Jake.” Peter smiled. “And this morning just confirmed things for me. I’m not going to wait anymore to do what I need to do. I’m going to jump in and get wet.”
“Why, you sexy thing, you.”
Peter laughed.
“Nah. I’m proud of you. I wish you luck.” Jake patted his shoulder. “I know this has been weighing heavy on your heart. I hope you find her, and I hope you get the closure you need to go on with your life.”
Peter gripped Jake’s hand in his. “Listen, I didn’t say anything to my family about taking the trip, only Tara and you and, obviously, Amanda.”
“She’s probably getting an earful from Tara as we speak,” Jake said, grimacing. “You know, you could’ve picked someone other than my sister-in-law.”
“I did, Jake. Remember? She just left before I got a chance to marry her.”