Katie tapped her fingers impatiently against the counter as she waited for the Keurig to finish dripping. When her mug was finally full, she carried her coffee out to the new wraparound deck. Building this house had been both exhilarating and grueling. While she loved working with the famous architect, Jasmit Tan, her overzealous dedication to the project and her spending had rattled her marriage. Standing out on the deck with her coffee in hand, she admired the magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, a panoramic vista that made the ordeal worth it.
“Mom!” Willa called from inside. “Your phone is buzzing.”
Katie reluctantly pulled her attention from the distant ocean and headed back inside. She picked up her phone from the counter and brought it to her ear. “Shane? Why are you calling so early? It’s not even seven.”
“Don’t talk to me about early,” her brother groaned. “The baby had me up all night. I overslept because I kept hitting snooze on my alarm. Now, I’m running late for work. And what do I find? A dead battery.”
“And you called me why?”
“I need you to come get me and Carson, drop him off at daycare and take me to the boat landing. Hopefully, Uncle Jack will hold the tour for me.”
Katie sighed and weighed her answer. She wanted to argue she had a long list of things to do. Frankly, her schedule since completing the house was fairly light. She could run the gift shop and the tours in her sleep. “So, little brother. What’s in it for me?”
“I’ll love you forever?”
That made Katie laugh. “You already do.”
She hung up and dumped her now cold coffee into the sink.
Willa crammed her math book inside her backpack. “You know, if I had my driver’s license, I could play chauffeur to Uncle Shane. And I could do the grocery shopping. And—”
Katie held up her hands. “Okay, okay. Message received. Same message I received yesterday and the day before.”
“Well, I’m just saying.” Her daughter scooped up her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. She gave Katie a peck on the cheek before heading out to meet the school bus.
“See you tonight,” Katie called after her.
Katie grabbed her set of keys and slipped the strap of her purse over her shoulder. She bent to pick up Noelle. “Do Mommy a favor, sweetheart. Stay little. We can’t afford teenagers on our car insurance.”
Noelle’s eyes lit up. “Zoom, zoom!”
As Katie headed out the door, she nearly ran into her mother who stood ready to ring the doorbell. “Mom? What are you doing here?”
“Have you heard from Christel? She hasn’t shown up to work and we have a meeting in a little over an hour from now with that new golf course architect, the one who used to work with Rees Jones.” She lifted her wrist and checked her Apple watch. “It’s not like her to be late.”
Katie pulled the door closed and locked it. “Did you try calling her?”
Her mother nodded. “Several times.”
“Well, she had a big date with Evan last night, I do know that. Maybe they had a long night and she simply overslept and isn’t answering her phone messages.” She gave her mom a wink. “Or, maybe he’s still there.”
Ava waved off the suggestion. “More than a mother needs to know.”
An idea spawned. “Look, I have to go get Shane and Carson. But, if you want, I can rush back. I’ll attend the meeting with you.”
Her mother looked reluctant. “Oh, I don’t know. Christel has all the financials. Maybe I should postpone until this afternoon.”
“She sent me the P&L projections too. While I won’t be able to provide input on the budgets, I can take careful notes until Christel shows up. That will free you to focus on your exchange with the designer.” Besides, Katie thought, I could use the mental stimulation. She might not be an attorney or accountant, but she was fully capable of providing valuable input on this kind of project. Hadn’t she just built a house that was enviable in architectural circles? She could do this.
She stared at her mom, waiting.
“I guess it couldn’t hurt,” her mother conceded. “If you think you can get back before he arrives.”
Katie’s face broke into a bright grin. “I will absolutely be back in time.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and rushed for her car.
Perhaps it was time to reconsider and let Willa get her driver’s license. Might come in handy for times just like today.
Christel drummed her fingers on the armrest. “How long before we land?” she asked Evan for the fourth time.
“Honey, we can’t make the plane go any faster.”
Christel groaned and leaned her head against the seatback. “I can’t believe I forgot about that meeting.” She grabbed her phone and tried to send her text again only to get another error message.
Evan reached over and lightly rubbed the back of her neck. “No cell service in the air,” he reminded.
Christel knew that. She simply wasn’t thinking. Her nerves were off the charts. She hadn’t felt like this since oversleeping on the morning of an important exam in college. She hated that feeling in her gut, the one that reminded her she was dropping a ball and letting someone down with little control to change it.
“Do I need to remind you, Mrs. Matisse, that we are still officially on our honeymoon?” Evan’s eyes twinkled as he took her hand and squeezed it.
Christel stifled a moan. “I should never have agreed to stay over another night.” She looked over at her new husband. “Guess I just got swept away. My good-looking husband has that effect on me,” she teased.
There was little she could do about missing that meeting. She needed to let it go.
Even so, she lifted her wrist and checked her watch again.