With that realization came concern. Emma was talking about decorating the baby's room. Catherine didn't even know where she would be living when the baby was born. She didn't want to make quick decisions. Everyone always said that was the wrong thing to do when someone dies. But Catherine didn't seem to have much of a choice. Catherine had always looked forward to having a baby and becoming a mother. This was not how it was supposed to be. Her anger at Doug welled within her.
. . .
When Monday morning came, Catherine was more than ready to get back to work. She needed to keep her mind occupied. Catherine loved her job and the people she worked with. It felt good to be back. The condolences and talk about Doug had tapered off at work. Catherine was relieved about that.
"It's so good to have you back, Catherine," her secretary, Jill, said. "We have all missed you."
"It's good to be back. I'm sure my desk is a disaster. Is there anything urgent?"
"Nothing critical happened while you were gone. There was a gentleman here to see you. Here is his card. He stopped by several times while you were gone. He was cryptic about what he wanted. He said no one else could help him. He needed to speak to you personally." Jill smiled and added, "He sure drew a lot of attention from the female population in the office. He looked like he stepped out of a James Bond movie. He was extremely handsome, and his Italian suit looked like it would cost my whole month's salary. I'm sorry I couldn't get any more information from him. He just wasn't about to tell me why he needed to see you. He said I should give you his card and that you should call when you returned."
"How interesting. It's not as if my life needs more drama!" Catherine smiled and added, "Well his card doesn't shed any light on the nature of his business. It's just his name, Max Harrodson, and his number. Guess I will have to give him a call and find out what he's after."
Catherine started toward her office. She turned and asked, "Have we heard from anyone at Droxell Outdoor Outfitters with any more questions or clarifications on the marketing plan?"
"No, everything seems to be in order. There have not been any more calls," Jill replied.
Catherine sat down. Her mind began to drift away from the work that lay before her. The mention of the Droxell account brought back to Catherine's mind the business meeting she and Alex Droxell had at The Osprey Cove Lodge just a few months ago. The purpose of this meeting had been to interview Catherine and Raynott. Alex wanted to determine if his company wanted Raynott to continue doing their marketing. The Osprey Cove Lodge had been chosen as the location for the meeting for a specific purpose. It was to determine if Catherine was the right person to prepare the plan. He needed to be sure she shared a passion for the outdoors. He wanted his marketing plan to ignite a love for the outdoors in the upcoming generation. The result of the meeting was that Catherine had gotten the 'go ahead' to prepare a marketing proposal. The proposal Catherine eventually put together exceeded the Droxells' expectations.
The business meeting between Alex Droxell and Catherine at The Osprey Cove Lodge had resulted in something more than gaining the Droxell marketing account. It had introduced Catherine to a place that she fell in love with and would want to return to. It also introduced her to Alex Droxell. An instant friendship was created. Both Alex and Catherine enjoyed being in each other's company. They wondered if they would have sought out a relationship with each other if circumstances were different. Catherine at the time was married to Doug. Alex had lost his wife and had an eight-year-old daughter.
Catherine then thought about the chance circumstances that had brought Alex and her together a second time at The Osprey Cove Lodge. The Droxells had scheduled a second meeting with Catherine, this time in Ottawa. Catherine's secretary had been unable to get a reservation in the city the night before the meeting. Catherine seized the opportunity to return to the lodge. She asked her secretary to make a reservation for the weekend at the lodge. Unbeknown to Catherine, Alex had decided to spend the weekend on the family boat, The Lady Droxell, which was moored next to the lodge. Alex was in the habit of dining at the lodge while using his boat. A lot had happened in both their lives since their prior visit at the Osprey. Catherine had been made aware of the fact that Alex had gotten engaged. She was unaware that the woman Alex thought would make the perfect wife and mother for his daughter had recently broken off the engagement. Rosalind had been unprepared and unwilling to raise an eight-year-old child, Alex's daughter. And Catherine's life had changed drastically since their last meeting. She had gone from a married wife to a pregnant widow. Both Alex and Catherine had sought out The Osprey Cove Lodge as an escape from what was happening in their lives. They chose not to reveal to each other the changes they had each undergone in their lives. When Alex entered the dining room of the lodge, he had been surprised to find Catherine there. She was seated at the corner table where they had dined together during their previous visit. After their chance meeting, they spent an enjoyable weekend at the lodge together as friends. Neither of them revealed the changes in their lives, each having good reasons for not doing so.
Catherine snapped herself out of her reflections as she looked at the pile of work on her desk. She decided the first thing that she would do was call Mr. Harrodson. She needed to find out what this mysterious, handsome man in the Italian suit wanted.
Chapter Five
Ottawa
Alex Droxell, Sr. and his wife, Julia, sat in the living room of their grand estate just outside Ottawa that they shared with their son, Alex, Jr. and his eight-year-old daughter, Libby. Alex, Jr. had moved back to the family estate after his wife, Sarah, died giving birth to Libby. The decision to move back had been made in order for his mother to assist raising Libby along with the help of their housekeeper. Julia Droxell loved Libby and was very interested in caring for her, but she was also very involved in her social activities. The decision had been made to put Libby in boarding school to allow Julia to continue the activities and lifestyle she had become accustomed to before Libby was born. Libby had just returned to boarding school for another year.
They were worried about their son. He had loved his wife, Sarah, deeply and had not desired to pursue another relationship since her death. Instead Alex had focused on helping to run the family business, Droxell Outdoor Outfitters. His father's decision to retire as president and CEO and to appoint Alex, Jr. to succeed him caused Alex to spend even more time focusing his attention on the company. However, an event occurred that changed Alex's thinking. Libby had a near miss with death falling off a horse at camp. After that, he resolved to focus more on his daughter. He concluded it was time to look for a wife and mother for Libby. To accomplish this, Alex turned his attention to Rosalind. He and Rosalind had been friends and had dated for several years. It did not take long for them to become engaged. It also did not take Rosalind long to determine that she was not prepared to take on the raising of Alex's daughter. It became clear to Rosalind that his daughter was the focal point of his life and always would be. She felt cheated to have to share Alex's attention. She abruptly broke off the engagement.
"I'm concerned about Alex." Julia said, "He has not been the same since Rosalind broke off the engagement. It's such a shame. We waited so long for him to get over Sarah -- and now this had to happen. I hope it doesn't scare him away from finding someone else."
"Don't worry about Alex, he'll be fine. He just needs some time to heal. I'm thinking about suggesting that he get out of the office and work in the field for a few months. He can visit some of our outfitters and stores. I know that Alex prefers being out in the field. It may be his last chance before I retire next year and he starts running the company."
"That sounds like a good idea. Have you discussed it with him yet?"
"No, I plan to do that today when I get to the office."
"How long would he be away? He needs to be back when the school year ends for Libby."
"I'm thinking three to four months should be enough time. He can fly back when she's home on bre
ak."
"Well, let's hope he likes the idea. I agree, it might be good for him. He needs to get his mind off his broken engagement."
As soon as Alex, Sr. got to the office, he walked over to his son's office with the intent to discuss his idea.
"Good morning, Lynn, is Alex in his office?"
"He is; go right in, Mr. Droxell."
"Hi, Son, got everything under control over here?" Alex, Sr. asked in a light manner with a smile on his face.
"As far as I can tell. As you've been saying, our division managers don't need a lot of direction. The company's running smoothly -- not many issues. Sales are up. I attribute a lot of that to our new marketing plan."
"I think you are right about that, Son, Catherine did a fantastic job on it."
The mention of Catherine's name always caused a slight stir in Alex's stomach. The reason for which, he was not quite sure.
"I have something I want to discuss with you, Alex. I was wondering what you might think of going back in the field for a few months to work with the outfitters and visit some of our stores? I'm sure it would have a positive effect on the managers to have you visit. And more importantly, I know how much you prefer working outside the office. I thought it might be good for you with all that's happened recently with this Rosalind mess."
"Well, let me give it some thought. If you think it would be good for the morale of the managers, I'll be glad to go. But you don't have to worry about me, Dad. I'm a big boy now. As far as what happened with Rosalind; that's history. It was as much my fault as hers. I should never have rushed into the engagement like that. I just felt such a strong need to get settled as a family and find a mother for Libby, I acted too rashly. It won't happen again. I give Rosalind credit for acknowledging she didn't want to enter a marriage with a child. Don't be too rough on her, Dad."
"I understand, Alex. Well, give it some thought and let me know what you decide."
. . .
Alex did decide to accept his father's suggestion to work in the field for a few months. It was true, he did prefer being out in the field to being in the office. And he knew next year, when he became CEO and president, he would need to stay in the office more. He had put on a good front for his father that the situation with Rosalind was not bothering him. The truth of the matter was that he was having trouble getting it out of his mind. He wished he had handled the whole situation differently. He kept asking himself why he had brought up Libby on the night he had planned to give her the ring. He kept thinking that he should have exposed Rosalind to Libby more, allowing time for them to bond, before rushing into the engagement.
Alex truly felt Rosalind was right for him. It would be hard to find someone like her. He remembered how she looked when he picked her up for dinner that night. He thought about how stunning and sophisticated she had looked in that black dress, with her blond hair cascading down her shoulders. He remembered thinking when she opened the door that she truly was the whole package -- intelligent, beautiful, and she loved the outdoors as much as he did. He remembered asking himself what he had done to deserve her. Well, apparently, he thought, I did not deserve her. Because she is gone. The sad thing about the situation with Rosalind was that there was no fix. Alex could not change the reason that Rosalind broke the engagement. He could not change the fact that he had an eight-year-old daughter. While his having a daughter may not have made a difference to some women, it made a big difference to Rosalind. It mattered a lot; she was unable to marry him. Alex could not change how Rosalind felt.
Alex forced himself from thinking anymore about Rosalind. He needed to move on. It was true, he needed to find a wife and mother for Libby. But he would not make the same mistake twice. He would not rush into another relationship. Perhaps his father's idea to work in the field for a while was a good idea. He thought about the different outfitters and managers he would visit. Many of them were like close friends. Yes, it was a good idea. He would enjoy it.
And perhaps while he was out in the field, he would stop by Raynott Marketing and schedule a meeting with Catherine to discuss a few ideas he had to enhance the marketing plan.
Chapter Six
MEXICAN RIVIERA
Doug startled awake drenched in sweat. He sat up in bed in his multi-million dollar villa in the Mexican Riviera; his body was shaking. He has had the recurring nightmare again. It is the same every time. The dream starts with him cruising cross country in his red Corvette. He is feeling happy and free as he heads toward his destination "X." He is ready to carry out his well-thought-out plan. The nightmare continues with him checking into a motel near "X." Then he drives his Corvette to the rental agency. He picks up the rental, leaving the Corvette in the agency lot. He then drives the rental back to the motel. After that, he takes a taxi back to the rental office to retrieve his Corvette. He feels in complete control, confident, and assured that his plan is working out just fine. He always hears his alarm clock go off at 3:00 AM in the dream. Next, he is driving the Corvette to "X." And just when he is about to put in place his plan to push the Corvette over the embankment to stage an accident killing him, a police car arrives. The nightmare continues with the police officer exiting the car along with Catherine. He then hears Catherine scream and shout, "Arrest him!" The police officer handcuffs him, and at that point, Doug wakes up, his body shaking and drenched with sweat.
Doug has had this same nightmare nearly every night since he arrived in the Mexican Riviera. Of course, the nightmare differed from the actual events. The police and Catherine never arrived as they did in the dream. Doug followed through with his plan to stage his death. He caused his Corvette to go over the embankment and burst into flames completely destroying it and all evidence of his plot. He then walked back to the motel where he retrieved the diamonds, got in the rental car and drove to the Albuquerque airport. After that, he boarded a plane to the Riviera. He ingeniously stashed his precious cargo so that it went unnoticed through security. He could now live an independent life of luxury. He no longer needed Catherine or her money. His plan was a success! He had accomplished his goal of ridding himself of Catherine and starting a new life in Puerto Vallarta.
The sun had already risen when Doug woke from his recurring nightmare. He decided to get out of bed and start the day. He walked over to the French door that opened to the balcony. The expansive view of the vivid blue water was breathtaking. Doug had views of it from nearly every room of his five bedroom, eight bath villa. The hillside villa was full of unique and impressive architectural features. The exterior had a white masonry facade filled with arched windows offset with stained wood trim. The entire upper level had a masonry porch and beautiful balustrade. The porch provided views of the beautiful Bay of Banderas, the Sierra Madre mountains and the stunning infinity pool below. The pool appeared to spill over into the blue waters of the bay. It was surrounded by a massive stone deck with comfortable seating groups where one could sit and enjoy the views. Several fountains added to the ambiance. The property also included a large, well-appointed guest house and a four-bay garage.
The inside of the villa was no less stunning. It was filled with opulence. Marble was used extensively throughout the interior -- on the floors, columns, and in some of the baths. One room had a pool table and a river stone wall. Each of the eight baths was unique. One was entirely done in stone with stained glass windows. The villa had come completely furnished. All the furnishings were lavish and impressive. Doug had purchased the villa primarily because it had a safe and a library -- two features that were most important and necessary to him. The opulence of the villa projected the image that Doug wanted. It represented all that Doug had coveted in a place to live.
The nature of Doug's recurring nightmare was a reflection of Doug's current state of mind as he began his life in the Mexican Riviera. What caused Doug anguish each time it occurred was not the impact that his actions have had on Catherine. It was the fear of being caught and punished. As in the past, Doug thought little of the pain and hea
rtache that his ingenious plan has caused Catherine. While Catherine was attempting to process what she believes is his death with grief and anger, Doug was living the high life in the Riviera. As usual, Doug's thoughts and actions revolve only around himself.
One thing that Doug was enjoying in his new home in Puerto Vallarta was that he could still go out for his Starbucks coffee each morning. He did not have to give up his double latte. The baristas were still slow in his opinion -- not that they actually were -- but Doug had no patience at all. But, unlike in New York, he did not have to rush off to work after getting his latte. Now he could do whatever he chose. So after Starbucks, he planned to see about signing up to take a scuba diving course to become certified. His desire to do this was sparked while he was vacationing in Saint Martin. Doug had become disappointed that his 'Discover Scuba' course had not certified him. One of his favorite shirts had the saying, Diving is Better in St. Martin. Doug always felt cool when he wore it. Now that he was a man of leisure -- no longer needing to work -- he would have plenty of time to learn to scuba. He might even look for a shirt that said, Diving is Better in the Mexican Riviera.
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