by Brenda Dugas
All too soon the evening ended and after the drive back to Rockport, Sam and Leah fell into bed exhausted from the long day.
After sleeping in, the two enjoyed a late breakfast and then headed off to church.
“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” Leah realized that Sam was speaking to her as the choir belted out their final hymn.
“Do you know that woman in the blue jacket? She’s trying to get your attention.”
Leah didn’t usually attend this service, so she doubted that she knew anyone here.
“Well, I see you’re here for the late service this morning, too… up late last night were you?” Mrs. Croft seemed to know exactly what had kept her up so late. Leah suddenly felt her cheeks get hot and just answered her with a smile.
Once in the parking lot they started to head off in different directions to their vehicles. Mrs. Croft leaned forward and whispered “Don’t give up, Sweetie. He’ll be worth it, I’m sure. That woman only wants his money anyway! She’ll be gone soon, but ‘til that day comes, there’ll be war on the home front…that’s what kept me awake last night.” She winked and turned away.
Chapter 11
Leah was sad the weekend had ended as the two headed out the driveway together. Sam would drop her off at work and use the Blazer to run errands. Leah made sure her friend had adequate directions and had fully charged her cell phone before dropping her off at the main entrance. She waved as Sam drove away.
As she entered the Administration Building, there was excitement in the air. Word had spread that Melissa would be visiting later in the week to introduce Baby Elise to her coworkers. Plans were being made for a belated baby shower since the sex of the baby had remained a surprise and Melissa had begun her maternity leave much sooner than anyone had anticipated. Liz had assumed the role of organizing the shower, meticulously compiling a list of food, decorations, and gift items.
It was assumed that Melissa would also be meeting with Slade to discuss her impending return to work. Leah had never met her. Under the circumstances, she found it difficult to share in the excitement, knowing that her job would end when Melissa resumed her duties. She tried to stay busy with the task at hand, and avoided the kitchen area where her coworkers were likely to group up to discuss the shower. She tried to gauge Slade’s reaction to the news, but he showed no sign that anything was out of the ordinary. Normalcy seemed to return as the day went on. No airplanes.
Leah was engrossed in her work when her cell buzzed a text message. She looked down at the screen. While at work, she normally kept the phone off, but with Sam still learning her way around, she’d decided to keep it set on vibrate. She rolled her eyes in disgust. Why can’t he just leave me alone! Looking up she caught Liz watching her curiously through the open door.
Quickly regaining her composure, Liz handed her a list, “You weren’t in the lunchroom while we were planning the baby shower, so I thought I’d bring this gift list by. These are the items that haven’t been spoken for yet. If you would rather, you can just go in on a gift card. I know you haven’t met Melissa yet, but you will still be here for the shower, and we didn’t want you to feel left out.” Leah politely thanked Liz for her thoughtfulness, picking up on the “you’ll still be here.” You’re counting the days, I’m sure, she wanted to say, but instead she walked to the back of the office, to the small coat closet to find her purse.
“Actually, neither Ms. Liles nor I will be here for the rest of the week.” Neither had noticed that Slade’s door had opened and he had been listening to the exchange between the two. “We’ll both be attending meetings in advance of the upcoming union contract vote at the Great Lakes Facility. Leah, I apologize for the short notice, however we’ll need to leave early tomorrow morning. Please begin making arrangements to come along. I'll need your assistance. I'm assigning you the responsibility of recording all meeting minutes and tracking our progress on action items. Please make arrangements to be away through the end of the week. Instead of reporting to the office tomorrow morning, we’ll meet in the parking lot and travel to the airport. We’ll be traveling by corporate jet.”
He took the list from Liz, who was once again left speechless at what she had just heard. Taking several large bills from his wallet, he handed them to her saying, “This should cover a nice gift from the office staff. Ms. Liles, I need to meet with you, now please. I’d like to fill you in on the details of this project.”
Leah, still trying to digest this news, followed Slade into his office. He closed the door behind them, leaving Liz still standing dumbfounded at Leah’s desk. As Slade’s heavy mahogany door closed behind them, Leah’s cell phone buzzed again with a new message…
***
“You’ll be gone all week! Just you and Slade? You need to make the most of that time! Wow!” Sam exclaimed. “Now, don’t worry about your 'BFF', Sam… here in a strange town… all alone,” she teased.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea… I’ll leave you in very good hands! I’m sure Dustin will be here to keep you company and make sure you stay out of trouble!” Leah’s thoughts turned to Liz Michaels... bet she’d love this idea! Paybacks, my friend!
Sam blushed at the thought. “I guess that won’t be so bad.” she beamed. “By the way, I tried to call your cell phone to see if you wanted me to pick up something for dinner, but you didn’t answer.”
“Oh, where is my phone? I’m glad you didn’t need directions. I guess I should check to see if I’ve missed anything else.” Leah looked in her purse. “Darn, I must have left it on my desk. Oh well, it’s probably just full of text messages from Craig anyway. He was driving me crazy while I was trying to work today. That man just can’t take ‘NO’ for an answer! Oh dang, and my office is locked, I won’t be able to look for it until we get back. Maybe by then he’ll get tired of texting me and not getting a response, this may work out well after all! I’ll have to leave you with Slade’s number in case you need to get in touch with me.”
“Hopefully, Slade won’t be in a panic because he can’t reach you again!”
“I don’t expect to hear from him this evening. He’s been really busy getting things together for these meetings.”
As Leah drove into the parking lot the next morning, Slade’s car was already parked in its designated spot. He stood beside it waiting to unload her luggage. Dustin had been getting last minute instructions from Slade; he now leaned down to rest his arm on the open car window, chatting with Sam. Leah bid them a hasty goodbye as Slade added her bags to the stack that was already loaded in his vehicle. He opened the door of his car, and as Leah slid into the passenger seat, she noticed Liz peeking through her office window. Aware that she had been noticed, she quickly closed the blinds, to make it appear that she was trying to shut out the morning sun. Leah was sure that wasn’t the case… hope you got your eyes full! She smiled cattily to herself.
The other woman had indeed seen enough. She texted a message: We need to meet for lunch today. They’ll be back next week, so we need to get moving. And whatever plan we come up with needs to take her AND this new girl out! The response came through immediately: “Agreed!”
On their way to the airport, Slade filled Leah in on meetings that were scheduled for the upcoming days; items that were up for discussion, points that were negotiable, and positions the Company planned to hold firm. This was all new to Leah, and she felt a little intimidated but she took notes. Slade must have sensed her apprehension, and squeezed her hand. His confident smile erased any sense of anxiety. “You’re going to do great.” The topic then changed from work to more personal matters. Had Sam settled in? What were her plans while Leah was away? He once again apologized for stealing her. “I’m not that sorry,” he added with a wink.
Neither am I.
***
The two women had decided to meet for lunch at the seaside park instead of a restaurant, fearing they might be overheard.
“So, how on earth did you manage to get her cell phone?”
“She left it on her desk to follow Slade into his office. I wouldn’t have even noticed it, but a text message came through right at that second. It was like a sign I should take it! His door was closed, so it was a perfect opportunity. I knew by the way those two looked at each other that they wouldn’t be coming out right away!” Ok, so that wasn’t exactly the truth… but it had the desired effect on the other woman, who had been busy reading the missed text messages.
“Oh, interesting, it appears Leah has an ex-fiancé. Let’s help her out with that, shall we? Let’s have a little fun with broken hearted Romeo here!” She texted a message, “Of course I’m still in love with you! I was just confused. It would be great if we could just pick up where we left off.” She hit the send button. There was an immediate response.
It was easy enough to keep flirtatious responses flowing until Craig began asking more detailed questions. Had she met with a realtor yet to sign an agreement to sell the house? What house? And when there was no response, he continued with his questions … “Surely you didn’t plan to keep it, did you?” They looked at each other “um ...whatever you think is best,” she responded.
“Does this mean you’ll take the ring back, the wedding is on?”
“Yes, I know now you are the ONLY one for me.”
“We’d better tell him we’re losing the battery, so he doesn’t get suspicious.” Liz chimed in nervously. Alaine fired one last text message and turned the ringer off. “This was even easier than I hoped it would be! This worked out perfectly since the detective came up with nothing on her!” Alaine whispered victoriously. Pleased with themselves, the two women went their separate ways.
***
Craig Warner sneered sarcastically to himself as he sat in his office, looking satisfactorily down at his cell phone. He knew Leah better than she knew herself! She was like a love starved puppy, and would be eating out of his hand again before much longer. He congratulated himself on his patience and persistence. Instead of showing the anger and frustration he had actually been feeling, his text messages had been all “valentines and love letters”, coaxing and begging her to come back. She’s so easy to control!
The responses he was finally getting this morning assured him that she was back in the palm of his hand, where he had always known she would return. He was sure now that it was just a matter of time before she would be ready to move ahead with the wedding.
The return messages had slowed down when he asked when the house in New England would be ready to put on the market for sale. He finally got a message that the battery was low and she wasn’t near a charger. Then the responses stopped altogether, but no matter… mission accomplished! Maybe I’ll stop texting her for a while now. When I show up at her door to bring her ring back, she’ll be totally surprised!
Chapter 12
The skies were clear and the flight was only a couple of hours long. “Mr. Coleman, your car is ready.” A young man ran out to assist the two with luggage and they quickly made their way out of the airport, and headed for their hotel. While enjoying lunch at the hotel Bistro, her thoughts turned to a different day… the day she had seen Slade having lunch with “the blonde”, whom she now knew to be Alaine Anderson. Where was she these days? Leah wondered if she knew they were traveling together. If so, she was sure Alaine wouldn’t be happy! And what had caused Ms. Croft so much grief that previous Saturday night? The unanswered questions were beginning to weigh heavily on her mind the more she was beginning to accept that she had real feelings for this man. These feelings were different somehow and a little scary at times. Those fears were easily dismissed though every time he walked into the room. How does he do that?
Slade checked in and after tipping the porter, handed Leah keys to her room. “I’m right across the hall, if you need anything. Let’s meet in the lobby in half an hour. The facility is about five minutes away, and we’ll have the first meeting at 2:30 this afternoon. Please come prepared to take notes.” He opened the door across the hall, and Leah was left alone to settle into her room.
Her suite was big and open with a beautiful view of the city. The modern décor and beautiful furnishings in the room left Leah thinking that she could get used to this! She noticed the spa menu on the end table and pictured herself and Slade in couples massage. I’ve really got to get a grip. This man’s driving me crazy!
The week brought more stress than she anticipated; meeting after meeting, one dinner with Union and Company executives after another. With such a strenuous schedule, most evenings ended early. Leah would lie in her beautifully dressed bed and picture how her life would be if she and Slade were a real couple. How was Melissa Sims going to be able to keep up this kind of schedule with a new baby? Did Slade think she did a good job assisting him? Leah usually felt like she blended into the wall paper, just the note taker in the background of the business negotiations. She caught herself staring at Slade a couple times, amazed by his ability to warm the atmosphere and work out agreements that left everyone satisfied. He is an impressive businessman. It was tedious work but each night left her wondering what would be left between herself and Slade after Melissa returned.
When the two left the Great Lakes facility on Friday afternoon he seemed pleased with the progress and as happy as she was that the week was complete. On Saturday, he surprised Leah by booking a much needed spa day for her. He can read minds too? If so, he forgot one BIG detail- himself! She was so excited but had to admit she’d have loved spending more time alone with him. The facial and hot stone massage was heavenly and she was sure she was good for nothing when she walked out with her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun, still wrapped in her spa robe, to find him waiting for her in the relaxation area.
Leah quickly combed back stray hair with her fingers and clutched her robe with a sudden feeling of self-consciousness. Slade smiled at her, amused at her discomfort, and asked how she enjoyed her spa treatments. He was also in a hotel spa robe so she concluded that he’d treated himself to a little de-stress massage too… lucky masseuse!
His hair was perfectly tossed and it made him even more attractive. Dang! It’s not fair… men look great with bed head and I just look like a goof! He motioned for her to join him and enjoy a cup of hot herbal tea. Leah relaxed as they sat together on the plush sofa taking in the view of the harbor across from the hotel, enjoying the sound of the fountains in the room and the wonderful aroma of exotic oils.
“Thank you for joining me on such short notice, Leah. I’ve been thinking a lot, and I really feel like we make a good … team.”
“Oh, good! I wasn’t sure I’d be able to assist you as well as Melissa does.”
“That’s not what I meant, Leah.” For the first time she could swear Slade’s face burned red. Since it was quite cool in the room, Leah began to realize what he was trying to say. His amber eyes stared straight into hers “I want you in my life. Not just my office.”
Leah was pretty sure she still looked goofy with the grin that spread across her face. It was hard to contain how happy his revelation made her. All she could do in response was hug him and kiss him softly. She was pretty sure she made the point that she liked this idea very much!
“So, that’s a ‘YES’ then?” he smiled down at her, moving a fallen strand of chestnut hair away from her face. He stared into her eyes and it was as if she heard the old familiar voice from somewhere deep inside her: “When it’s the right one, you’ll just know it, Child.”
“Definitely… a YES!”
“Thank God! I’ve been trying to figure out how to ask you this since the day we left Rockport. You’re not that easy to read, Lady. You make me nervous! I seem to have a way of offending you,” he teased. “Don’t want to do that again!”
“What? Slade Coleman doesn’t get nervous!” Her childlike laughter made him smile. He finally acknowledged there was something about this woman that had driven him crazy since the day he had first laid eyes on her. He was so relieved she was feeling the same way. With Alaine o
ut of the way, he could now finally picture his future. Leah always seemed to show up in that picture.
The two of them talked for hours and she filled him in on her childhood, losing her beloved neighbor, and how she ended up with the Mullen cottage. He explained the family business and how Alaine’s father had, until very recently, been a partner. He told her about his concern for Mr. Anderson’s daughter, and that he felt she was a little unstable. Leah was relieved hearing Slade finally clarify that his feelings for this woman were nothing more than a brother like concern. He did warn her though, that Alaine had made it clear she wasn’t moving forward with her own life without a fight. Apparently she did not see him as a brother! He had tried to explain as gently as possible last Saturday that it was time she move her belongings out of the Coleman estate. He even hired a moving truck. This only made her angrier. He set her up in the nicest hotel in the city, but she was still furious that he was forcing her out of their home. “The woman is delusional!” It was nice to finally hear that Alaine was not a threat.
She thought back to Ms. Croft’s mention of “war on the home front.” Guess she found out he was on a date with me! Leah started to bring up her own unstable, delusional ex and broken engagement but today had been simply perfect and she didn’t want to allow Craig to ruin that too. She had wasted enough moments of her life on Craig Warner!
The surprises continued with a walking tour of a local winery and a wonderful candle lit very romantic dinner in a quaint Italian restaurant that came highly recommended by the hotel concierge. The dimly lit booth in the back kept the intimate conversation and the kisses coming regularly. Someone pinch me! No don’t… I never want this to end!
