“I don’t see a problem with that.”
“Wednesday I’ve arranged for you to visit various holdings. Some will be unannounced visits,” Marcus went on. “David and Jenna are always welcome to come along if they choose to.”
“What else?” Parker asked.
“Saturday there is a dinner party at the country club. Many of your old friends have been invited, as well as Cliff’s friends and also some of the more prestigious members, who would feel offended if not invited,” Marcus said.
“Sounds like a busy week,” David said. “When do we meet with the accountants?”
Marcus looked momentarily stunned. “Any time you wish.”
“Marcus, before you leave, I’d like to discuss Justine and Sam with you.” Parker followed the attorney into the foyer.
“What about them?”
“I have no idea what their financial status may be now, but I’d like them to stay on, with full salary, to take care of the house until I can decide what to do with it,” Parker replied.
“Are you considering putting it on the market?” Marcus questioned.
“No, at least not yet. I’m taking your advice and not making any major decisions for at least a year.”
Marcus smiled. “I will let them know.”
The limo pulled up to the mall entrance and let the three out. The driver parked a short distance away in a reserved area and joined them as their shopping valet.
“You really don’t have to come with us, Howard,” Parker protested.
“Mr. Myhrum instructed me to do so, Mr. Adams. He said your shopping might get extensive and I should carry your purchases for you. Besides, while you are here, sir, I’m also your bodyguard.”
“Bodyguard? Fine. Do you know this mall, Howard?”
“Yes, sir, what are you looking for?”
“David and I will both need a couple suits and a tux. Jenna will need at least two formal dresses and business attire. Let’s start with Jenna.”
“I can’t believe we spent that much money, Parker!” Jenna protested.
“And you look beautiful in every outfit.” He smiled back at her. “What good is it to have a lot of money if we don’t spend some of it?”
Hanging in Jenna’s closet were formal and casual dresses; business suits and casual clothes; in Parker’s closet, he had pushed aside his old clothes and hung his new tuxedo, two suits, a casual sports jacket with several matching slacks, and appropriate dress shirts and neckties. David’s closet was equally as full.
The week sped by, filled with meetings, luncheons, and formal dinners. Friday was Parker and David’s meeting with the accountants.
During most of the meeting, as the accountants explained various statements, David sat silently listening. In his dark beige suit, cream-colored dress shirt, and a pale blue tie that matched his eyes, and with a freshly styled haircut, he presented a very professional figure. He asked very few questions.
“I noticed on page fourteen of holding …” David picked up the profit and loss statement, “Carlton House, there seems to be a great deal of expense for food with very little income to offset it. Can that be explained?”
“The Carlton House is a charitable location to accommodate out-of-state families who have relatives in cancer treatment or having surgery at the hospital next door,” the only female accountant at the table stiffly said, clearly offended by his young age. “The only income is from donations or fundraisers, which are down considerably because of the brutal winter weather. Yes, we are now losing money on it instead of breaking even. We’ve discussed approaching Mr. Adams about closing it.” It was increasingly obvious this was a pet project of hers.
“I see. Parker,” David turned to speak directly at him, “if operating capital is what they need, I would suggest Tucker Investments subsidizes their budget until donations pick up. I disagree with closing it.”
Parker stifled a smile and looked at the shocked woman. “Do it.”
Saturday evening was the last of the preplanned dinner parties at the country club, and the most formal of them all.
As Parker helped David with his bow-tie that matched the deep blue handkerchief in the breast pocket of his tux, Jenna came out from the dressing room. Both men stopped and stared.
Her dress, the same color as Parker’s tie, was a deep green in layers of delicate chiffon that flowed around her ankles and matched the emerald in the engagement ring Parker selected for her; diamonds dangled from her ears. Jenna looked again at the ring on her finger, still surprised they had found something so quickly, something they both liked. The narrow gold band had a single two-carat cut emerald, and the matching wedding band sported four half-carat diamonds, as did the matching groom’s ring.
“You are so beautiful,” Parker said softly. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
All eyes were on them as they entered the ballroom at the posh country club. Marcus was the first to greet them.
“The three of you make quite an entrance!” he said. “And you, my dear, are stunning.” He kissed her cheek and led them into the throng.
“Parker!” a willowy blonde called out, and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Where have you been? I’ve been lonely.” She pouted her bright red lips.
Parker gently took her by the wrists and removed her embrace. “Behave, Kathryn. I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Jenna Jones.”
“Your fiancée? Are you from the Hampton Joneses?” Kathryn slyly asked.
“No, I’m from the State Police Joneses,” Jenna answered with a smirk.
Kathryn went still and then backed up a step. “Well, congratulations, Parker. It was nice to meet you, Miss Jones.” She backed up another step, bumping into a waiter, then turned and blended in with the crowd.
“Who was that?” Jenna asked.
Parker snickered. “Just an old girlfriend, no one of any importance,” and they continued to mingle with the crowd.
A middle-aged woman approached them.
“Parker, I’m Mary, Mary Princeton.”
“Hello, Mary. This is Jenna Jones my fiancée, and my friend, David Worthington III. Do I know you?” Parker knew he didn’t.
“We’ve never met, but Cliff talked a great deal about you,” Mary said.
“You knew my father?”
“Quite well, didn’t he mention me?”
“No, he didn’t, I’m sorry.” Parker could hear the hurt and an underlying anger in her voice.
“I see. We had been seeing each other for a couple of months before that horrid storm hit, and I stayed in your house with him, and Justine and Sam, during those long awful months.” She paused. “I was with him when he died.”
“Thank you for being there for him, Mary. Cliff and I didn’t talk much after I moved north and most of our emails were business, but I’m sure in time he would have told me about your relationship.” Parker took her hand as if to shake it; instead, he just held it. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“No, but thank you.” Mary looked at him a moment longer, her disappointment obvious, then removed her hand from his, and walked away.
That night, as they lay in bed, Jenna said, “Parker, this has all been fun, but I don’t belong here and I want to go home now.” She looked at him with sad eyes.
“Me, too.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
An extra warm breeze filtered into the house through open windows, bringing with it the scent of the Spring Beauty wildflowers that carpeted the forest floor.
Jenna poured two cups of coffee and joined Parker on the front porch.
“Sure feels warm for late May. Is this normal?” Parker asked.
“Not really, but the transition from one season to the next is often
extreme,” she said, closing her eyes and enjoying the morning breeze. “So what do you want to do today?”
“I think we should go into town and have an extravagant lunch while we start planning the wedding,” Parker said, grinning.
“So soon?”
“I don’t want you to change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind, but okay. Honestly, I’ve never really thought about a big wedding. A small one would be fine by me,” Jenna said, glancing at the ring on her finger.
“I never even thought about getting married until you came along. So whatever you want,” Parker replied honestly. “With Cliff gone, I have no family left. Marcus is the closest I have to a father now, and Justine and Sam are like an aunt and uncle. And then there’s David.” Parker’s thoughts drifted away. “Even though I haven’t talked to him about it, he will be my best man of course. We should pick a date soon, so he’ll be around instead of traipsing around Egypt.”
“I’ve always found an outdoor wedding appealing, so I guess I’d like it to be before it gets too warm out.” She fanned her neck to cool the sweat beading there. “Your truck has a/c, doesn’t it?”
“David?” Parker called out, opening the big door to David’s house.
“I’m in the kitchen!” he replied.
“Oh, it’s nice and cool in here,” Jenna said to Parker. She followed Parker toward the back of the house.
“Jenna! It’s good to see you again!” David reached out and gave her a one-armed hug. They had been home from their downstate trip for over a week.
“Do you have the central air on?”
“Yeah, I’ve never cared much for heat, which is why I love living in the woods,” he answered. “And it’s looking like another warm one today. I hope it’s not like this all summer.”
“David,” Parker grinned at his friend, “Jenna and I are looking at setting the wedding date and I’d like you—and Thag—to be my best man.”
“Awesome! I’d love to. When are you thinking for the wedding?”
“We wanted to check with you first to make sure you weren’t running off to do research in Egypt or somewhere,” Parker confessed. “And since it will be a small wedding, can we have it here? Your house is bigger than mine.”
“Sure, I’d really like that. Oh, and that part of my doctorate won’t be for another year, so my social schedule is yours to fill,” David said, smiling wanly.
“What’s up, bud?”
“I haven’t heard from the twins since I picked up Thag, and I miss them,” he confessed.
“Then why don’t you call them and take them out on a date? Maybe lunch, or dinner and a movie,” Parker suggested.
“A … date?”
“David, we know you’ve been sleeping with those two beautiful girls, but now it’s time to court them,” Jenna said.
Chapter Thirty-Six
“Sheriff Callahan, I was hoping you could tell me how to get in touch with Gabe,” Parker said.
“Of course, and I know he’s anxious to talk with you too.” Tom jotted down an address on the back of his business card. “Before you go, I want to prepare you. Gabe was severely burned as a result of the crash. There is some scarring on his face and oddly nothing on his hands. However, his legs are bad and he’s still in a wheelchair. He’s made great progress, yet he may never walk again, so don’t be shocked by his condition.”
“Is there anything I can do for him?” Parker asked sincerely.
“Yes, be his friend.”
“Hey, Gabe, good to see you’re finally back from that conference!” Parker joked. “And where did you find such a lovely lady?”
“It’s really good to see you too, Parker.” Gabe stuck out his hand. “And I’d like you to meet Agatha Moses, my doctor. I convinced her to come home with me.” Gabe chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows. “And now I’ve convinced her to marry me.”
“This is a day of good news! Congratulations!” Parker grinned. “You know Jenna, right? We’re getting married too.”
“Well, looks like there are two bachelors off the market now!” Gabe shifted in his wheelchair. His lap sheet slid, exposing one scarred and twisted leg. Agatha quickly adjusted the sheet. “If it weren’t for you, Parker, I wouldn’t be here, and I don’t mean in a wheelchair. If you hadn’t come to me with those incident complaints, I wouldn’t have read my gramps journal; if I hadn’t made the connection, I wouldn’t have gotten out of my seat to call Callahan for him to warn you; and if I had stayed in my seat, I would be dead. And if I was dead, I wouldn’t have met this wonderful, beautiful woman.” He squeezed Agatha’s hand. “So, because I owe you all this, I would like to ask you to be my best man.”
“I’m speechless, Gabe. Of course, I’d be honored. Have you set a date yet?”
“No, but we would like it soon and outdoors.”
“That’s what we’re planning,” Jenna finally spoke. “Parker, why don’t we have a double ceremony?”
“I said we’d like it soon, but I’ve got a lot of rehab to do before I can dance at our wedding,” Gabe said, interrupting Jenna.
“Why don’t we all go to dinner on me and discuss this?” Parker said.
“Why don’t we order in and stay where it’s cool. You can still pay, Parker,” Gabe said, laughing.
“I’ve always meant to ask you, Gabe, why you even bothered with my complaint. Seriously, it was really minor. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciated you taking an interest and looking into it, but why? You didn’t know me, I was a stranger with a stupid problem,” Parker asked.
Gage swirled the cranberry juice in his wine glass while he thought. “I’ve asked myself that too.” He set his glass down on the table. “When I joined the sheriff’s department, it was because I wanted to help people. It didn’t matter if it was to find a murderer or a lost cat. Your problem might have been minor to me, but it was critical enough to you, for you to seek help. And that’s what counted.” He shifted in his seat before continuing. “Plus, there was sincerity and honesty about you that made me want to find answers for you. In a nutshell,” he smiled then, “I liked you!”
“Agatha,” Parker said, following her into the kitchen to get plates for the Chinese take-out that had been delivered, “how much more rehab does Gabe need? And can he get it up here?”
Agatha hesitated.
“Please, be honest with me.”
“Honestly? Yes, he could get it up here. However, it would involve amputating both of his legs from the knee down and replacing them with prosthesis since those legs will never heal. And since it’s not life-threatening, the insurance won’t cover it, and we can’t afford it,” Agatha said. “You asked for honesty.”
“Make the arrangements, Agatha. I can afford it!”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The first day of May was a record- setting ninety-eight degrees in the woods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
The parched earth soaked up the little rain that fell in June and the heat continued. July brought minimal relief in the form of thunderstorms, but those produced numerous tornados that were considered uncommon in the area and therefore most were unprepared for the devastation they caused and the summer-time flash floods that resulted. Wild fires from the lightning strikes burned hundreds of acres of woods and fields. The once lush woods looked dry and sad. Leaves crunched underfoot as though it were late fall.
Upper Michigan wasn’t the only area to suffer. State after state declared statewide emergencies as once prosperous farm fields withered and dried up. With no crops to harvest, food prices soared and unemployment right along with it. Pastures were devastated along with everything else and cattle began starving to death. Ranchers were selling or slaughtering their stock because they couldn’t afford the prices for the feed stored
from the previous years. Famine was quickly becoming a possibility.
“It’s so hot, what do you say we go to the river and do some skinny dipping to cool off?” Jenna poked Parker in the ribs.
“I hope the water isn’t too warm,” Parker said, scowling.
“I know the air is hot, but the rivers are all fed from underground springs and should still be cool, if not cold. It’s still only late June,” she insisted.
“It does sound like a good idea. I think we should take the short-cut Gabe showed us, the one using the other end of this logging road. And as silly as it sounds, I think we should take umbrellas,” Parker said.
“What for? Do you think it’s going to rain?”
“I wish it would, but it’s to keep the sun off our heads!”
They stripped down, leaving their clothes on the small footbridge, and lowered themselves into the cool river.
“This is shallower than I thought it would be, but it sure feels wonderful,” Jenna said, leaning back on her elbows to let the water run over her shoulders.
“For as high as it was running during the snow meltdown, I’m surprised it’s down so much. A little further downstream there’s a deeper spot, over there by that tree,” Parker said pointing. “We can stay in the shade, too. I don’t want you to get burnt.”
The first day of August, another record was set at one hundred ten degrees.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Maybe we can compromise on this,” Parker said, looking Jenna in the eyes. “The ceremony can be outside, under the arches and in the shade, but then we move the reception inside where it’s air-conditioned.”
Jenna frowned, wiping her brow with the lace hanky in her hand. Her pale green chiffon sleeveless dress was already sticking to her back; the mid-calf hemline clung to her bare legs.
“Sweetheart, none of us can take this kind of heat,” Parker insisted.
“David and Pythagoras look like they are ready to melt, too,” she acquiesced. “Okay, I’ll tell the caterers to set everything up inside.”
Polar Storm Page 20
