“I keep expecting to see Audrey Hepburn walk in,” Janie said.
They browsed the display cases. Farrin pointed to a sterling silver and gold disc pendant decorated with butterflies. “This one, please,” she said to the clerk.
When they moved on to the next case, Janie asked, “What is that like?”
“What?”
“Being able to point at something and people jump to do your bidding.”
“They’re used to it. That’s how the higher end places operate. And unlike some of their customers, I try to be grateful for the service.”
She chose an aquamarine drop pendant and matching earrings for Tammie and a diamond rose pendant for Faye to add to the butterfly pendant she’d chosen for Dara. A bit extravagant for a child perhaps, but the girl deserved it. Not that anything was going to fill the hole she’d have in her life soon.
One more piece to buy, and she had to find the perfect necklace. She moved from display to display until finally she spotted it. The ready clerk moved up to assist. “The gold and diamond dogwood,” she said. Those delicate flowers reminded her of the riot of white and pink blooms that would fill the hillsides around Oak Valley come April.
With her purchases in hand, Farrin led the way outside. “Where to now?”
Janie looked up and down the street. “I have no idea.”
They ended up window shopping at Louie Vuitton, Prada, Fendi, Gucci and Saks before heading inside St. Patrick’s Cathedral to warm up and rest.
“It’s peaceful here,” Janie said as she stared at the impressive interior and watched as the devout lighted candles in the alcoves. “Makes me never want to leave.”
Farrin knew the feeling. Even non-Catholics like herself found a type of holy calm and peace inside these walls, a stark contrast to the frantic and materialistic surroundings on all sides of the historic church.
But after a half-hour of soaking up the church’s peace, they rose and headed out the heavy front doors.
“Is there a chance we could tour your studio?” Janie asked when they were seated in the car. “I know Dara would enjoy it.”
“Absolutely.”
They picked up Tammie and the kids and made their way to the garment district. When they walked into the stark black and silver foyer with one of her latest bridal creations showcased on a central black pedestal, Dara stopped and her jaw dropped open. “Wow,” she said, extending the word in awe.
Farrin led the way into the inner studio where several more dresses were displayed and around which the business offices were located. “Everyone, this is Justine, my assistant.”
“I like your hair,” Amie said.
By the look on Tammie’s face, Farrin could tell that she wanted to tell her daughter to not even think about getting maroon highlights, not until she was forty at least.
Farrin led the little group through the two floors that made up Farrin Taylor Designs. Jason looked like he’d rather be anywhere than among all the “girly stuff” like bridal gowns and hundreds of bolts of fabric, but he remained a good sport throughout. When they reached the sewing room, the noise level went up considerably, necessitating they talk louder.
“That looks like hard work,” Dara said to one of the seamstresses.
The woman looked startled, as if she wasn’t used to someone speaking to her. She looked at Farrin as if she were going to get into trouble for pausing. Where had she gotten that idea? The image bothered Farrin as she led her friends through the rest of the tour.
When they reached Kiki in PR, Farrin left the group to listen to how they made contact with actresses in an effort to dress them for the Oscars.
“I guess your friend got good news today,” Justine said.
The horrible truth of the diagnosis rushed back. “Actually, no. But for now, we’re ignoring it so the kids can enjoy their trip and Christmas.”
“So . . . ”
Farrin met Justine’s eyes. “I’m going to be gone a lot in the next few weeks.” She still couldn’t verbalize the word. To do so would be so final.
“I’m sorry.”
“We’re going to go eat dinner after we leave here. I want my place to look like Santa himself lives there when we return.”
Justine picked up the phone. “I’m on it.”
Farrin walked into her office and was startled by how foreign it felt after her cozy spot at the inn. She still liked this one, but it was a bit like culture shock to walk into the modern space with its crisp lines and glass-topped desk. She picked up her phone. “Adam, bring me a checkbook.”
The accountant did as asked without question, making Farrin feel a bit like a dictator of a very small country. By the time the others completed the tour, she’d written fifteen sizeable checks, the larger ones for the seamstresses who were the lowest paid of all her employees. She sealed them in envelopes with the recipients’ names on the fronts. If she had to give up her home and live in her office, she would. She wasn’t going to focus on crunching numbers now. With the checks in hand, she left her office and paused by Justine’s desk.
“Please hand these out before everyone leaves today. And, Merry Christmas.”
As they walked back through the dress displays, Dara looked up at Farrin and asked, “Can I work here when I’m older?”
“You can do whatever you want.”
“I thought you were going to make maps,” Tammie said.
“Oh, I’ll do that too. I can multi-task.”
They all laughed as they stepped onto the elevator. Farrin had no doubt that Dara might do exactly that.
After dinner, the group returned to Farrin’s to find a virtual winter wonderland. Justine had outdone herself.
“Whoa!” all the kids said in unison.
“Oh, Farrin,” Tammie said. “How?”
“I know Santa,” she said with a wink.
Christmas carols played on the stereo, decorations adorned every surface, twinkling white lights hung from the ceiling like falling snowflakes. And in the corner, a fabulous tree beckoned them to examine the ornaments.
“I know it’s early, but I felt like celebrating tonight.”
“But our gifts are back home,” Dara said.
“That’s what you think.” Farrin retrieved the previously purchased items from her room, wrapped and beribboned to fit royalty.
While they drank hot chocolate, they unwrapped gifts in a fit of flying paper. When Dara picked up the little blue Tiffany’s box with her name on it, Janie inhaled. “Oh, Farrin. You shouldn’t have. It’s so expensive.”
“And she’s worth every penny.”
Janie watched in amazement as her daughter put the butterfly pendant on and smiled so wide the Cheshire Cat would have looked positively glum.
Dara and Jason watched as their mother opened her gifts from them, a hand-woven chenille scarf and a pink dress adorned with delicate, embroidered flowers around the collar.
“I thought they looked like the flowers in the book you found about the inn’s gardens,” Dara said.
Janie pulled her children to her and held them so long that they began to squirm.
“Mom,” Jason said in that whiny voice of a boy at the age when he didn’t want too much affection from his mother.
“Okay, okay, thank you. I love my presents.”
When Tammie opened her Tiffany’s box, she gasped. “They’re gorgeous. Oh, I know where I’m going to wear them, to the opening of the restaurant at the inn.”
“Just don’t be dropping them into any cake mixes,” Farrin said.
“Fine, you may tease me all you want, o’ giver of jewels.”
Tammie’s daughters rolled their eyes and went back to examining their dragonfly necklaces, each with their birthstone in the middle.
Dara eyed the space beneath the tree. “There’s one more box under there,” she said, then stretched her arm underneath the tree to retrieve one more little powder blue box. “It’s for you, Mom.”
Janie looked at Farrin with disbelief i
n her eyes, as if she must be crazy to buy expensive jewelry for a woman with only weeks to live.
“It’s a Tiffany Christmas. What can I say, they made out like bandits from me this year.”
“Farrin, I can’t.”
“Please. It’ll make me very happy.”
Janie’s hands visibly shook as she accepted the box and removed the lid. She lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound of surprise, but then she ran her fingertips over the delicate blossoms of the dogwood necklace. “I’ve never seen a prettier necklace.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“It’s like a wildflower Christmas, isn’t it?” Dara asked as she looked up at her mother.
“Yes, I think it is.”
****
To prevent Christmas back in Oak Valley from being anti-climactic, Farrin organized an evening of homemade pizzas and giant ice cream sundaes along with a stack of DVDs and announced they would watch movies until they all fell asleep. Everyone with the exception of Janie’s parents thought this a grand new tradition.
“I think it’s just disgraceful,” Farrin overheard Jewel telling Janie as the two took packages into Janie’s bedroom. “Christmas is for family and tradition, not this.”
Janie did not respond. Farrin didn’t know if she didn’t want to add fuel to the fire or was just too tired to deal with the conversation.
Gradually, eyes began to droop and guests filtered out to their cars. First Faye, Kurt, Tammie and the kids, then Drew, and finally, when she realized Janie’s parents weren’t going anywhere until there had been some “family only” time, Farrin rose from her position on the floor in front of the couch. Janie walked with her onto the landing outside the apartment.
“Do you want me to stay?” Farrin asked.
“No, I can’t avoid telling them anymore.”
Farrin hugged her, hoping to give her some strength. Even in the two days since they’d been back in Oak Valley, she’d seen Janie’s energy level drain.
“Call me if you need me.”
When Farrin reached her car, Drew was leaning against it.
“I thought you’d left.”
“No, I wanted to wait for the prettiest girl in the valley and see if I could steal a kiss.”
“What makes you think she’ll let you?”
“I’m irresistible?”
“And modest, too.”
Drew pulled her to him and kissed her, a long, lingering kiss she fell into. When he lifted his lips from hers, he stared down into her eyes. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” And then the tears came. She’d been so busy propping up everyone else that she hadn’t realized she needed some support of her own.
Drew kissed the top of her head and folded her close against him. “Shh, now.”
“Why is the world so unfair, so painful?”
“I don’t know. No one knows that answer. It’s just the way things are, and we have to learn to live with them.”
She cried against his chest, and he let her. Certainty settled on her. She loved this man, and eventually she’d deal with the consequences of that. But not tonight.
“Come on,” he said and urged her toward the passenger side of his vehicle. “I told Tammie you wouldn’t be coming back to Faye’s tonight.”
She turned and lifted onto her toes to kiss him. “Thank you.”
In the morning, reality would return. But tonight, she was going to let Drew Murphy lead her down the path through fantasy and happiness, where things as dark as death could never reach.
****
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Farrin arrived at the inn the next morning to find Janie sitting in the dining room going over the bank statement for the inn. “You don’t have to be here.”
Without looking up, Janie said, “I may not be able to work many more days, but I’m going to while I can. I don’t want to sit in my apartment and watch the clock tick off the hours of my life.”
“Okay. So, how did it go?”
“You mean the part before or after my parents yelled at me for keeping this from them and telling strangers before my own parents?”
“They do this in front of the kids?”
Janie sighed and put down the pencil. “Yes, and the kids were crying. I was crying. It was horrible.”
Farrin wanted to go give the Carlisles a substantial piece of her mind. Instead, she slid into the chair at the end of the table and took Janie’s hands. “I’m so sorry I didn’t stay. Maybe they wouldn’t have been so harsh.”
“No, I think if God himself had been sitting on my couch, they would have behaved exactly the same.”
“How were Dara and Jason this morning?”
“Tired, angry, all the things you’d expect. They wanted to stay home or come here, but I told them I wanted them to go to the library to work on their research papers because school is going to be the key to their futures.”
“You are an incredible mother, an incredible woman.”
“I didn’t feel very incredible last night. I felt thirteen and helpless again.”
Farrin had no words of wisdom, that day or the following two. On Thursday, Janie felt too bad to work, and Farrin told her to stay home and not worry about it. But to keep her mind off of the inevitable as much as possible, she took her a stack of movies, all comedies.
On Friday, Farrin flew to D.C. to be on hand for the wedding of the year. Cara Hutton looked stunning, and the First Lady managed not to be a total bitch, so Farrin counted it a successful trip. She didn’t stay for the reception but still didn’t get back to Faye’s until after midnight. She was sure she was going to look stunning for her interview with Zora Marshall in the morning.
As it turned out, her physical appearance was the least of her worries. To avoid word of Zora sightings spreading like a brush fire during a drought, Farrin arranged to have Zora and her crew meet her on Iggy Bottom Road. As Farrin stepped out of her car and stared at the remains of the trailer that had once been her home, she realized she should have come here earlier, to face the past before cameras were rolling.
Time, neglect and vandalism had taken their toll. The front door was gone, the siding was ripped and hanging askew. Broken windows, brown thigh-high weeds, someone’s busted bags of garbage. Combined with the cold winter wind, the place reeked of sadness and destitution.
She turned at the sound of an approaching vehicle and saw a large SUV rounding the bend that hid the trailer from the main road. When Zora Marshall stepped out, dressed stylishly, she looked as out of place on Iggy Bottom Road as a Burger King on the face of the moon.
Farrin forced a smile and fought the urge to turn and run toward the river.
The interview went better than she’d expected. It hadn’t been without it’s hard moments, but at least she hadn’t totally lost it and wept on camera — and she had Drew’s practice session to thank for that. After touring Zora around town, they made their final stop at the inn. Here, Farrin finally found some comfort — at least until word of Zora’s presence got out and locals started showing up. Zora was gracious, and Faye and her friends did their best to keep the crowd out of the way as the interview continued.
Zora seemed impressed by the new line of dresses and their target audience. “I think it’s fabulous.” She spun and looked at the inn’s interior. “This place has so much character, and it seems like you were meant to run it.”
She still intended to sell the inn at some point, but she didn’t mention that. Maybe Tammie and Kurt could buy it. That would be like keeping it in the family.
By the time they’d explored the entire inn, the crowd milling about hoping to see a glimpse of Zora had grown. And there among them stood Jewel Carlisle, who walked forward like the society matron she fancied herself.
“Hello, Ms. Marshall. I’m Jewel Carlisle, and I’d like to welcome you to Oak Valley. We weren’t aware of your visit, but if you’d like a tour or to talk about our town, I’d be happy to help you.”
“
Farrin has been lovely in showing me the places that are pertinent to the piece we’re doing.”
“About the inn?”
Zora mmmed a noncommittal answer.
“It’s a fabulous historic structure. Many of our long-time residents are now enjoying starting businesses here.”
Farrin seethed, not only because Jewel was trying to stick her nose in where it didn’t belong, but also how she’d treated Janie. But with all these people watching, Farrin couldn’t tell the other woman what a worthless human being she thought she was.
“Jewel Carlisle, yes, I’ve heard that name recently. I believe you’ve been in contact with one of my colleagues, Katrina Wellington.”
Jewel froze.
“Television, it’s such a small business really, even though you wouldn’t think so. Staffers are constantly going back and forth between shows. We’re all a bit nomad, I think.”
Zora continued to be her normal pleasant self, but she got her point across. Jewel forced a smile, wished Zora a nice visit, then turned and walked out of the inn as if she were the Queen of England walking away from yet another distasteful antic performed by one of her relatives.
Zora huffed where only Farrin could hear her. “One in every crowd, in every town.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. Felt good.”
After Zora left and all the curious of the community soon afterward, Farrin retreated to her office and dropped into her chair. For better or worse, it was over. The past two days had been nothing but a blur and only now did the world begin to slow around her.
When she heard footsteps in the entry hall, she nearly closed her door and hid. But the only other people here were Faye and Opal, and they were busy working on the restaurant details.
Farrin looked up to see Jewel Carlisle standing in the doorway. Gone was the community representative who’d stood in that very hallway only a couple of hours before. Now she looked more like an angry viper.
“I do not appreciate being made to look the fool.”
“Seems to me you brought it on yourself.” Farrin looked down at the work on her desk, hoping Jewel would leave.
Dress Me in Wildflowers Page 22
