A Toy for Christmas
Page 19
“GK—he’d train the staff, some new hires, oversee the operation...it’s in Jacksonville, a little over an hour from here.” Frank picked up a seashell, threw it into the surf rolling over his sneakers. “He could bunk there until the holiday orders are filled. Geez, he could also do a quick sheet of directions for a couple of games for the kids to play with Pigeon.”
“Michael can make a video—a toy drone under the Christmas tree, people giving Pigeon to friends at a holiday party,” Tavis said. “Packaging. What do we do about packaging?”
“You and I,” Frank said. “GK designs the graphics…boxes. Direction sheets inside. Wait. I know a shop, the man’s been in business forever. He’s right here in our backyard. He can produce a box for anything…ready to ship. We’ll do all the assembly of the orders in our new space…GK transports the finished toys here. You and I box ‘em up, ship ‘em out. In the meantime you and I start hiring. Slow at first. GK will tell us the assembly tricks. Then put together the whole process here, in our space, by the first of the year…January or February. Launch Mercury.”
“Uh, oh, what about all the parts, the components,” Tavis said.
“I already have suppliers lined up. Don’t forget I thought the conference was going to turn out big…I just didn’t know Pigeon was going to be the first big draw.” Frank brushed off his sneakers. “We’ll split the list. See what suppliers can handle a fast ramp up.”
“Hopefully, we’ll need a fast ramp up,” Tavis said running out to the surf to wash the sand off his sneakers, walking back on bare feet to join Frank.
“Frank, Aunt Jane and Grandpa Bernie are saviors, our saviors,” Tavis said.
“Yes, they are. Beat you to the terrace and another glass of champagne.” Frank took off like a shot.
Tavis just stood there, his sight blurred with the vision of Charley looking down the boardwalk at him. An angel in a white dress, waves of shining dark auburn hair framing her face, pink stain on her soft lips. He couldn’t move. Nothing from his past could kill this moment. He wanted this woman to be with him the rest of their lives. She had more to do, more to accomplish, as did he. He counted his blessings that he found her. Working with her brother she would be close by, he’d be able to see her often. He knew he couldn’t rush her, but that was okay. He was a patient man by nature. He would wait for her to come to him.
Striding up the boardwalk, he took her in his arms lifting her to her toes, he kissed her. A polite kiss—short and sweet. After all, they were surrounded by family and friends.
“I guess I’d better be going,” Tavis said setting her down firmly on her feet.
“Oh, so soon?” she said regaining her composure, smoothing her dress with a wave of her hand.
“I had a call last night from the Springers. Their extended visit to Death Valley is over. They expect to be home tonight. I have a little cleaning up to do but I did put some dinner in the fridge for Bentley and me. There’s plenty for another person. Charley, if you’d like to have dinner with us we’d love the company.”
On tiptoe she kissed his cheek, her eyes melting into his. “I’d like that.” Charley turned to her family sitting under the umbrella table. “What do you say, Dad? Think Mom and Frankie can take care of you and Grandpa Bernie, keep you two out of trouble if I leave to have dinner with Tavis?”
“I think so child,” Geoff said.
“By the way Mom, if you haven’t rented out my room, can I come home?”
“Of course, dear. I just put out a new bed set, curtains to match,” Dottie said walking to her daughter, drawing her into a warm hug. “That would be wonderful.”
Charley walked to Geoff, kissed his cheek. “How about you, Dad…can I move back home?”
Geoff reached for her hand giving it a squeeze. “You bet. The sooner the better.”
The End
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Drone Research
Adam Crouch, Aerial Media Specialist, adamC0607@gmail.com. Thank you for introducing me to thrill of flying a drone.
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About the Author
Cozy romantic mysteries wrapped in suspense.
My goal is to entertain, to transport you away from the stress of the day, to live for a short while in someone else’s world—at times to shed a tear, other times to set your heart beating, and always to add a few chuckles.
Fodder for my books comes from news stories—cybercrime to tiny houses, the stock market to the emergence of bitcoins, family to ancestor’s DNA, cookie baking contests to terrorists. Unearthing the facts buried under the headlines sends me on fascinating journeys gaining insight into the stories behind the news. I weave my research, what I learn along the way, into my plots making them richer.
Back to work. My mind’s swirling with notes tacked on another storyboard. Twists and turns as I tackle a new plot in my studio loft...a space overlooking a pond edged with palmetto bushes in Port Orange, Florida.
Please drop me a line, a review is always welcome…enjoy your reading!
COPYRIGHT
A Toy for Christmas
Copyright © 2018 Mary Jane Forbes
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Printed in the United States of America
Todd Book Publications
Port Orange Florida
Website: www.MaryJaneForbes.com
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Books by Mary Jane Forbes
DroneKing Trilogy
A Toy for Christmas
A Ghostly Affair
Love is in the Air
Bradley Farm Series
Bradley Farm, Sadie, Finn
Jeli, Marshall, Georgie
The Baker Girl
One Summer, Promises
Twists of Fate Series
The Fisherman, a love story
The Witness, living a lie
Twists of Fate, daring to dream
Murder by Design Series
Murder by Design
Labeled in Seattle
Choices, And the Courage to Risk
Elizabeth Stitchway, PI, Series
The Mailbox, Black Magic,
The Painter, Twister
House of Beads Mystery Series
Murder in the House of Beads
Intercept, Checkmate
Identity Theft
Novels - standalone
The Baby Quilt … a mystery!
The Message…Call Me!
Short Stories
Once Upon a Christmas Eve, a Romantic Fairy Tale
The Christmas Angel and the Magic Holiday Tree
RJ the Little Hero
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THE BABY QUILT
…a clue to the mystery of her past?
An old photo with a hidden clue. A house that may hold the answers. Can one real estate agent unravel her past and find a love that will set her free?
Successful Daytona Beach real estate broker Melanie Beckett loves helping people find their forever homes. But with no mother or father to be proud of her success, her abandonment issues remain painfully unresolved. After listing a foreclosed house, she’s shocked to see it’s the same building that appears in the only remnant of her past: a photo of her parents holding her as a baby.
Captivated, Melanie discovers a trunk stashed in the home that plunges her into a quest following her father's footsteps across the wilds of Alaska. Teaming up with a charming local doctor, she hires bush planes and dogsleds that will help her track down a terrible secret… if her guides don't lead her astray. As old wounds resurface, will Melanie let her painful past rule her life, or will she finally find a love that can set her free?
The Baby Quilt is a standalone cozy romantic mystery. If you like dramatic suspense, emotional ups and downs, and ordinary people in extraordinary situations, then you’ll love Mary Jane Forbes’ emotional novel.
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BOOKS FEATURING ELIZABETH STITCHWAY
Elizabeth Stitchway PI
The Mailbox
Black Magic, An Arabian Stallion
The Painter
Twister
The Baker Girl
One Summer, Promises
Twists of Fate Series
The Fisherman, a love story
The Witness, living a lie
Twists of Fate, daring to dream
House of Beads Mystery Series Box Set
Murder in the House of Beads, A Mystery in Paradise
Intercept, A Treacherous Race to the Triple Crown
Checkmate, a Deadly Game of Cyber Espionage
Identity Theft, Terrorists on the Prowl