“We have a vote,” Jacob said. “Employees must attend training courses prior to purchase.”
“Aye,” the board said.
“Jacob?” Sam asked.
“I guess so.”
“There’s only one more issue then…” Celia’s friend said from Hawaii.
“What’s that?” Jacob asked.
“I move to begin the sale of Lipson Construction to her employees based on the plan we’ve worked through, including the new requirement for education.”
“I second that motion,” the woman from New York said. ”Jake?”
Jacob took a breath. Everyone looked at him. Letting out his breath, he said:
“We need a hundred percent consensus. Members of the Lipson Construction board, shall we begin selling Lipson Construction to the employees based on the plan we finalized?”
~~~~~~~~
Saturday morning — 9:30 A.M.
Seth pulled off Sixth Avenue at Kipling. He turned into the Federal Center and stopped at the guard station. They waited only a moment before the guard let them through.
“They’re waiting for you,” the guard said. “Have a nice day.”
Sandy was so nervous she was sure she must be shaking. Flipping down the sunshade, she checked herself in the mirror. She didn’t look as terrified as she felt. As Seth pulled into a parking spot, she wiped away the last of her tear-mussed mascara. When she pushed the sunshade back, she saw MJ standing in front of the car. He smiled at her. Getting out of the car, she hugged MJ.
“Do you work here?” she asked.
“Hi Seth,” MJ shook Seth’s hand. “Yep, I work here sometimes. I’m stationed at Buckley but we keep an office here.”
“Where do we go?” Seth asked.
“I can show you,” MJ said. “Come with me.”
“I’m sorry about your hair cut,” Sandy said. “I can squeeze you in later this week.”
“Oh, no big deal,” MJ said. “I have to work anyway.”
“How do you know this guy, Sandy?” Seth asked.
“He lives in Jill’s house. He’s married to Jake’s step-sister,” Sandy said. “Plus, we went to high school together.”
“That will make things easier,” Seth said.
“Easier?”
MJ held the door open for Sandy. Entering the building, they showed their IDs to the front desk.
“See you later, MJ,” Sandy said. “And let me know when you can make it.”
MJ’s eyes puzzled at Sandy. He looked at Seth.
“Sandy, honey, Sergeant Scully is a part of the team I was telling you about,” Seth said.
“What?!” Sandy gasped with horror. “How long have you known… about me?”
MJ’s brow furrowed, his eyes expressed concern, when he opened his mouth, he stuttered.
“S-S-Sandy, i-i-i-t… w-w-w-e thought you’d w-w-want a f-f-friendly f-f-f-ace.”
Alex Hargreaves touched Sandy’s arm. Seeing her, Sandy threw herself into Alex’s arms.
“It’s all right, Sandy. You’re all right.”
~~~~~~~~
Saturday morning —– 9:30 A.M.
Lipson Construction
“We’ve sent a case of champagne to each of the sites. The boxes have your name on it, Jake. You’ll have to get out there and tell your staff yourself,” the man from Wisconsin said.
The entire board was giddy with excitement. They’d been laughing since they took the vote.
“We’re on our way,” Aden said. “We’ll go as a team.”
“Congratulations, gentlemen and Valerie,” the woman from New York said. “You’re making history! We’ll talk next week about the classes.”
“Great. Thanks!” Jacob said.
“Son, you have to call the meeting,” Sam said.
“Oh right. Sorry. This meeting is adjourned.”
~~~~~~~~
Saturday morning — 10:25 A.M.
Colorado Federal Center, Denver
“Now I know what you are thinking,” Tanesha said to the security guard at the front desk. “One little black woman? What could she do? But I tell you, my friend is being held hostage here. And if I don’t see her soon, I’m going to have this place crawling with reporters and worse – more black people.”
“Ma’am, you can see that I’m black,” the security guard said.
“Only on the outside,” Tanesha sniffed. “Right now, you are keeping me from my friend. That makes you all kinds of evil.”
The security guard’s face was set somewhere between amused and annoyed.
“You don’t believe me?” Tanesha continued. “I will call my family. They will come out here and then we’ll see how black you are!”
“It’s really not necessary to pull the black card, ma’am,” the security guard said. “Why don’t you wait over there?”
“I will not be pushed around,” Tanesha said. “You’ll just shuffle me over there and forget all about me.”
“No ma’am, I think it’s going to take a bit more than space to forget about you,” the security guard said. “My great-grandmother was a slave!”
“My great-grandmother and great-grandfather were slaves!” Tanesha sniffed.
When the security guard laughed, Tanesha laughed.
“I’m really worried about my friend,” Tanesha said. “Jill is stuck in the mountains without a car…”
“And Heather’s husband got sick after the big meeting. Yes, you’ve said that already. Twice.” The security guard answered a phone on his desk. Setting down the receiver, he said, “They’re coming down to get you.”
“Oh,” Tanesha blushed. “Really?”
“Yes,” the security guard said. “They expected you. That’s why you got through the gate.”
“Oh, I thought it was because I was so charming.”
The security guard laughed.
“What’s your name?” Tanesha said.
“Mason. Mason Dixon,” the security guard said.
“That is not your name.”
“It’s not,” he said. “You’re Tanesha Smith. Yes?”
Tanesha nodded.
“Why did they make Sandy come here?”
“I don’t have any idea,” the security guard said. “I know she’s all right though.”
“How did they know to expect me?”
“All telephone calls are monitored here.”
“Oh,” Tanesha said. Looking up at the video monitor, she waved, then said, “Sorry about calling you…uh.. names.”
The security guard laughed.
“I’ll go sit over there,” Tanesha said.
“Good idea.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
One or two plans
Saturday evening
Jill set a pepperoni, olive and artichoke heart pizza from Enzo’s End on a footrest in the middle of the sitting area of her loft apartment. Following Jill, Heather brought a stack of plates and napkins. Tanesha set down sparkling water for Heather and a six pack of Wild Raspberry Great Divide Ale for the rest. They looked up when Sandy came out of the guest bedroom in a fluffy robe with a towel on her head.
“This is perfect,” Sandy said. “Nothing like a girls’ night after such an awful day.”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Heather said. “I wish I’d gotten there sooner. It seemed horrible.”
“How is Blane?” Jill asked.
“Sick,” Heather said. “He still has three months on that awful drug.”
“He seemed fine last night,” Tanesha said. “Maybe it’s food poisoning.”
“Nah, that’s what this treatment is like,” Heather said. “Fine one minute, sick the next. He was anxious about the Lipson meeting this morning. I think that did him in. He’s asleep downstairs.”
“Sorry you’re missing the party, Jill,” Sandy said. “Everyone’s really excited about the sale.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there all day with you,” Jill said. “You should have seen Val’s face. I was like, ‘Great, good for you
. Now, give me the damned car!’”
The women laughed.
“What was with that security guard?” Heather asked. “When I got there he was like, ‘And you must be Heather. How’s the husband?’”
“He was like that with me, too,” Jill said. “He asked me how I got a car. I figured it was some super secret spy thing. When he asked for Tanesha’s phone number…”
Tanesha blushed and the women laughed.
“Did you give it to him?” Tanesha asked.
“I told him he should ask you himself,” Jill said. “That man was smoking hot!”
“I gave him Tanesha’s email,” Sandy said.
“Oooohhh,” Sandy, Jill and Heather said in unison. Tanesha laughed.
“Why was MJ’s team there? I never really got that,” Jill said. “I was surprised.”
“They said they fell into it around the first of the year. That’s how they were connected in Thailand, you know, for your stuff Jill,” Sandy said. She used the towel to dry her hair. “What blew me away is that all this time – since seeing MJ again in June and everything that’s happened – they knew about me. In fact, Alex said they stayed involved with the case because they wanted justice. For me! I mean, sometimes MJ would say the nicest things to me – like when Nash was beat up, he said he thought I was an awesome person. And all along…”
Jill hugged Sandy.
“You are an awesome person,” Heather said. “Tanesha and I… We knew something bad was going on with your father… you know, when we were kids? But we didn’t know everything until today. And…”
“We think your father is a bastard,” Tanesha said. “But none of it changes what we think about you.”
“I cried when they told me,” Heather said. “You know Samantha’s boyfriend? He told me in the elevator. I cried because I wouldn’t want anything so horrible to happen to my Sandy. I had to wait by the elevator until I wasn’t crying anymore.”
“You’re not mad that I didn’t tell you?” Sandy asked.
“Not a chance,” Tanesha said. “We totally understand. I did. MJ told me in the elevator and I was furious. I wanted to go kick some ass right there. But… I knew you needed me.”
“I did,” Sandy said. “It was an awful day. And today was just the beginning. I’m going to have to testify in a big Federal case. Even after being asked a billion questions on tape and looking at that horrible website. There’s more to do.”
Shaking her head, Sandy plopped down in a chair.
“And we’ll be with you the entire way,” Jill said.
Sandy looked from face to face of her friends then smiled.
“Did you see my ring?”
“I’ve ogled it all day!” Heather laughed. “It’s gorgeous!”
“Let’s eat,” Tanesha said. “We have court cases to deal with, babies to make and whatever His Hotness has planned for Miss Jill tomorrow.”
“And you have a sexy security guard to seduce!” Sandy laughed.
“I may have one or two of my own plans!”
Laughing, Tanesha passed out the pizza. The women laughed and talked into the wee hours of the morning.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday mid-day
Pulling Katy and Paddie on an ancient wood snow sled, Jacob moved ahead toward what he thought was the perfect Christmas tree. Jacob and his family had always cut their trees with a national forest permit. But Jill had only had a Christmas tree once or twice since her parents died. She was having a tough time choosing a tree.
Valerie and Mike had picked a small tree for their apartment. Delphie had picked a giant tree for the common living room of the Castle. Delphie’s tree would be their main tree. Jill needed to pick a tree for their home.
Her home.
Her first real Christmas.
Jill couldn’t decide. Jill wanted everything to be perfect. She stopped to consider each evergreen tree then moved on to another.
Katy and Paddie were having a great time on the sled. Squealing and giggling, they kept yelling for Jacob to go faster. On one small hill, he jumped on the back of the sled and they went flying down. The kids begged him to do it again. They flew down the hill three or four times before Jill decided not to take a particular tree.
“What are you worried about?” Jacob had asked. “This is just the first of many trees.”
Biting her lip, Jill had nodded.
What was her hold up?
She remembered the perfect Christmas tree. It was probably the last Christmas tree her family ever had. It was big and beautiful. The tree smelled of hope, joy and love. She remembered it stuffed with brightly wrapped presents underneath. She wanted that for Katy.
Finally, Katy would have a real Christmas. Of course, Katy only cared about riding fast down the hills on the sled.
Towing the kids behind, Jacob ran back to where she stood. He took her hand.
“Trust me?” he asked.
Jill nodded. Jacob made a straight line toward a crowded group of Douglas Fir. Near the edge of the grouping was a perfect cone shaped tree about six feet tall. The branches had enough space for ornaments and enough depth to not seem bare.
“But we don’t have enough ornaments to fill the tree,” Jill protested. “It’s too big.”
“We’ll be fine,” Jacob said.
“You’re sure?”
Jacob kissed her lips.
“Katy? What do you think?” Jill asked.
“I love it, Mommy! Can we take it home?”
“Let’s take it home,” Jill said.
In no time, Jacob cut the tree with a folding log saw from his backpack. He loaded the tree and his backpack onto the sled. With Katy on Jill’s back, and Paddie on Jacob’s, they made their way across the snow toward the cabin. In no time, they joined the rest of the laughing group to make their way back to Denver with their Christmas trees.
~~~~~~~~
Sunday afternoon — 3: 25 P.M.
Jacob pulled Jill’s Lexus in front of Alex Hargreaves’s house in South City Park to take Paddie home to his father. As they pulled up, Julie and Colin came out of the house next to the rooming house. Jill smiled to see them holding hands. She hoped that taking care of Paddie would give Colin and Julie enough time to work out their relationship.
Jill went to the back seat to take the sleeping Paddie from his car seat.
“Say good-bye, Katy,” Jill said.
“Bye-bye, Paddie. Merry Christmas!” Katy said.
Katy’s voice made Paddie open his eyes. Paddie waved to her.
“Don’t forget my tree!” Paddie said to Jill.
“I have it right here,” Jacob said. He came around the back of the SUV holding the two foot tall Christmas tree Paddie had picked for his room. “Hey Colin.”
Jacob and Colin shook hands. While the men fell into Hockey talk, Julie took Paddie from Jill.
“How are you?” Jill asked.
Julie laughed at Jill’s tone.
“You’re surprised I’m here,” Julie said. She kissed Paddie’s cheek. “Did you have fun?”
Paddie nodded then nestled into his mother.
“I moved in with Colin this weekend,” Julie said. “Col lives in the top half of this house but I guess you know that.”
“Jake is rehabbing the house,” Jill said. “I worked on Colin’s rooms but left the others. I was hoping you might…”
“Thanks,” Julie said. “We’re excited… hopeful. It’s… better… nice.”
Jill smiled.
“I wanted to ask you,” Julie said. “I mean, Paddie loves Katy so much. We were hoping maybe you guys could come over the day after Christmas for a little brunch. Paddie has some little things he got for Katy.”
“Katy has a few things for Paddie,” Jill said. “I’ll ask Jake. I don’t think we have anything planned. He’ll probably have to work, but Katy and I could come.”
“Really?” Julie’s face lit up. “That would be great. Listen, I know you have a lot of friends and are a model and everythi
ng, but…”
Julie’s face clouded. She looked over at Colin. Colin walked over to put his arm around her. Jacob turned to stand next to Jill.
“I’m leaving work. Taking a leave of absence for the rest of the year,” Julie said. “Fresh start. You know. We’re putting our house in Lowry on the market. I’m letting go of everything I had before.”
“Everything we had before,” Colin added.
Jill hugged Julie.
“I wondered if we might be friends,” Julie said.
“Of course,” Jill said. “I certainly know what it’s like to start over from scratch.”
Jill heard a sound and watched Katy run over to join them. Jill picked her up.
“Katy and I started over just a year ago,” Jill said.
Katy nodded.
“Plus, I need to finish the colors in your home,” Jill said. “That will be our first excuse to get together.”
Julie smiled.
“You can make brunch on Friday?” Colin asked.
“Sounds very fun,” Jacob said.
“Did you get my tree?” Paddie asked.
“We’ll set it up in your room,” Colin said.
“At the yucky house?” Paddie asked.
“This house,” Colin said.
Paddie cheered. Julie kissed his cheek. They turned to go into their new home.
“See you Friday,” Jacob said.
Katy and Jill followed him into the car. After settling Katy in her car seat, Jill got into the passenger seat. Jacob leaned over to kiss her lips.
“You are very sweet,” Jacob said. “Julie really needs a friend.”
“Everyone needs a friend.”
“I don’t!” Katy said. “I have Paddie and he’s my best ever friend!”
Laughing, they made their way to the Castle to join the holiday celebration.
~~~~~~~~
Monday early morning – 4:30 A.M.
Sitting on her meditation pad, Delphie heard the house start to stir. The family was getting up for work. She needed to get moving. Yet something held her in place. Not an evil force or another’s will, Delphie was held in place by a question. For the last week, Delphie had started her meditation session with a single question:
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