“One percent, a half. No one decided. I’m not sure it’s a good idea. I don’t mind the contract.”
“I thought all of the investors had to put in a certain amount of money. You did say that, didn’t you?”
“Hell, yes.”
“It would seem to me that if she’s going to be given a percentage, you should take her off salary. You’re paying her handsomely now. What was it you started out with, four fifty? It’s up to seven hundred now, I believe. Elevator design pays extra.”
Maggie met Susan’s concerned glance across the table. Striving to keep her voice casual, she said carefully, “I thought the first thing you learned in business is you never, ever, under any circumstance, give anything away.”
“Maggie’s right,” Susan said tightly. “Running an office and designing elevators hardly seems enough of a reason to give the woman a percentage. You ought to fire her and let Amelia run the office. She’d be a whiz.”
“I offered,” Amelia said coolly.
“I told you, Amelia, I didn’t want you working out there. You have your own thing going with the house. You wouldn’t have the time. It’s not good for a husband and wife to work together. Look, since you all seem opposed to the percentage business, I’ll vote it down. Maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea for her to come for Christmas.”
Amelia looked around the table. No one said anything. Maggie didn’t reinforce the invitation. Susan looked glum, and the boys had no opinions. It was up to her, and she would have to be careful. “On the contrary, Cary, I think Eileen should come. She should get to know us. I’ll buy her something special from both of us.”
Maggie sighed with relief. Cary looked at his plate. Amelia had just bailed him out of a touchy situation, and he knew it. He’d never make that mistake again.
“Billie, I’m not sure we’re going to make it to the airport,” Thad said in a worried tone. “The Bronco will make it if the plows have been out, but I’m not sure the planes will be taking off. Call again.”
Billie called and repeated the message. “United is still flying the friendly skies. Look, Thad, I’m not going to be upset if we can’t get to Austin. I’d kind of like to have Christmas here with just you and the dogs. It seems we’re always somewhere else at Christmastime. I can open my present here as well as there. You did get me a present, didn’t you?” Billie teased.
“I thought you wanted to see Sawyer. And to see how Susan is progressing. And to check on the Maggie and Rand thing. Not to mention Riley and Cole.”
“I do, I do, but I can do that after Christmas. After all, our safety is the most important thing. What d’ya say, let’s stay home.”
“Lady, did I ever tell you how happy you make me?”
Billie laughed. “I know now. Why didn’t you just come out and say you didn’t want to go? I’d’ve understood.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to go; it’s that I’d rather stay here. Our tree is up and I want both of us to enjoy it. Us, Billie.”
“I only said I wanted to go because I thought you wanted to get away from all the politics and pressure up here. We could pretend we’re gone, though. Let’s just snuggle in. We have plenty of food; leave the Bronco in the garage. There won’t be anyone driving by to see our lights, so we’re safe. They all think we’re going since we’ve been talking about it for the past month. Better yet, let’s disconnect the phone.”
“After you call your family.”
“Let’s do that right now.”
“While you do that, I’m going up in the attic to get down my old sled. It’s a Flexible Flyer, you know. I’m going to wax the runners tonight and pull you all over the farm tomorrow.”
“Really, Thad!” Billie hugged her husband, love shining in her eyes.
“Well, maybe not all over the farm. You have put on a few pounds. We could take turns.”
“Already you’re wimping out. When you get tired pulling me, we can take a spin on the snowmobiles. I’m so glad we aren’t going.”
The relief on Billie’s face was almost comical. Thad grimaced. “We must be getting out of sync here. Usually, I know what you’re thinking and visa versa.”
“It’s the family, Thad. You know, you feel guilty. But I’m sure they won’t even miss us. They’ll toast us and then go on about their holiday activities.”
“Aren’t you being a little hard on them?”
“Not at all. That’s the way it is. Go get your sled while I try to call Sawyer. I know she’s avoiding me, but I’m going to try.”
Adam Jarvis answered the phone. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Kingsley.”
“The same to you, Adam. Is Sawyer there?”
Adam’s brief hesitation told Billie the girl was there but wasn’t taking any calls. She couldn’t call Adam a liar, and she wanted to thrash Sawyer within an inch of her life. Why was she being so stubborn? “Will you give her a message, Adam? Tell her Thad and I won’t be going to Sunbridge for the holidays. We’re having an awful storm here and we expect the planes will be grounded momentarily. Ask her if she’ll call me back so I can wish her a Merry Christmas. Oh, and tell her I sent her gifts ahead to Sunbridge so I wouldn’t have to carry them on the plane. Have a happy holiday, Adam.”
“You too, Mrs. Kingsley.”
Maggie was next on Billie’s list. She had just explained the situation and heard Maggie squeal, “Oh, no, Mam, I was so counting on you and Thad! I understand—” when the phone went dead. Billie looked at the receiver in her hand and burst out laughing.
“We’re cut off from the world,” Billie yelled to Thad, who was up in the attic. “The phone just went dead.”
“My God, do you mean it’s really just you and me and the old Flex and the dogs?”
“You got it,” Billie chortled. “Do you want me to make some popcorn?”
“Hell, no. Go put that lacy green thing on. We’ll sit in front of the fire and I’ll wax the runners on the sled.”
“What are you going to put on?”
“Not my long johns, that’s for sure. We haven’t made love in front of the fire for a long time.”
Billie sprinted up the stairs like a young girl. Life was so good, so wonderful! “Thank you, God,” she whispered.
“You really put me on the spot, Sawyer. Your grandmother knew I was lying. I could tell by her voice. Why won’t you talk to her?
“You know, I hate going off and leaving you here by yourself. Swear to me that you really are going to Sunbridge so I don’t drive myself nuts worrying about you.”
“I am going to Sunbridge. For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I plan on bringing the boys back with me for a few days. Rand, too, if he can make it.”
Adam’s heart turned over. Her eyes were too bright, her cheeks too flushed. She really believed what she was saying. “You didn’t answer my question about your grandmother,” he said gently.
“I didn’t want to have to go into the whole thing. Grand understands. It won’t be the same without her, but I’m glad she’s with Thad. Now, there’s a marriage made in heaven.”
“She’s concerned about you, Sawyer. It’s cruel, what you’re doing. Does Maggie know you’re coming?”
“Of course. I was invited, remember?”
“Sawyer, what if things don’t ... what if ...”
“You worry too much, Adam. Everything’g going to work out. I’ve played the game by the book. I didn’t call, write, or pester. When Rand sees me and realizes what a mistake he’s made, things’ll be just fine. We’re in love.”
You mean you’re in love! Adam wanted to shout. He knew what was going to happen to her, and it made his guts churn. But this time Sawyer would have to deal with it herself. He wasn’t going to be there.
“I can’t believe you’re taking all that stuff!” Sawyer said in awe. “A man could go to war with less. Didn’t you say you were staying only five days?”
“That’s what I said, but that was before...”
“Before you invited Paula Zachary to joi
n you. I took the call, remember?” She laughed.
“See this little thing? This is what I’m taking to Sunbridge. I know how to pack.”
“Know-it-all.” Adam sniffed. Secretly, he wondered if he’d packed too much, but he absolutely refused to do laundry while he was on vacation.
Sawyer grinned. “Who’s picking you up? A taxi or a truck?”
“Actually, I hired a limo. Paula has quite a bit of stuff herself. Stop being so nosy. I’ve gotta go. The limo should be here any second now and I said I’d be downstairs.”
“I’ll carry your skis and your boots. Do you think you can manage the rest?”
“I’m gonna have to, since I’m not about to make two trips. You always were a big help—a pain in the ass, but a help nonetheless,” Adam said fondly.
“I hope you have a good time. Think of me when you toast in the New Year.”
“I always think of you. New Year’s Eve isn’t going to make a difference. Make sure you think of me. And I hope it goes the way you want. Say hello to your family. Merry Christmas, Sawyer,” Adam said as he kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I left your gift under the tree.”
“Yours is in the duffel bag. Don’t break a leg now.”
The limo pulled up to the curb, and there was the usual confusion as to what went where and Adam telling the driver the best way to go to pick up Paula. Sawyer rolled her eyes at him and grinned.
Then he was gone.
Sawyer walked around the loft, picking up one thing and laying it down, only to pick up something else. Adam’s work area was clear, especially neat. The kitchen, too, was neat and tidy, the dishwasher emptied. No crumbs littered the floor. Marble, the cat, lay contentedly under the table.
There was nothing to do. The laundry had been done earlier, washed, dried, and folded. it would be dark soon; maybe she should turn on the tree lights. It was a gorgeous tree. Adam had trekked out to Long Island in a borrowed pickup and lugged the tree all the way back. It was beautiful when it came to life with hundreds of tiny lights. The decorations, Adam said, had been sent to him from Germany by a friend. Adam had so many friends. Thoughtful friends, who never forgot him. She thought about it for a while and decided Adam had a lot of friends because he was a friend. She couldn’t even begin to imagine what she would do without him.
Gift. He’d said he left her gift under the tree. Actually, there were two gifts bearing her name. One would be frivolous and the other, she knew, would be serious. She poked, rattled, and shook the gaily wrapped boxes. She could tell by the puckered Scotch tape that Adam had wrapped them both himself. Store gift wrap never puckered.
Adam hadn’t said she couldn’t open the gifts. After all, she would be leaving tomorrow and wouldn’t be here for Christmas. She really should open them just in case he called while she was at Sunbridge.
Sawyer played a game with herself as darkness invaded the loft. First, with only the twinkling tree miniatures for light, she poured herself a glass of wine and toasted the holiday. Then she made a toast to her future happiness with Rand. She walked all around the tree, admiring it, sipping from her long-stemmed wineglass. There were a lot of gifts underneath. Two days ago the tree skirt had held nothing but a few pine needles. It smelled so good-Scotch pine was her favorite. Rand said he loved Scotch pine best, too. They always had blue spruce at Sunbridge.
Sawyer kept staring at the gifts. She turned on the small brass lamp atop the desk, then dropped to her knees and sorted through the presents: To Adam from Nick. To Adam from Blake. To Adam from George and Hugh.. To Adam from the gang. To Adam from Mom and Dad. To Adam from Joan. To Adam from Steve, Bill, and Carmen. To Adam from Alice and Ed.
So many friends who thought enough of him to drop by with presents! Sawyer wondered if he’d bought presents for all these people. Her gifts, she noticed, were a little to the side. She finished her wine and poured another glass. On hands and knees she scrambled to the bookshelf in the corner, selected a Christmassy-sounding audio cassette and popped it into the player. Now it seemed like Christmas.
The oddly shaped box that didn’t rattle was her first choice. Even as a kid she’d always gone for the biggest first, knowing full well the best was in the smallest package. Carefully she opened the box and stared down at her present. Her very own Cabbage Patch doll! The adoption papers read, Willow Carmena. Wait till Adam opened his duffel and found Willow Carmena’s twin, Cornell Damian. She shrieked with laughter.
Spent, she leaned against the sofa and opened her other gift, the small one, the serious one. It was a book of poetry simply titled New Beginning. Sawyer turned the pages, pleased to see that the poetry was Adam’s; she’d recognize it anywhere. Dear God, all the poems were for her. How much time and effort must have gone into this book! It was bound beautifully in rich Moroccan leather with her name embossed on the inside. As she leafed through the slim volume, a small card slipped out.
Merry Christmas, Sawyer,
I didn’t know what to get you for Christmas, but I wanted it to be special from me to you. I wanted to give you part of myself because you won’t accept the whole of me. Enjoy my humble effort, and if you ever tell anyone I gave you this, I’ll deny it.
All my love
Adam.
Sawyer wept, tears of sorrow, of anger, of remorse. If only they could be tears of happiness. “Oh, Adam,” she sobbed, “I do love you, but not the way you want!”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Riley woke suddenly from a horrible dream. Sweat soaked the sheet he’d wrapped tightly about him in sleep. His arms and legs flailed as he came to grips with the reality of a new day. The dream had been so real. He’d awakened from surgery; a nurse handed him a mirror. Heart pounding, he’d looked for the tiny sutures around his eyes that would make him as American as his father. There were no sutures and no Westernized eyes. If anything, his eyes were more lidded, more oblique than ever. He rolled over, burrowing deeper into the covers. Having his eyes Americanized was his dream and his nightmare.
Christmas Eve. One of the happiest days of the year in America. His room looked dim, grayish and dull. It had to be mid-morning. He leaped out of bed and whipped open the lacy curtains. Snow! Aunt Maggie said it always snowed at Sunbridge for Christmas. The overhead light went on and both lamps were lit. Riley dived into his clothes, gave his face a skimpy wash and his perfect white teeth an even skimpier cleaning. The fine stubble could wait till later. He wasn’t hairy like Cole, and it made him self-conscious. Cole, he knew, had to shave every day, whereas Riley could do it once a week, and even then it wasn’t necessary. His legs and chest were also free of the fine curly furring that bloomed on Cole. The girls teased him in the summer, but he’d accepted it good-naturedly, saying he’d just been waxed. And at least he had a delicious—according to Kelly Jensen—full head of wavy black hair. He grinned as he brushed it into place.
Sawyer was supposed to be here by noon. Rand was to have arrived before breakfast, Aunt Maggie had said. Tree trimming was set for late afternoon, fiveish or so with cocktails, and then there was to be a six-course dinner followed by carols in the huge drawing room. Midnight service in Crystal City and then gift opening. He could hardly wait.
The breakfast table was full. He took his place amid smiles and light teasing about being a sleepyhead and slugabed. He grinned as he piled his plate with sausage and eggs, then crunched on toast as he looked around the table. Rand, fresh from an early flight, was busy buttering a piece of toast. Aunt Amelia and Cary were bickering about whether she should go out in the snow or not. Cole had just finished gulping the rest of his orange juice and now stood up, throwing his napkin onto the table. Riley was relieved to hear his cousin say he was going into Crystal City to finish up his last-minute shopping.
Suddenly, everyone was talking at once, and all the conversation was directed at him. Everyone laughed and he flushed.
“We’ll back that all up and start over,” Cary said kindly, noting the boy’s flushed face. “Amelia?”
“I
was wondering, Riley, if you don’t have plans for the rest of the morning, would you come over to the house and shovel the driveway? The weathermen are predicting sleet later, and I’d like to salt down the steps and the walkway. Cary has to go over to the site and check on the gas lines and then pick up Miss Farrell.”
“Sure I’ll do it. I love the snow.”
“Good, that’s settled. Amelia is like a bee with one wing this morning,” Cary said fondly as he patted her on the shoulder. “Susan, you’re next.”
“It’s no big deal. I just wanted to know if you’d carry my gifts downstairs. Some of them are rather large and awkward. I’m not too graceful these days. Would you mind?”
“I’ll do it when I finish breakfast,” Riley said cheerfully.
“I just wanted to remind you to call your grandfather later on, and I’d like to wish him a happy holiday,” Maggie said. “I know it’s not a holiday for him, but he is so aware of ours, I thought it would be nice.”
“I won’t forget. I was going to wait till about eight o’clock this evening. It’ll be Christmas morning in Japan and the old one will just be rising. Did he send presents?” Riley asked anxiously.
Maggie laughed. “A truckload. It took United Parcel an hour just to unload. It took Steven another hour to carry the packages indoors. I’d say he didn’t forget you or anyone at Sunbridge.” There was an odd tremor in Maggie’s voice. Riley suspected it had something to do with the fact that Rand was sitting next to her.
“The old one always played Santa Claus at his newspaper for Christmas,” he said. “A lot of the employees were American. He got a kick out of it. He likes to exchange presents.”
“Rand, how was—the weather in England when you left?” Susan asked nervously.
“Nasty.” He hesitated. “I tried to call Jerome before I left, but the phone was disconnected.”
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