--Try to locate any of Andrea's paintings, including the forgeries, that are still out there and buy them; you can hire that detective friend of yours to help you.
--Find a gallery or museum in Boca Raton, Florida that will permanently display Andrea's works. I want to be able to visit them.
--Start a scholarship program at Florida universities for promising art students;
--Provide grants to the universities and their professors for special art projects, at your discretion;
--Fund a chair in the art department of one of the universities in Andrea's name;
--Any other project you deem worthy, at your discretion.
Do an old man a favor and say yes. I can't think of a better person for the job than you. You have heart, you have brains, and most important, you have moxie.
Gratefully yours,
Herb Lowenthal
P.S. Now you can afford to quit your day job.
Stunned, I tried to comprehend my good fortune--my dream job had just fallen into my lap! Those good vibes I'd sent out into the universe really paid off, and then some. How could life get any better than this?
I texted Herb one word: Yes!
Chapter Sixty
"Thanks for coming, Jamie. I hate going to the airport by myself at night."
"I know, Grace, me too. Why are your parents coming to town? Any special reason?"
"Yeah, their friends are celebrating their fiftieth anniversary with a big fancy party at The Breakers."
"How nice! And what's Nick up to?"
"Preparing for trial tomorrow," she said, changing lanes into the airport exit. "I bet you're excited Kip's finally coming home."
My face couldn't stop smiling at the mention of Kip. "Only eight more days!"
"How many hours?" Grace teased.
We parked in short term parking and then walked to the terminal. I was dressed better than I would have been because Grace's parents wanted to take us to dinner. We headed to baggage claim since that's where they said to meet them.
Grace kept checking her watch. "They should be here any minute," she said.
"You're pretty excited to see your parents," I said. "That's so nice!"
"Would you mind grabbing a luggage cart?" she asked, pointing to the other side of the baggage area. "They said they had a lot of luggage. I'd do it, but I don't want to miss them."
"Sure." I turned my back and started walking over there. I was about halfway when Grace called out to me.
"Never mind, Jamie."
"Make up your mind, Grace," I said under my breath and turned back.
My eyes fixed on what had to be a mirage. Then I shrieked and started running.
"Kip! You're here!" Then I was in his arms, kissing his face and crying with joy.
"Jamie!" He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close like he never wanted to let me go. It was heaven.
"You tricked me," I said, laughing like an idiot.
"I can't believe we pulled it off!" Grace said, coming in for the group hug.
We were in our huddle when Kip said "I brought you a present, Babe."
"Is it an adorable wombat baby?"
"Better," he said. "Take a look."
He pointed to the down escalator filled with people coming to baggage claim. Only it wasn't filled with strangers. Duke was there, waving, Aunt Peg and Adam, Nick, Herb, my new friend Jodi, my step-mother Ana Maria, Jessie, and Uncle Teddy were there too.
"Way to throw a party, Grace!" I was euphoric.
The group reached the bottom and then spread out so I could clearly see there was another person in the crowd. Someone I had loved from a distance, since childhood, since before I ever met him. I broke down sobbing.
"Papi, is it really you?"
Tears were flowing freely down his face, the face I knew as well as my own, my Skype twin.
"Mi hija, my precious daughter!"
I was hugging my dad, he was real, and he was here. I thought my heart would break from being so full. He held my face between his hands and kissed my forehead over and over. He smiled.
"Am I too late to teach you how to ride a bike?" he said with a sweet smile.
I laughed. Ana Maria came over and hugged her husband.
"Yes, mi amor," she said. "Too late for that. But we can teach her to Salsa and Merengue." Then the two of them did a few Salsa steps right in the middle of baggage claim.
Everyone clapped and cheered and started talking at once.
"How did you manage this?" I asked Grace.
"With some assistance from my friend, Greg, in the State Department, of course. It helped that you were pretty distracted with other things." She laughed.
I turned to Kip. "So, you're not going to Guam?"
"Well," he said, "I'd still like to go--but only if you'll go with me."
I shook my head emphatically, like a toddler who didn't want to take medicine. "I hate mice! I hate small planes!"
"But how do you feel about me?" he asked.
"You? I love you," I said and we kissed again.
"Would you think about going?" he asked.
Maybe it was time for an adventure, time to take a chance. I looked over at my dad. How could I leave when he had just gotten here? We had lost too much time already.
Kip seemed to read my mind. "Hey, Guillermo," he yelled to my dad. Want to go an adventure with me and Jamie?"
"Of course I do!" he yelled back.
"Then it's settled," Kip said.
Nick walked over to us, his arm around Grace. "Congrats, Quinn, we're happy for you."
"Thanks, Nick." I beamed.
"I have something for you," he said, handing me an envelope.
"What is it?"
"It's a check from the FBI."
"For what?" I asked.
"Your consulting work in solving the forgery crime," he said.
"Ha! I'm an FBI consultant, Nick. I told you so," I gloated.
"That's you," he said, "Star of the new hit series, Jamie Quinn, FBI Secret Weapon."
THE END
Jeopardy in July: A Jamie Quinn Mystery (Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery Book 5) Page 18
