by Louise, Kara
“Well, he can afford not to bother himself. He lets others do it. He’s the president and he can do or not do anything he wants.”
She decided to change the subject. “What about your mother? Is she living?”
“My mother lives in Chicago. We were never really close, so…” George was silent for a moment. “All in all, living here has proven to be quite pleasant.”
As they drove through the streets of Guatemala City, Elyssa enjoyed the warm, moist air reviving her face and her spirits as it came through the open window. She loved the feel of it course through her hair. George looked over and took in how striking she looked with her long hair dancing in the wind.
“If it’s too windy, I’ll close the windows.” He was hoping she did not mind.
“No, no. It actually feels quite refreshing.”
“We’re just out of the rainy season, but there’s always the chance for rain. I hope you’re prepared.”
“Yes, I was told it would be wise to bring an umbrella, boots, and a raincoat.”
“Good. We can get some real downpours here that come upon you with little warning. The temperature remains consistently mild, so you’ll probably need nothing more than an umbrella.”
George turned down a side street and nodded his head toward a large building. “These are our Pemberleo Coffee offices. We occupy two of the five floors, leasing out the rest.”
“It looks new.”
“It was built about three years ago; same time as the townhouses. They’re just about three miles from here.”
A short while later, George turned and pulled into a driveway. He came up to a gated entrance and pushed in a code, opening the gate. Elyssa looked around her and took in the beauty that surrounded them.
It was in the style of a hacienda with large trees and flowering bushes everywhere. George pulled into a parking space and hopped out. As Elyssa reached for the door handle, George was already on her side opening the door.
“Thank you,” she said, returning his smile with one of her own.
He pulled out her luggage and they began walking toward the building. We have an elaborate security system here. You need to enter a code to get in; both into the main complex where we drove in, and into the courtyard.” He looked at her. “The code is 1220. The big man’s birthday.” He pushed the buttons and the gate to the courtyard opened. They walked in and Elyssa gasped.
“It is beautiful here!” She looked around and took in the vast array of flowers. “There are so many flowers!”
“Yes, they grow quite abundantly here.” He pointed off to the left. “Over there is a pool. I hope you brought your swim suit. We have a Jacuzzi, too.”
“I just might have need of that.”
George smiled as he thought of soaking in the hot tub with her by his side. “Heals many an ailment, from stress to achy muscles to just plain weariness.”
“I’ll remember that.”
“I’ll hold you to it! It will be my responsibility to ensure that you see all the sights and experiences of Guatemala City.” He laughed and then his voice turned serious. “Elyssa, I know that the task ahead of you won’t be easy, but I do hope you will intersperse your time with some periods of pleasant distraction.”
“Thank you, George. I believe it will probably do me a lot of good.”
“Good. Here it is,” he said, pulling out the key.
As he opened the door, Elyssa steeled herself to walk into the room. She knew it would be a reflection of her sister and she needed every ounce of courage to walk in.
George watched her as she slowly stepped inside. Even though she had never been here before, she knew immediately that it was her sister’s home. When she walked in, she almost expected Janet to step out from the kitchen and greet her.
Her eyes glanced upon the wall and lit upon an enlarged portrait of Chad and Janet at their wedding.
Elyssa suddenly felt a wave of dizziness pass over her and began to sway. George quickly reached out both hands and grasped her shoulders to steady her. “Elyssa, are you OK?”
She took a deep breath. “I… it…” She was unable to say anymore. George grabbed her as she fell against him in a flood of tears.
*~*~*
William Denton walked into his outer office at the end of a very busy day and greeted Mrs. Reed. She handed him his messages as he walked past her, opening the door to his private office. He collapsed into his chair and put his head back, not wanting to move. He had been up practically the whole night before, getting ready for the board meeting he just returned from and although it went very well, he was exhausted. He casually looked down at the messages, making mental notes of whether he needed to respond with a call, a letter, an email, or not at all.
Suddenly his head came up abruptly. “What…!”
He stood up and walked back out to the outer office. Mrs. Reed looked up, “Yes, Mr. Denton?”
“Mrs. Reed, do you know why Westham has taken matters into his own hands with Miss Barnett? I thought the Walkers were seeing to her needs.”
“I understand the Walkers had guests come visit and George offered to do it for them.”
“I’m sure he did. Why would they allow him to do such a thing?”
Mrs. Reed narrowed her eyes in response to his question. Was he actually displaying a rather protective stance regarding this young lady? “I do not believe they know Westham as you do, Sir, and therefore they had no reason to question his ability nor his integrity in helping Miss Barnett out.”
“I don’t question his ability either… his ability to deceptively charm and worm his way into a young lady’s confidence, woo her and flatter her with his puffed up attention, all with purely selfish, lascivious motives.”
Mrs. Reed sat quietly, allowing him to vent his anger. Very softly, she said, “You could always fire him.”
Will closed his eyes tightly. “Perhaps I should have and someday I will. If it weren’t for the promise I made to my father to take care of him, he would have been gone long ago! At the moment I feel like I have more of a pulse on him if he’s in my employ… in Guatemala.” He took in a ragged breath, “and as far away from Gina as he can possibly be!”
“I’ll take care of it for you, Sir, with a quick phone call.”
He turned abruptly to enter his office but stopped short in the doorway.
“No… no.”
Still looking at the message, he uttered a very concise directive to Mrs. Reed, “Cancel all my appointments for a week. Reschedule them for… no, just cancel them. We’ll set them up again when I return.”
“Excuse me?” she asked, completely surprised by this impulsive and unusual request.
“I’m going to Guatemala. Find out how soon the jet can get me there. I’ll be ready in the afternoon immediately after my meeting with Jenkins. Let me know what time it’s available.”
He walked into his office, never really looking at the woman who had served him and his father so faithfully for well over 25 years. He knew this was out of character for him and he was not even sure why he was doing it, but he did not want George Westham anywhere near Elyssa Barnett. He only hoped he would
get there before he did anything to tarnish the name of Pemberleo Coffee!
Or take advantage of Elyssa Barnett in any way.
Chapter 4
Elyssa awoke the next morning and looked around her. She was grateful for George’s calm and reassuring presence last night when she emotionally broke down. He sat with her late into the night as she spilled out her grief. He had been a sympathetic and eager listener as she pointedly put the blame on William Denton for sending Chad and Janet here and ultimately, for their deaths.
He had been more than willing to stay with her through the night, but she collected herself after a while and told him she would be fine. The guest room in Janet and Chad’s townhome had been cleaned up and prepared for her arrival and she gratefully fell into bed that night, wishing herself to fall asleep and not dwell on the empty bedroo
m that was just down the hall.
The sun was now shining brightly into her room and an array of birds could be heard singing outside. She pulled herself out of bed, preparing herself to face the task that lay before her. After showering and putting on some jeans and a short sleeved cotton blouse, she walked back out into the living room. She stepped up to a small table that sat inside the door and fixed her eyes at the items displayed; some that Janet had obviously bought here and others that were from home. Without thinking, Elyssa began rearranging them into a more eye appealing display. When she was satisfied with the way it looked, she went into the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee.
Last night before he left, George told her that the townhouse complex had a distilled water tank that went to each of the units through a special faucet in each sink. Everywhere else, she had been told, she needed to remember to drink bottled water. She walked up to the sink and saw the small faucet. She pressed the lever and filled the coffee pot.
George arrived shortly after, with some fresh rolls and the most delicious display of fruit she had ever seen. There was some variety of fruit on the plate that she had never seen in any of the stores in California.
“Here,” he said, as he held one out to her and slowly brought it up to her lips. “You must try this.”
Elyssa smiled and took a bite. “Mmmm,” she said and took it from him. “It’s delicious!”
“They grow the best fruit here! Try the pineapple. Unless you’ve been to Hawaii, you’ve never tasted better.”
Elyssa was grateful for George’s thoughtfulness and offered him a cup of coffee. The two enjoyed a morning meal together.
“So what do you think of Pemberleo Coffee, Elyssa?”
“It is delicious.” She closed her eyes and took another sip. “Very rich,” she added. “Every Christmas, for the past two years, we all received an ample supply from Chad and Janet.”
“Do you know what makes the coffee from Guatemala so rich?”
Elyssa shook her head as she spooned out more fruit onto her plate.
“The volcanoes.”
“Volcanoes?”
“Yes, Guatemala has several. Since you came in at night, you weren’t able to see the one that overlooks Guatemala City. If we’re lucky, it will put on a little display for us.”
Elyssa looked at him in alarm. “You mean erupt?”
“No, it merely lets out a little steam now and then.”
Elyssa smiled at him, a little more reassured. “I think Janet may have mentioned the volcanoes in her letters, but I had no idea they were active.”
“Not all of them are active. If we can get out to Lake Atitlan, you’ll see three volcanoes that surround the lake. None are active, but they make a beautiful sight.”
“Didn’t Chad and Janet also have a little place there?”
“Yes. You’ll find some of the best coffee fields in the country there because of the volcanic ash in the soil.”
“How far away is it?”
“It will take a few hours to drive there. You’ll want to see it before you leave; not just to go through their things at their home there,” he lowered his voice to a husky whisper, “but because it has to be the most romantic place in the country, if not the world.”
Elyssa smiled at George, his eyes sparkling as he softly informed her of this, causing her to blush slightly.
“I would be more than happy to take you there.” He paused, and then added as an afterthought, “Janet loved it there. I’m sure you would, too.”
Elyssa felt her eyes pool again with tears when a realization hit her. “That is where they were returning from when they had their accident, wasn’t it?”
George looked at her and then looked down. “I’m sorry, Elyssa. I should not have mentioned it.”
“No, no, it’s quite all right.” She reached behind her to pull a tissue out of a box and brought it up to her eyes. “It was inevitable that it would come up. I would very much like to go if there is time. My airline return reservation is for Tuesday.”
“That should give us plenty of time to go up there for a few days,” George assured her.
Elyssa quickly composed herself and when they had finished their meal, she looked around her. “I think I ought to begin. Do you think you can find me a medium sized box? I don’t think I’ll need anything too large. From what I’ve seen, there are just a few items I think I may want to take home. But I won’t know until I go through everything.”
“Your wish is my command.” He bowed as he repeated last night’s words. George left and a short time later he reappeared with a couple different size boxes. I brought several over so you can have your choice, depending on how much you find.”
“Thank you, George. I do appreciate all you have done.”
“It’s nothing.” He stood with his hands folded across his chest, watching her. “I need to go in to the office for a little bit this morning.”
Elyssa looked up at him. “I’ll be fine.”
“I have no doubt of that, but what do you say about taking a break this afternoon and seeing some of the sights? I can show you the underground market place that has every Guatemalan handicraft you could ever want to buy. I can take you to the old town of Antigua and see some ancient ruins or we can just go out and take in a delicious Guatemalan meal.”
“That’s sweet of you, George. They all sound delightful. I’ll let you know when you come back. How about that?”
“Sounds great. Now if you need anything, the Walkers are next door.” He took out his wallet and pulled out a card from it, handing it to her. “Here’s my business card. My cell, home, and business phone number are all here. Feel free to call. I can return in a heartbeat.”
“Thanks, George.”
George left and Elyssa set her mind to the task. She casually went through the kitchen drawers, knowing most things there would be general items that she would have no use for. She found a set of hand embroidered Guatemalan placemats and a tablecloth that she thought were pretty and placed them neatly in the box.
She spent the rest of the morning finishing going through the kitchen and then moved to the living room. It was early afternoon when she came upon a stack of pictures. She steeled herself to look through them, but upon feeling a terrible weight come upon her heart, she placed them directly into the box after only looking at two of them. As the afternoon wore on, so did the heaviness in her heart. She was about to burst into tears when there was a knock at the door.
Grateful for a diversion, she went to answer it.
A vaguely familiar looking couple met her, holding a large steaming pot.
“Hi, Elyssa,” the woman said. “We’re John and Shelley Walker from next door.”
“Come in,” Elyssa said.
“We’re sorry we haven’t come by sooner. We have guests and were just now able to get away.”
Elyssa smiled at the friendly couple. “That’s quite all right.”
“I made a pot of chili for you. I wasn’t sure how long you would be here, but feel free to eat this whenever you like. We want to have you over some evening while you’re here, but I thought it would be good for you to have something on hand if sudden hunger pangs hit.”
“Thanks, Shelley.”
Elyssa took the pot from her and set it down.
Shelley clasped her hands together and looked around. Elyssa could sense the awkwardness the couple felt; that they really didn’t know what to say to her. Elyssa decided she would broach the subject, as most people didn’t know whether she would find it difficult to talk about Janet; although George seemed to understand her need to talk about her sister.
“Is there anything you can tell me about Janet that perhaps I might not know about her? I feel as though she lived this very different life down here and I have no idea how she spent her time.”
John noticed the tears that began to fill Elyssa’s eyes and he picked up the tissue box and handed it to her. “Apart from being a delightful neighbor and wonderful wife to C
had, she was very much involved in a preschool.”
Elyssa’s eyes widened. “Can you tell me about it?”
“Yes, Casa de Esperanza runs a preschool for underprivileged children. She went down three mornings a week to help out. From everything I have heard she was a natural with the children. She loved them and they loved her.”
Elyssa thought back to her sister’s letters. She had only casually mentioned working with some children in a preschool and Elyssa assumed it was with the children of people working with Pemberleo Coffee. She had no idea they were underprivileged children.
“Do you suppose it could be arranged for me to visit this preschool?”
“Yes! They would love to meet Janet’s sister!” Shelley exclaimed.
Elyssa let out a contented sigh. It made her feel good to know that Janet was doing something that she truly enjoyed and that she was helping others.
They talked a few more minutes and Elyssa asked them about Lake Atitlan. “It’s a bit more rustic there than here,” John told her. “When Chad and Janet were there, they lived in a very simple, one bedroom home.”
“George and I talked about it. Do you think I could go there?”
“Elyssa, if you’re one who is used only to the finest things in life, you might not find it to your liking. It’s a very rural village.”
Elyssa laughed. “Believe me; I am not afraid of roughing it. I really would like to see it. George thought perhaps he could take me.”
John and Shelley exchanged glances. “I am sure he would. Elyssa, just make sure…”
At that moment there was a knock at the door and it slowly opened. George peered his head in. “I’m back!
He came striding in, greeted the Walkers, and saw the pot sitting on a table. He lifted the lid and sniffed its contents.
“Mmmm, this smells good. Nothing better than the Walkers’ chili.”
The Walkers smiled and before long excused themselves to get back to their guests.
George eagerly turned to Elyssa. “Are you ready for a break? If you are, I have a surprise for you.”
“You do? What?”
