Butler, Vermont Series: Boxed Set, Books 1-3

by Force, Marie

  * * *

  Chapter 25

  There can be no deep disappointment

  where there is not deep love.

  —Martin Luther King Jr.

  Emma was on a fifteen-minute lunch break when her phone dinged with a text from Simone that contained a photo of her and Grayson eating at the American Girl café, both wearing big smiles.

  Is he spoiling you? Emma asked her daughter in a text.

  Maybe a little. But don’t worry. I know it’s a special treat.

  Tell him we will talk about this later.

  She replied with laughing emojis—Simone was wild about the emojis. I told him he’d be in big trouble for this!

  You were right about that. Have fun and don’t be late for the party.

  We won’t. Grayson likes cabs. This comment was accompanied by a wink.

  Emma stared at the picture of the two of them for a long time, hoping she was doing the right thing allowing her daughter to get attached to a man who may or may not be part of their lives going forward. An ache settled in her chest at the thought of him not being part of their lives. It hadn’t taken long for her to become attached to him and addicted to the way he made her feel when he touched her, or even looked at her, for that matter.

  She took a minute to text Troy. Are you speaking to me?

  The text showed up as delivered and then read.

  After a minute, he wrote back. Just barely.

  You have to speak to me. You’re one of my best friends.

  All my best friends are leaving me.

  But we still love you, and I’m not going anywhere. Not now, anyway.

  Seems I’ve heard that before… After another long pause, he added, Don’t mind me. I’m being cranky. If you’re happy, I’m happy.

  You mean it?

  Of course I do. But clearly I need to drink some of that water in Vermont.

  Grayson has sisters… Beautiful sisters.

  Hahaha. Shut up.

  Emma was relieved to have avoided a possible rift with someone who was such a good friend. She was about to go back to work when her phone rang, displaying an 802 number she didn’t recognize, but she took the call since that was the Vermont area code.

  “Emma, this is Linc Abbott. I hope I’m getting you at a good time.”

  Surprised to hear from him, she said, “Hi there. This is a good time. What did we forget?”

  He laughed. “Nothing that we’ve found yet, but if we do, we’ll let you know. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m calling and how I got your number.”

  “I assume you got it from Lucy.”

  “You assume correctly, and I’m calling because I had an idea I wanted to run by you.”

  “Okay…”

  “I found out this morning that our longtime admin, Mary, is going to be leaving us in a couple of weeks.”

  “Oh. Wow. That’s too bad. I know how much you all love her.”

  “We really do, but she’s making some exciting plans for herself, so we’re happy for her.”

  Emma’s mind raced as she tried to figure out what the heck any of this had to do with her.

  “I wondered—and you can call me crazy if you want. You wouldn’t be the first to do that. But for some reason, when Mary told me her news, I immediately thought of you for the job.”

  Emma felt weightless, like a trapdoor had opened beneath her, hurling her into the deep unknown, like Alice in Wonderland.

  “Emma? Have I shocked you speechless?”

  “You’ve certainly shocked me. Why me?”

  “Well, Lucy is here most of the time these days, and I know how close you two are, and I thought that maybe, in light of other recent developments, you might like to be here. Not to mention, your daughter took to the place like a duck to water.”

  Emma couldn’t deny that Simone absolutely loved Vermont. “I… um… I have no idea what to say.”

  “I know this is totally out of the blue, and you should take all the time you need to think about it. It would be a big deal to uproot yourself and your little girl, and I don’t want you to feel any obligation. I had the idea, and I figured it couldn’t hurt to run it by you.”

  “I’m incredibly flattered that you thought of me.” And shocked and stunned and elated and depressed, because she already knew she couldn’t consider the opportunity, not as long as her dad would be left behind if she and Simone moved north.

  “Take some time. Give it some thought. Nothing needs to be decided right away. I’d like to have someone in the position by the end of January, if possible, so we’ve got time. Things are really humming here. The website goes live tomorrow. We’re about to start work on our first catalog. We’re building a distribution center and doubling our output at the sugaring facility. I’m also really excited about our new line of intimate accessories that’ll be launched in the spring. It’s an exciting time, and I’d love for you to be part of it.” He named a salary that exceeded her current salary by ten thousand dollars and mentioned full medical coverage for herself and her daughter that had her wavering. She paid four hundred dollars a month for the same coverage she’d get for free in Vermont.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you’ll think about it and get back to me next week.”

  “I will.” The salary and benefits had gotten her attention, not to mention the more affordable cost of living in Vermont. Anywhere would be more affordable than New York City. “I’ll definitely think about it.”

  “You have a happy New Year, Emma. We hope to see you back here again soon.”

  “Same to you, and thank you so much for thinking of me for this. I’m really overwhelmed by the offer.”

  “My pleasure. I’ll talk to you soon.”

  Emma ended the call and sat in stunned amazement until one of the hygienists came to find her.

  “We need you,” she said bluntly.

  Emma got up to go back to work, still reeling from the call with Linc. For ten years, she’d existed inside her tidy little bubble, taking care of her daughter, running the dentists’ office, spending time with family and friends. Every day was more or less the same, and nothing all that exciting ever happened, which had been fine with her.

  The downside was that she had no idea, no idea whatsoever, how to deal with life outside the bubble that had kept her and Simone safe and secure. Linc’s offer, while shocking and unexpected, had left her feeling momentarily euphoric about the possibility of a new professional challenge, the opportunity to live near Lucy again and a solution to the looming problem of what would become of her relationship with Grayson.

  But thinking of her dad, all alone in the city while his daughters and granddaughter lived six hours away, brought her right back to reality. Her dad was a New Yorker through and through. He would never want to leave his beloved city, and leaving him wasn’t an option. She should’ve told Linc as much while he was still on the phone.

  So while the possibility of a big change was tempting, it wasn’t going to happen. Feeling unusually dejected, Emma went back to work, forcing herself to concentrate on her existing job while trying not to think about the one Linc had offered her.

  After delivering Simone to the birthday party with a gift bag in hand that they bought at Duane Reade, Grayson went back to Emma’s to deal with the flurry of text messages from his siblings about the situation with their father.

  The consensus was divided down the middle with the four oldest—himself, Noah, Izzy and Vanessa—generally apathetic about wanting to help their father, while the younger four—Alison, Jackson, Henry and Sarah—were feeling much more generous. Of course, the younger ones had been less affected by their father’s abrupt exit from the family than their older siblings. While it had been traumatic for all of them, Henry and Sarah, in particular, were too young to remember how incredibly frightening it had been to briefly wonder how they would survive without their father’s income to support the family.

  Following Linc’s advice, their mom had
immediately hired a lawyer who made sure that Mike Coleman continued to provide financial support for his children, but he only sent exactly what he was required to and not one dime more. Grayson, Noah, Izzy and Vanessa had been forced to get nearly full-time jobs while they were still in high school to help keep the ship afloat.

  He might be an asshole, Jackson said by text. But he’s still a human being. If we can help him, why wouldn’t we?

  I can’t even believe he’d ask us to help him, Vanessa said.

  It’s just DNA, Henry said. And besides, none of his siblings matched, so maybe we won’t either and all this will be for nothing.

  Mom is enraged that he asked, Noah said. It was rare for him to contribute to the group discussions, mostly because he didn’t own a cell phone and had to catch up when he got to his computer. I got an earful today. Had to remind her that I’m not the one who thought it would be a good idea to ask us to get tested.

  Who got tested and who didn’t? Sarah asked.

  Everyone but Ally and Vanessa said they’d been tested. Both said they were still thinking about it.

  Anyone heard anything? Jackson asked.

  They said we’d only hear if we’re a match, Grayson said.

  In other news, Izzy said, I heard from Uncle Linc today that he’s definitely going to ask all of us—Abbotts and Colemans—to model for the catalog. That ought to be a fun shoot.

  A flurry of laughter emojis followed her text.

  Grayson laughed, imagining the chaos of the eighteen of them modeling for the catalog.

  I want the cover, Sarah said.

  Always the diva, Henry replied.

  Grayson smiled at Henry’s predictable retort. He and Sarah had been pushing each other’s buttons from the time they were little kids.

  With the conversation among his siblings waning—for now—Grayson turned his attention to the packet he’d picked up at the store, outlining Ed Sheehan’s complaint. He was suing for unlawful termination, emotional distress and other damages.

  Sheehan, a seasonal employee at the tree farm for five years, had been fired by Lucas Abbott after word got back to the family that Sheehan had told Gavin Guthrie that the US had wasted its time in Iraq. The comment had led to a fight in a bar between Gavin and Ed, both of whom had been arrested.

  Gray made a note to get a copy of the police report from the incident.

  Expressing one’s opinion, the attorney had written, wasn’t grounds for termination under the First Amendment right to free speech. He went on to make a case for damages based on the harm done to Sheehan’s reputation and his inability to secure new employment since the reason for his termination had gotten around town.

  As he read, Gray made a long list of questions he wanted to ask Gavin and Lucas about the incident, which had come to a head at a company gathering in November where Lucas had fired Ed.

  Grayson totally agreed with the decision to fire Ed and didn’t think he or his attorney had a leg to stand on with this case. Thanks to language Grayson had drafted himself, all their employees were classified as “at-will,” meaning they could be terminated at any time for any reason. That anyone could say such a thing to a man who’d lost his only sibling in Iraq was mind-boggling. Ed was lucky that all Gavin had done was punch him, and Lucas had done the right thing firing him.

  Ed was embarrassed and lashing out, but he didn’t have a case.

  Grayson picked up his cell phone to call his uncle to let him know that.

  “How’s it going?” Linc asked when he answered the home line at the barn.

  “Good. I’ve been looking over Sheehan’s complaint, and it’s nothing to worry about. He doesn’t have a case.”

  “I sort of suspected as much, but it’s always good to get confirmation.”

  “I’ll do the legwork and respond to his attorney, but I’m fairly confident I can make it go away.”

  “Whatever you need to do. Did you get a chance to look at the info about the proposed site of the distribution facility and the contract with the company that will walk us through developing the catalog?”

  “Not yet, but that’s next.”

  “I’m interested in your thoughts on both. With the website going live tomorrow, I want to keep things moving forward.”

  “I’ll be back to you early next week on both items.”

  “What’re you up to this weekend? The boys and I might be getting together to play some cards, if you’re interested.”

  “I’d love to, but I took your advice, and I’m in New York.”

  “Well, that’s an interesting development.”

  “You could say that.”

  “I had a little chat with your friend Emma earlier today.”

  “About what?” Gray asked, trying to imagine what Linc would need to talk to Emma about.

  “How about I let her tell you?”

  “Are you playing games, Uncle?”

  “Me? Play games? I have no idea what you mean.”

  “Sure you don’t,” Gray said with a laugh.

  “I hear your aunt calling me. Got to run. Happy New Year to you, son.”

  “Same to you and Aunt Molly. I’ll talk to you next week.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.”

  Equal parts amused and exasperated, Grayson ended the call with his uncle. He was dying to know what had transpired between him and Emma but would have to wait for her to get home and tell him. He checked his watch. Simone’s party was due to end in about thirty minutes, and then they’d be home. He couldn’t wait to see them both. Before they arrived, he had some plans to make for this evening.

  * * *

  Chapter 26

  Where there is love there is life.

  —Mahatma Ghandi

  Emma caught the last hour of Talia’s party and got to catch up with parents who had become close friends since the girls started school. The kids were out of their minds with excitement and an overabundance of sugar. She signaled to Simone that it was time to go and waited while she hugged each of her friends, as if she wasn’t going to see them at school in a couple of days.

  Simone had fallen into a nice group of kids with parents Emma liked and respected. They helped each other out and had created a village of sorts that revolved around the kids and their activities. The thought of leaving that support network made her feel queasy, even if they’d be going somewhere with built-in support. With Lucy and Cameron nearby, as well as the rest of the Abbotts—and Grayson—they’d never be alone or lonely, but Simone would have to leave friends she’d known, in some cases, since preschool.

  Walking home with her daughter, these were the thoughts that spiraled relentlessly through Emma’s mind even as the futility of it all served as a reminder that there was no point even thinking about it. If only there was a way to stop her brain from imagining the possibilities for both of them.

  She enjoyed the job she had now, working for husband-and-wife dentists who’d been very good to her over the years, accommodating her whenever Simone was sick or if she needed to leave early for conferences or activities at school. The people she worked with were more like family than coworkers after eight years, but the job itself wasn’t particularly challenging or interesting. It hadn’t been in a long time. It was, at the end of the day, just a job. What Linc had offered interested her for many reasons, not the least of which would be a whole new professional challenge.

  That plus more money, better benefits, proximity to Lucy and Colton for most of the year and Cameron all the time, no more Saturdays to frantically cover for Simone while she went to work, a more affordable cost of living and… Grayson. He’d be there, and they’d be free to continue what they’d started, without the challenge of distance hanging over them.

  “What’s wrong, Mom?” Simone asked.

  That was when Emma realized she’d sighed rather loudly. “Nothing, baby. Just tired from my first day back to work.”

  “Was it busy?”

  “Really busy. So you had fun with Grayson?
”

  “So much fun. He let me shop for a whole hour at American Girl, and then we went to the café. He’s kind of silly, though.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “He actually bought a dress that he wants me to hang on to for him until he needs it. Silly, right?”

  Sweet, she thought. So very sweet. “He found a way around my orders not to spoil you.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The dress is for you, sweetheart, but he knew I wouldn’t be happy if he bought you something else when he’d already gotten you presents from the store in Vermont.”

  “Ohhh, wow. I didn’t get that at all. I couldn’t figure out what he’d want with a doll dress.” She laughed. “That’s pretty funny.”

  “It’s very nice of him, and you need to say thank you.”

  “I did. I thanked him for taking me to the store and to lunch and to Talia’s party and for making me pancakes for breakfast.”

  “You guys had a big day.”

  “It was fun. It was kind of like…”

  Emma looked down at her. “Like what?”

  “Having a dad.”

  Those three little words were a punch to Emma’s gut. Simone never asked about her father or why other kids had one and she didn’t. Emma suspected her daughter knew that was a sore subject for her.

  “He asked me about taking you out for New Year’s Eve, but I told him you’d rather stay home. I hope that’s okay.”

  “You know me too well.”

  “Pop is coming to get me at five, and we’re going to the movies. I’m going to sleep over at his house so he’s not all alone for midnight.”

  “When did this happen?”

  “Before.” Simone skipped up the stairs to their building. She hadn’t a care inside the beautiful bubble in which she lived, and Emma was determined to keep it that way. By the time Emma caught up to her daughter, she was giving Grayson a full debrief on the party, how much Talia had liked the gift she’d picked out, how hard it had been to play the games at the party with one arm in a sling, her plans with her grandfather for the evening and how she needed to go pack because Pop would be there any minute to get her.