“Well, I want to go to Disneyland and I want her to come,” B.J. said, his expression mutinous. “You promised!”
Boone sighed. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Was there even the faintest possibility that he was going to get through Emily’s visit with his sanity intact, especially with his eight-year-old apparently as enamored with her as he’d once been?
* * *
Emily had made herself a promise not to check her cell phone for messages until she’d spent a little time with family, but ingrained habits were hard to break. When she heard the signal for yet another text message in the past half hour, she excused herself from the table.
“Sorry. I need to deal with this,” she said.
“Told you she wouldn’t last an hour without checking her phone,” Samantha teased. “I’m just surprised you haven’t been on yours yet, Gabi.”
Gabi flushed guiltily. “Actually I made a few calls and sent a couple of emails right before you all got here. My very efficient assistant is on top of things at the office. She knows how to reach me if anything crops up that she can’t handle.”
“I wish I had one of those,” Emily said. “Mine’s great at taking messages and following up on details, but when it comes to taking the initiative or pacifying clients, that’s all on me.” She gestured with the phone. “And that’s what I’m dealing with now.”
“Go ahead and make your calls,” Cora Jane told her.
On the deck, Emily returned a call from Sophia Grayson, a high-maintenance Beverly Hills socialite who expected everything to be done yesterday. She paid top dollar to make that happen, and her acceptance of Emily had been a huge recommendation in certain circles.
“You’re up early,” Emily said when she’d reached her. “It’s barely eight o’clock out there.”
“I’m up early because I haven’t slept all night,” Sophia complained with a dramatic sigh. “I’ve been fretting about that disastrous mix-up with the drapery fabric. You know I’m throwing a very important party in less than two weeks, Emily. You promised every last detail would be completed in plenty of time.”
“And they will be,” Emily assured her. “The new drapes are being made as we speak. I spoke to Enrico myself, and he’s appalled by the mistake. He’s put his best people on the job and he’ll have the replacements ready to be installed tomorrow.”
“What about the paint in the dining room?” Sophia complained. “It’s just awful. I would never have chosen that color. People will feel as if they’re inside a pumpkin.”
“I did warn you that orange could be overwhelming,” Emily felt compelled to say, “but we have the backup ready to go. I think you’ll be much happier with the taupe. It’s so classy, definitely much more expressive of your excellent taste and style. The crew will be there at nine and should be out by this afternoon.”
“I know taupe will be just fine, but I’d hoped for a little pop of color for a change,” Sophia said with a sigh of regret.
“And we’ll have that in the accessories,” Emily assured her. “You have an appointment with Steve from Rodeo Gallery to look at art this afternoon. I think you’ll find a lovely painting for your collection of fresh new artists that will give you exactly the splash of color you want. Once you’ve chosen that, we can add a few other touches to bring it all together.”
“I suppose,” Sophia said. “You do know I trust you, Emily. You haven’t let me down yet. Where are you, though? Why aren’t you here? Isn’t on-site oversight part of that fee I pay for your services?”
“I’m dealing with a bit of a family emergency in North Carolina, Sophia, but you’re not to worry. Everything’s under control. If you need me, all you have to do is call.”
A beep told her she had another call. “Sweetie, I have to run,” she told Sophia. “I’ll speak to you later today, make sure everything’s on track. Text me if you need me before then.”
She cut off the call before Sophia could come up with another crisis. Glancing at the caller ID, she saw the name of the client she’d just met with in Aspen.
“We like your ideas,” Derek Young said without preamble. “How soon can you get back here to get started? We’d like to have the lodge up and running by December first to take full advantage of the ski season. Thanksgiving would be even better.”
Emily hated the thought of putting him off, but she had little choice. “It’ll be a couple of weeks at least,” she admitted. “If there’s any way to make it sooner, I will. I’ll be honest with you, though, Derek. December might be optimistic even if I could be there tomorrow. You’re going to have to decide if you want quality work or an expedited timetable.”
“I want both,” he said without hesitation. “If that means doubling up on work crews, then do it.”
Emily got the message. “Of course.”
“This is a big job,” he reminded her, clearly intending to emphasize the stakes. “It’s an entire ski lodge. I’m sure you could get some PR mileage out of that.”
“I understand what a fabulous opportunity you’re giving me, Derek, but I can’t abandon my family right now. The hurricane’s left a mess in its wake.”
He hesitated, leaving her with her heart in her throat. She thought she could hear his wife murmuring in the background.
“Okay, fine, do the best you can,” he said eventually. “Tricia has reminded me that, contrary to the way I live my life, family should take priority over business from time to time.”
Emily smiled. “It’s a lesson I’m struggling with myself,” she told him. “Thank her for me.”
“You’ll be in touch?”
“Of course. And there are things I can get started on from here. We won’t be losing much time.”
When she’d disconnected the call, she allowed herself a moment of triumph over snagging the job, then sighed. She wondered if anyone in her family would be excited for her over this coup. More likely, they’d be disappointed in her for making a promise to leave before the work here was likely to be done.
* * *
Cora Jane looked around at her girls, drinking in the sight of them, and the next thing she knew there were tears gathering in her eyes. It was Gabi who caught her before she could wipe them away.
“Grandmother, are you okay?” Gabi asked quietly.
“I’m just so glad to have the three of you under this roof again, even if it is leaking in a dozen spots and the place is a disaster.”
“There’s nothing wrong we can’t fix with a little elbow grease,” Gabi assured her. “I’ll make some calls about the roof, too.”
“No need,” Cora Jane told her. “Boone’s already taken care of that. He has someone coming first thing tomorrow to replace it. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of days to get it fixed up. As long as we don’t have another storm between now and then, we’ll be okay.”
“Did I hear you mention Boone?” Emily asked, coming back inside just in time to hear Cora Jane.
“He’s arranged for someone to fix the roof,” Gabi told her.
Emily’s expression soured. “Why don’t you let me make a few calls? Negotiating with contractors is what I do.”
“How many contractors do you know here who could get to the job tomorrow?” Boone asked, choosing that moment to join them in the kitchen, B.J. at his side. “But if you want to give it a try, I won’t be offended.”
Emily flushed pink. “She should have