Chapter 23

Eliza

Steve is playing golf with his friends today, so I’m meeting my mother for brunch at the Botanist on my own. He offered to adjust his plans, but I’m a little overwhelmed by all the meeting and greeting we’ve been doing. I can hold my mother off a bit longer.

Or at least I hope so. She’s waiting for me quite eagerly when I arrive.

I lean down and kiss her on the cheek as I approach the table. “Hey, Mom.”

“You have a beautiful glow about you,” she says with a sparkle in her eyes.

I look around for Antonio, but he’s nowhere to be found. I decide not to ask about that just yet. Instead, I sit down and spread the napkin over my lap. “What looks good today?”

“I think I’m going to have the egg white spinach and feta cheese omelet. ”

I look at the menu. “I’m going to go with the crab avocado eggs benedict.” With that decided, I study my mom. “Are you feeling okay?”

She smiles. “I am. I saw your dad this week.”

“I saw him the other day.”

Her expression changes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She could be talking about a dozen things, but I know she’s not. “Tell you he was sick?” I venture, hoping that’s it.

The server interrupts our conversation at the very best time, and I take a moment to gather my wits as my mom orders. She asks for essentially everything on the side. She’ll pick at it, but she never really eats much.

When the waiter departs, she folds her hands in front of her. “Why are you with Steve?”

“He’s handsome, funny, smart, and loves football as much as I do.”

“Are you just with him because of this thing your dad is requiring?”

I look at her, not sure how to play this. I can’t keep it from her, it seems, but I’m sticking with our script as much as I can. “Steve doesn’t know.”

Her eyes narrow. “He doesn’t know? Your dad cornered him the last time he was there. And if you’re so crazy about each other, why isn’t he here with you?”

“I told you when you chose today that he had plans. Why isn’t Antonio with you?”

She sighs. “I asked him to stay home so you and I could be alone.”

“This is the first time we’ve been together since before you left that it’s only the two of us. Let’s enjoy ourselves. We’ll get everyone together soon.”

“You learned this deflection from me.” She shakes her head. “You shouldn’t have to manipulate a man into getting engaged to you. Marriage is serious.”

“I know it is. And honestly, I resent that Dad feels I have to have a man in my life to be complete. ”

“I entirely agree. I swear, I don’t know where he comes up with these things. But you know there’s no arguing with him. Maybe this is a sign that the team isn’t the right choice for you.”

I shake my head. “That’s about what you want for me, not what I want,” I point out. “In a way, you sound just like Dad.”

She looks away for a few moments. “I’d hate for you to make a rushed decision just for a silly team. I just want you to be happy, and I want you to be free to live your life, however you choose.”

“Mom, I know what I’m doing with Steve. We’re all good.”

She crosses her arms. “I want to meet him.”

“We’ll make that happen. He had plans for golf this morning. He would have changed them, but I insisted he go. There’s nothing nefarious about him not being here—promise.”

“How do you feel about him?”

“Honestly, I like him much more than I should. He is kind and generous. His family is as screwed up as ours is, and we get along well. It’s like we complement one another.”

“Then why is it more than you should?”

“Because I know we’re only having fun.”

“Your dad thinks you’ve got some deal with him.”

I feign disgust. “I was seeing him before Dad gave me his ultimatum. I like him, but he’s not a guy who gets serious with anyone.”

“You have my bad picker.”

I shrug. “I don’t know about that, and anyway, I think your picker’s fine.” I suppress a shudder as I think about Antonio. “Dad changed after you were married.”

“Money does that to some.” She studies me a moment. “I just worry about you. I don’t want you to jump into something with Steve just to get the team.”

“You’re going to have to trust me, Mom. Like I said, I know what I’m doing. ”

I’m worried she’s not going to let it go, but then our breakfast arrives, and as she picks at her food, Mom tells me about her friends and what they’ve been up to while she was gone.

“Eliza?” Allison stops as she passes our table, and I see Paisley right behind her.

“Hi!” I exclaim. I stand and hug them both. “Mom, this is Allison Pate and Paisley Martin.”

They exchange pleasantries.

“Are you arriving, or are you just finishing?” I ask.

Allison sighs. “We’re just finishing. I’m planning my wedding, and it’s not as easy to get married to a Martin as Paisley made it out to be.”

Paisley giggles. “That’s because we ran off to an island to get married, and I was not marrying the prodigal son.”

“Who are you marrying?” Mom asks.

“Henry Martin. He’s currently the chief operating officer of Martin Communications.”

I lean in. “Mom, don’t be fooled. Allison is a fabulous actress who’s put her career on hold for Henry.”

Mom smiles widely. “Of course. I’ve worked with Julia Martin many times at fundraisers in town, and I knew you looked familiar. And Allison, I’ll spare you my lecture about giving up your job for a man.”

Allison nods. “My mother already gave it to me. Don’t worry.”

“What are you two working on so early this morning?” I ask.

“Location,” Allison says. “I can’t find a place I like that hasn’t been used by dozens of other people.”

I nod. “You know, Steve’s sister is building the MacLean Museum. The gardens were completed first, so they’d be established when the building opens in the spring. I’m not promising, but I wonder if we could get you access to the gardens. There’s a spot that they’ve designed specifically for weddings, and I know they haven’t started booking yet. You could be the first. It would be a big win for them to host your wedding.”

Allison smiles. “Really? I love that idea. When could we go see it?”

“I’ll find out and try to get something set up for you.”

“I will owe you big,” she says with a squeal.

“It’s not a problem,” I assure her. “I’ll call Olivia this afternoon. She can tell me who to talk to, and I’ll get that set up.”

“I hope you’ll join us when we see it.”

“I’d love that,” I gush.

After another moment, they say their goodbyes.

“How do you know them?” Mom asks once they’re out of earshot.

“Their partners are close friends with Steve.”

“I’m so glad you’re branching out. You know I adore Tanya, but it’s good to have a wide circle of friends.”

“Speaking of Tanya, I’m meeting her for a stroll down the seawall at Stanley Park.”

“Isn’t it too hot for that?”

I shrug. “Two weeks a year it’s hot. We’ll be fine. At least it means fewer people on the path.”

Mom pulls out her credit card when the bill arrives.

“You know I make a decent living. Can’t you let me pay?”

She waves me away. “I don’t mind. It’s all your dad’s money, no matter how you split it up.”

“Did you come back because he was sick?”

She freezes a moment, and then looks down. “I did. Laura called me to tell me. She’s a genuine gift to your dad and me.”

“I like her best of all the subsequent wives.”

“Angela was a bitch,” Mom says.

Angela Garman was a bitch. Her father had something to do with the creation of Bluetooth technology, and she was a spoiled brat. She wasn’t even nice to Dad. I nod. “I agree. Laura is good for him. She makes him slow down and not be so focused on his work.”

“That’s all we want for you,” Mom reminds me. “We just have different thoughts on how to get there.”

My head is spinning. “I know, and I have to sort that out for myself.”

She nods, and before she can wax poetic about anything else, I kiss her goodbye, promise again that she can meet Steve soon, and take off for Stanley Park.

I arrive early enough to change into a pair of shorts and a tank top, slather myself with sunscreen, and put on my sneakers before going to meet Tanya by the First Nations Totem Poles.

When I emerge from the restrooms, Tanya is waiting for me, water bottle in hand. She sees me and holds up her other hand, which also holds a water bottle. I have to laugh. “You know me too well.”

“I figured you hadn’t unpacked your water bottles yet.”

I nod. “You’re too good to me.”

“I know, but that’s the job of the BFF.”

As we walk along the seawall, the heat is terrible, and it’s very crowded anyway, but I don’t care. It still feels great to be outside. We talk about last night’s dinner with Steve’s friends and today’s brunch with my mom.

“So, you think your mom is in on what’s going on?” Tanya asks.

“Well, she knows about Dad’s requirement now. She doesn’t like it, but she also doesn’t understand why I want the team, so she’s not much help. I tried not to fully tip my hand about how I’m handling things with Steve, but she’s definitely watching me closely. One moment she agrees with me that you can’t find your soulmate on a specific timeline, and then she agrees with my dad about me needing to find more balance in my life.”

“That sucks.”

I smile. I could say anything, and Tanya is a good enough friend that she’ll agree. That is one of the many things I love about her.

“Agreed. But it is what it is. Tell me how things are going with Jun.”

“He had a date last night. She wanted to sleep with him, but he couldn’t get it up.”

I stop and look at her. “And you know this why?”

“He called me after.”

“That must have been interesting. ‘Hey, just checking in. I had a date and a serious case of ED.’”

“It wasn’t like that, but honestly, I thought it was fantastic. He was all upset because he had this beautiful, busty redhead all hot for him, and he couldn’t perform.”

“Serves him right.”

“Truly.”

We walk to the point, where we stop to watch a sea plane land in the harbor. I never tire of seeing these planes touch down on the water.

“So, what is your current plan with Steve?” Tanya asks as we start walking again.

I blow out a puff of air. “I have to stay the course. I’m focused on getting the team. I refuse to allow my father to sell it to Donnie Cochran.”

“What are you doing about the bad hires?”

“We got rid of one of them. I’m still waiting to hear from his attorney, but Darius makes sure our contracts have a strong termination clause.”

“Thank God for that.”

We’re approaching the Lions Gate Bridge and a fork in the road. We can continue on or walk through the park, which is the opposite of the seawall trail. It becomes a dirt trail underneath the red cedar and Douglas fir trees that line the paths. Their roots prevent things from getting too muddy with all our rain in the winter. I think we’re both ready to be out of the sun, so we opt for the shady choice.

“But you still don’t know how it happened in the first place, right?” Tanya presses. “Are you thinking about doing any investigation?”

I consider how I answer. Charles asked me not to say anything, and I hate having secrets from Tanya, but I need to honor that. The best way to keep a secret is not to tell anyone. “I haven’t decided yet. I still need to ask my dad about it and make sure he’s not the one behind this.”

“Oh my God! You’re right. He could be testing you.”

My heart races at the thought. “I’m going to be very pissed if he is. But I haven’t been able to feel him out yet.”

“When are you going to see him?”

“I thought about going today, but I think after we’re done, I’m going to go home and take a nap. I’ve had a lot going on between the team, my mom’s return, my dad’s illness, and Steve.”

“I think Steve is the biggest reason you’re so tired.”

I shrug. “At least he’s over his freakout.”

When we finish our walk, I give her a hug goodbye at the totem poles. “See you in the morning.”

“Sounds good. Make sure that hottie of yours recognizes what a great catch you are.”

Smiling, I wave goodbye. “He knows.”

I take out my phone and find a text message from Steve. He was pulled off the golf course to go to the hospital. His patient is not doing well.

And there goes any chance of a pleasant night together at home.