“Oh, I’m okay. As soon as you guys showed up I was only worried Winks would get you into trouble with the police by asking for a broken nose. You know, it’s time that Uncle realized that the rest of us don’t need a boss. We’re all grownups around here. Rafael said he wasn’t surprised we wanted to keep our independence. Uncle needs to understand that, too.”
“Maybe he needs to be needed.”
“Well, he’d better be nicer to Tilly so she leans on him a little. Don’t look at me to play that part. You’re the one I need.”
After lunch Jade called Henry Beekman on his cell phone. “Henry, I’m getting a restraining order against your boss so he stops sneaking onto my land and scaring the hell out of me. I’d like you to stop telling him anything about me or any of us, over here.”
“I’m sorry, Jade. I only told him you got married because I thought it would make him leave you alone. I don’t know what’s happening to him. I’m beginning to think he’s losing his mind.”
“That’s a definite possibility, all right. Why did you tell him what Matt does for a living?”
“I didn’t. When he showed up here, Delta was still here and she told him that Matt was a great engineer and an artist with ceramics. She didn’t mean any harm, Jade, honest.”
“Oh, I don’t mean to get after you or Delta. I’m just so disgusted with that old goat. I’m sorry I bothered you, Henry. I’ll talk to you another time.”
Judge Adams appeared to be a no-nonsense judge and signed the restraining order after Jade testified in the hearing. A couple of other women, one was pretty young, also gave testimony to the threatening behavior that Winks had shown them when they turned him down at the local bar. Jade left a much happier woman than she had been two weeks before.
The next weekend was Memorial Day weekend and she couldn’t stand to spend it studying security and hearing Cedric grumbling about some crooked politician or idiot celebrity, two of his pet peeves. It was time to get away.
On Thursday, just before dinner, she dragged Matt out of his office for a walk in the perfect sunshine with a cool breeze blowing. “The guys tell me they don’t need me to run the shipping craziness tomorrow so I want to get away. I’m beginning to sound like an old cat with a bad tooth.”
“No, you’re not.” Matt laughed and pulled her into his arms. “I don’t like old cats and I’m crazy about you.”
“Well, I feel like an old cat. Let’s get away for the weekend.”
“You pick out the place and I’ll drive while you navigate. How does that sound?”
“Perfect. Can you get away tomorrow afternoon and come back Monday afternoon, or is that too long?”
“Not to be with my lady. Besides, I’m just about ready to jump into the designs for Forman’s company but I told him I’m not going to start until June Fifteenth because I’ve got to go to Branson to present my plans for the hot shop at the college. I was hoping you’d still like to go with me. I’m going to be gone for three days and people say it’s a fun town.” Matt’s eyebrows twitched.
“I wouldn’t miss it. With over three dozen theaters we ought to be able to find something we like.” Jade spent the rest of the day making reservations for their little local trip to Diamond Lake and then decided to get everything reserved for Branson, Missouri while she was it.
The next afternoon they took a picnic lunch and enjoyed it while they looked over an area where two rivers and a creek collided in a canyon full of azaleas and rhododendron in bloom. They spent the night in a rustic little cabin at Diamond Lake and then decided to head back to the west because of the snow lingering on the highway leading to Crater Lake. They had summer clothes with them, not ones suitable for winter.
After a Saturday spent snapping pictures of one gorgeous waterfall after another, they passed on the Wildlife Safari where African animals were roaming, and headed for the coast.
“I’m not in the mood for lions and rhinos right now. I want to see seals and hear sea gulls.”
“This weekend is yours. Your wish is my command.” Matt began to whistle with the music on the radio and headed for Coos Bay.
When they got to Myrtle Point, the town seemed to beckon to them to stop and rest. They made it an early night after dinner at a cafe offering home cooking in the myrtle shop area.
After an early simple breakfast they followed the Coquille River until it turned off for the ocean. On the way to the coast they stopped at a fruit stand for early strawberries and a mall in Coos Bay for fresh dark muffins and coffee. The beach was lovely with every manner of bird wheeling overhead or prancing in the wet sand as the surf spread inland, more and more. When they stopped for dinner they discovered they were hungry enough for Italian food at Benetti’s.
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of salmon, they decided to rent a canoe at an estuary near Charleston. They enjoyed a tour of the art museum in Coos Bay before filling their basket with fresh fruit and squaw bread and heading for home. Monday night came all too soon.
Jade received a frantic call from Velma at the catalog company the next morning. She spent the rest of the week helping Velma and Jack untangle a problem with a foreign supplier and looking for a missing shipment of boots from Wisconsin. It was all kind of fun but she realized she was relieved when Friday afternoon came and she looked forward to an open week ahead.
The following Wednesday she and Matt left for Branson, Missouri and Matt’s conference with the alumni at the college. They were surprised to find a pilot meeting them at Springfield Airport in Missouri. They had expected an alumnus from the college. “Mr. Rutherford got tied up and couldn’t make it but I hope you’ll be satisfied with me and Leroy. It’s a real nice plane. Belongs to Mr. Rutherford.”
“Uh, who’s Leroy?” Jade had visions of an old crop duster pilot meeting them at the plane, his hair in his eyes, wearing patched overalls. And would the airplane be leaking oil?
“Leroy’s my copilot. Nice kid. Real serious. He wants to work his way up to a big airline. He’s good. He’ll make it.”
Leroy looked about eighteen but he was clean cut, professional, and well-spoken. The plane was an executive jet which could carry ten passengers. There was a young stewardess on board named Ella Mae. Her southern accent was soft and pleasant. The airline flight to Springfield had offered a poor choice for lunch so Jade and Matt were ready for some serious food. The roast beef sandwiches and pea soup that Ella Mae served them were excellent.
On Thursday, before Matt met with the alumni and college planners in Branson, Jade had him drop her off at a quaint shopping center in Hollister where she browsed through a bookstore, some specialty clothing stores, and an art gallery. Hollister had older homes which reminded Jade of magazines her grandmother had from the 1950s. The neighborhood wasn’t far from the college so she expected to be comfortable there for the day.
The clothing stores featured leather jackets and accessories in one store, women’s business suits in another, and all manner of quality sportswear in a third. After Jade bought a perfect little hip purse and matching gloves, she found two suits which were wash and wear and wrinkle proof. She wandered through the nearby art gallery before she settled into the bookstore with coffee and a fascinating book about the top men in the security business in the US and Great Britain.
At two o’clock her stomach insisted that she feed it and she ordered a salad at a sidewalk cafe. It turned out to be way too much but she ate her favorite fruits and veggies and left most of the lettuces.
At three she was still sitting at the cafe when she felt a chill run through her. She was lonely. She missed Matt. Jade sighed and admitted to herself that Matt had become an essential part of her life and that was all there was to it. She looked up to see his smiling face and leaned forward for his kiss. “Boy, am I glad to see you. I’m just not a great shopper. I can’t do this for the next two days. Don’t they have a library at the college?”
“More than that. The president’s secretary said you might like to atten
d a seminar they’re having tomorrow where a big deal sculptor and two artists are going to speak and show slides of their work.”
“Perfect! I’m already looking forward to it.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
When Matt and Jade headed for the parking lot where the rental car was parked, Jade suggested they stop at the information booth to ask about theater tickets. The young lady directed them to a store where lines of people were buying tickets for theaters all over the area. The wall map was too hard to read so Matt handed Jade some pamphlets while he took half of them.
They decided on “a romantic evening” at the Moon River Theater for Saturday night.
“We should catch one country music show,” Jade said. “I mean, we are at one of the two country music capitals of America.”
They chose one near their motel and fidgeted while they stood in the two lines to get the tickets. It was all they could do to make it to their motel, freshen up, and hurry to the theater with enough time to grab a bite to eat. Fortunately, a barbecue type of buffet was offered as part of the event and they managed to enjoy a plate of beans, corn on the cob, and chicken while the opening act started.
Jade giggled and received a wicked grin from Matt. “I was just thinking how much this is like the Fourth of July picnics we have in Mishap, except the music will be a lot better, I’m sure.”
Not only was the music fun, the dancing was excellent, and the comic parts had them laughing until they cried. They were completely worn out when they got back to their room.
Jade was still sleepy when they parked at the college the next morning. She found the room where the art seminar was to be held and then went to the nearby Coffee Shack to wake up. To her delight they had little bowls of cut up fruits. She carried her snack items to a bench by the entrance to the art center and focused on the pigeons and the small fountain in the middle of a little commons.
A tall handsome man with silver hair and a mustache strolled over to her and said, “Let me guess. You’re Miss Ada Banks, wizard with watercolors.” His voice was deep and jovial.
Jade shook her head and smiled.
“Mrs. Harris, my facilitator?”
Jade shook her head again.
“Please don’t tell me you’re Hiram Medicine Doll. It’s too early for me to deal with stuff like that.”
Jade laughed out loud. “You’ve had three strikes, I’m afraid.”
“Oh, well. It’s not the first time.” He extended his right hand. “I’m Ed Letherby, at your service. I’m giving a little talk on sculpting.”
“Mrs. Dixon. I came to hear the talks so I’m pleased to meet you. Please sit down, if you want to. What kind of sculpting do you do?”
Letherby sat down with a grand sigh. “I carve a little wood, do a little pottery, and, when I’m feeling brave or receive some decent money, I try my hand at a bronze. The stuff costs like the very devil to produce.”
“I imagine foundries aren’t cheap. I just visited one at Joseph, Oregon.”
They talked for about twenty minutes before they were interrupted by the other speakers and a chattering group of attendees. Jade found Letherby the most entertaining and took notes on some of his advice about carving wood. While the last speaker, a woman who painted abstract oils in shocking colors, had her back to the audience, Jade slipped out and headed for the Coffee Shack again.
She was trying to wake herself up again, this time with a bottle of fresh tomato juice from the cooler behind the checkout counter, when she heard Letherby’s voice. “That’s a mighty skimpy lunch, even for a little gal like you. Mind if I treat you to a sandwich or something?”
Jade chuckled and shook her head. “I have a lunch date. I had a late night and I can’t seem to wake up. Have a seat. I’ll be leaving in a minute anyway.”
“Oh, what a shame. Well, while I have you holding down the table I’ll just slip over there and grab something and be right back.”
Jade returned to her notes from the seminar and started to ask him a question when he sat down next to her but she was interrupted by a familiar voice.
It was Matt but he sounded furious. “What are you doing here, Letherby? I didn’t know you knew my wife?” He gave Letherby a murderous look.
The man jerked and then jumped to his feet. “My goodness! I had no idea Mrs. Dixon was married to you. I’ll just be on my way. Nice to have met you, Miss.” He dashed to a tiny table at the other end of the dining area.
Jade watched Matt’s face change from fierce anger to red embarrassment. “I’m sorry. It was just such a shock to see him sitting next to you as if you were old friends. Are you?”
“No. I’ve known him exactly...” She glanced at her watch. “...two hours and fifty minutes. He was the first speaker at the seminar this morning. I take it you’ve known him a long time and it was not a good time.”
“You’re right. He was an old friend of my father’s, his protégé actually. I felt like he talked Dad into doing some pretty risky glass blowing projects without providing him with the protective equipment he needed. I think it shortened Dad’s life.”
“He said he did wood carving, pottery, and some bronzes. He didn’t say anything about glass blowing.”
“He probably stopped doing it after he was sued for a terrible injury to a couple of people on a project. He was trying to get by too cheap and people got burned. It wiped him out financially and he tried to borrow money from Dad to do a bronze. I found out about it and decked him. Dad didn’t approve of my behavior but he understood.”
“I’m surprised Letherby would endanger his mentor like that. He seemed so gentle and kind.”
“I’ve probably been totally unfair to him. Dad didn’t teach him about the new safer methods of working glass but I tried to. Dad probably felt Ed’s sloppy attitude was his fault. I thought Ed was young enough and smart enough to take me seriously and I wasn’t very forgiving.”
“I have a few prejudices of my own, as you well know. Don’t look at me to judge you on this. I just hope you feel a little better about what happened to your dad than you did when I met you.”
“I do, thanks to you and Mom. Letherby just caught me by surprise.”
“Do you have to go back to some more meetings this afternoon?”
“No. This has gone surprisingly well, I think. Several of the alumni who like my designs want to get going on the project but the president’s facility expert thinks I’m too expensive. He thinks I want to sell them stuff they don’t really need. They’re going to hash it out this afternoon and I’ll find out where I stand tomorrow. Let’s have lunch back near the motel and take a nap before tonight’s concert.”
“Perfect! Otherwise, I’ll be asleep before they finish the first number.”
After a wake up call from the front office they grabbed a quick dinner at the motel and headed for the Moon River Theater. The concert was as romantic as it had been described and Jade was still humming some of the melodies when she showered the next morning before breakfast.
“So what do you want to do today while I go to my meetings?”
“I’ll just hang out at the library. I always love college libraries and it’s not that far from the Coffee Shack. We can meet where we did yesterday, for lunch. We’re slated to fly out this afternoon, aren’t we?” Jade fluffed her hair while Matt finished shaving.
“Right. Are you anxious to get home?”
“I’m afraid so. I’m a lousy traveler if I have to go away more than a day from home. I know that sounds silly but I traveled with my parents more than I really cared to. I think it soured me on hotels and resorts and such. I’ve loved our little trips around the state and I prefer those. To be honest I’m a bit of a home body. Does that make me dull company?”
“You’ve got to be kidding! I served two years in the military when I got out of high school. I ended up in a transport team. We loaded planes with cargo, flew with it to the weirdest places you can imagine, and then moved on to another base. I wore out my wanderlust
in a hurry.”
Matt was a little late for their lunch date so they decided to head to a restaurant near the airport. The place was swamped so they gathered a few items from the take out menu, turned in the rental car, and went to cue up for their flight. They couldn’t believe it when they were told they could board their commuter flight early and hurried to find their seats.
Jade felt like she had just finished running a relay race. “Whew! That was frantic.”
“I’m just glad we have something decent to eat and we can catch our breath. I don’t think I’m going to do any more of these projects where I have to travel very far to meet with my clients.”
“We’ll see. If money gets scarce you’ll probably change your mind. Anyway, I’m dying of curiosity. Did they accept your designs?”
“Yes, they did. It seems their so called expert had clay feet. One of the alumni had him investigated without telling anyone and when he presented his information, right in front of the guy, his credibility went to zero. They bought the whole package and even asked me to manage the project. I said no to that, of course, but it felt good to be asked.”
“Congratulations, love. This is going to look very good on your resume.”
That night, when they arrived back at Agate Farm, all Jade wanted to do was find the bed and sleep for a week. The flight had been rough and they hadn’t bothered to stop for dinner. Tilly’s soup and pumpkin muffins hit the spot.
“So, how was the high life?” Cedric raised one eyebrow.
“I’m too much of a peasant to make a good night lifer, Uncle, just like you. It is kind of a glamorous town, though, and the Moon River Theater was posh.”
“What I want to know is did you get to hear Andy Williams sing? He was one of my favorites?” Tilly’s eyes sparkled over her smile.
“Sorry, Tilly. He wasn’t in that particular performance. The orchestra and singers were great, though. I don’t keep up on celebrities but these people would probably be ones you’ve heard of.” Matt pulled a couple of glossy publicity books out of a bag on the counter. “We had these people sign autographs, just for you.”
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