by Amy Lyon
She focused on her view, pure paradise, and the way the sunshine and salt air did wonders for her mood. Especially when she checked the weather app on her phone and saw the temperature was twelve below zero in Minnesota.
A shiver raced through her and she reached for her laptop. When her world felt unsettled like it did this morning, she turned to the one activity she could control. Her creative work. Matt wasn’t picking her up until noon for the tour of Circles of Care, which gave her the whole morning to dream and design. She closed her eyes to mentally brainstorm the cover she would create for CityStyle Magazine’s spring fling issue, featuring the hottest attractions, restaurants and shopping in the Twin Cities.
The welcome pressure of a deadline rested solidly on her mind. The blank screen would come to life in the next few days and would serve as her audition of sorts when she went head to head with the young twenty-somethings in her office for the position of art director. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure why there were interviews at all. She’d be thirty this week, and not only did she have seniority to her advantage, she’d clearly earned this position with award-winning designs.
From a career perspective, the timing of this trip couldn’t have been worse, all respect to Dwight. With news of the current art director’s resignation last week, she’d made her intention of becoming his replacement known and was certain she’d be the first choice. Especially if this cover was everything her boss, Angel DeMunoco, expected it to be.
Andi breathed deep. Buzzing just below the surface, she felt the familiar stream of energy that came when she created something from nothing. The process started with an idea and the string of events that unspooled to create the finished product was nothing short of magnificent. Sometimes the magic came in the form of the perfect font to compliment a graphic, or a textured background so real your eyes forgot they looked at a piece of paper and instead were transported to a vision of another world.
She clutched her stomach as the creative energy surged through her unexpectedly.
Thinking of Matthew Cooke transported her in much the same way, she realized. She’d gotten lost several times yesterday in blue eyes that mirrored the waters in front of her, and the gentle way he spoke, even about the hard stuff. Although she’d visit the home today her mother would likely be put into, there was something comforting in knowing Matt would be by her side the whole time.
There was a knock at the door. Matt’s face flashed to the front of her mind and she rushed across the room. He was hours early! She was a mess! Checking the peephole, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She opened the door to a young lady in khaki shorts and a white polo top holding a vase of fresh flowers.
“Good morning,” she said in a sweet lilt, her blond hair in a loose braid that rested on one shoulder. “My name is Maggie and I want to welcome you to Casa Blanca Resort and Spa, and deliver this.” She took one hand off the vase and produced a small envelope. “A certificate for Eucalyptus, our on-site all-organic spa.”
“Wow, thanks,” Andi said, accepting the vase and envelope. “I wasn’t expecting this.”
The woman smiled wider and her blue eyes twinkled. “We’ve got openings for a massage this morning if you’d like to pamper yourself.”
Andi looked over her shoulder at her laptop. “Unfortunately, I’ve got some work to do.”
The woman nodded and turned to leave. Andi stopped her with an impulsive touch on her arm. “Wait. How about a pedicure? Could you do that this morning?”
She pointed to her bare feet and even more bare toes. Maggie looked down and smiled.
“I’m sure we can fit that in.”
* * *
Matt was an hour early to pick up Andi, but that was part of his plan. Hopefully she hadn’t eaten lunch yet and he could steal a little extra time with her before they met their mothers at Circles of Care.
She was distant and understandably short with him last night when he’d walked her to her rental car, but he tried not to take that sort of stuff personally, even though she seemed to strike a very personal chord with him.
He was about to enter the lobby when he caught sight of her at a table in the shade by the pool. He couldn’t see her face, which was hidden under a large hat, but her pale bare arms and the tattoo on her wrist gave her away. Her feet rested on a second chair and the bottom of her long sundress fell around her legs.
As he got closer he saw that she was hunkered over a laptop.
“I see you’ve adapted to your environment,” he said, leaning an arm on the chair that served as her foot rest.
She peeked up at him from under the floppy beige hat and broke into an open, friendly smile. “Turns out I’m pretty good at relaxing by the pool.”
He scooted her feet to the side and sat in the chair. She tried to pull her feet away, but he laid a light hand over them. “You’re fine,” he said. “And I see you’ve put away your winter clothes in favor of something a little more tropical.”
She ran a hand over the turquoise and brown sundress, then leaned forward. “I spent a small fortune in the gift shop.”
The thin straps of the sundress showed off the toned arms he’d noticed the night before when she took off her sweater.
“And—” she lifted her foot and wiggled pretty pink toes at him “—I got a pedicure this morning.”
“I see that.” He figured she’d opt for a massage. At least that’s what he’d imagined when he called Eucalyptus right at eight and asked them to bring a gift card to her room.
“You wouldn’t believe how half an hour in a massaging chair, an exfoliating foot scrub and a hot-rock calf massage can change your perspective.”
“Actually, I have a pretty good idea,” he said and nodded at the spa entrance. “My sister works over there. I get in on all their specials.”
Andi lifted one eyebrow. “Your sister? Really? Wonder if I met her.”
“Long blond hair. Usually in a braid.”
“Maggie?”
He nodded.
“She brought the gift certificate and flowers to my door.” She closed her laptop and set it on the table. “Wait a minute. Did you have something to do with this?”
He flipped his sunglasses down over his eyes and looked toward the pool.
“Matt?”
His lips twitched with amusement. “All right. They were running a special for new guests... who happened to be in town from Minnesota.”
Andi’s laughter rippled through the pool area. “Oh, what a coincidence.” She smiled and flashed pretty white teeth. “Well, you made my morning. Thank you.”
“Anything to keep you from working while you should be relaxing.” He pointed to her laptop and that simple action seemed to flip a switch on her mood.
“I don’t work all the time,” she said and dropped her feet to the patio deck. With her hands on her knees, she leaned forward. “That promotion I told you about, I have a design due in less than a week. If I don’t get it done, I can pretty much kiss that promotion goodbye.”
He sat back and shifted to the side so he could rest his arm across the back of the chair. “What are you designing?”
“A magazine cover.” Flecks of gold flashed in her brown eyes. “I’m pretty sure I’ll get the promotion, but my boss is a loose cannon, so I don’t want to give her any reason not to choose me. It’s easier to play by her rules than to upset the apple cart, if you know what I mean.”
“Sounds like a monster...”
“Angel, actually. That’s her name.”
“Ironic.”
Andi shrugged. “She’s got a great eye for design, but man, she’s hard to work for.”
“Maybe you should do your own thing. Ever consider freelance work?”
A spark of interest flashed across her face. “Actually, I have done some freelance design.”
“Good, ’cause I need someone to help me with rebranding for the church. Bring it into the twenty-first century. Consider me your first client.”
S
he laughed gently. “You haven’t even seen my work.”“I’m sure it’s amazing.”
Andi tipped her head back and her shoulders relaxed. “I would love to be my own boss and have my own design business someday.” A distant look came over her. “It’s just that...”
He waited a beat, then prompted, “Just what?”
“There are designers around every corner in Minneapolis and it would be impossible to get established.”
“Do you have to stay in Minneapolis?”
Her eyes narrowed on him. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s my home.”
Matt shrugged. “Just a question.”
“It’s funny you should mention that. I was sitting up there this morning—” she pointed to the balconies “—wondering what it would be like to live someplace like this.”
“It’s incredible. A slice of paradise every day.”
Andi rolled her eyes. “I’m sure, Matt. Never a rainy day, right?”
He winked, but realized she couldn’t see his eyes through the dark lenses of his sunglasses. Probably better that way. Maggie often told him his eyes were the windows to his soul and he didn’t need his feelings on display today.
Feelings had no place in a conversation with Andrea Morgan. Yet something about their easy exchange made him want to spill all his beans and he knew that wouldn’t be good for either of them.
“I get what you’re saying,” he finally said and rested his ankle across his knee. “You’ve got your job, your friends, probably a boyfriend up there.”
Andi’s thick lashes flew up. “No. I mean, job and friends, yes, but boyfriend, no. Not right now.” She looked away and he caught the pink stain on her cheeks.
He tried to hide his satisfied smirk, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she seemed focused past him to the pool area. He recognized the far-off gaze from last night on the porch. It made him wonder. He sensed now wasn’t the time to probe, though.
“Hey, let’s go grab some food before we meet the moms.”
Andi grinned. “The moms... I like that.”
Matt pushed to his feet and offered a hand to pull her up. And I like you. Problem was, she lived nearly two-thousand miles away and would leave in two days. Sure would be nice if he didn’t have to fight so hard for everything he wanted. And, it seemed, he wanted Andrea Morgan.
CHAPTER FOUR
Circles of Care was a friendly enough looking building painted a pale yellow with white trim. The yard was so picturesque Andi thought the whole scene could have been plucked from the pages of a magazine. Especially the two older ladies huddled together on a bench out front talking away.
“The moms are lookin’ good,” Matt said, slipping his truck into a parking spot. “Fresh from the beauty salon.”
Andi thought her 62-year-old mother had aged considerably in the four years since she’d seen her, but the older woman’s smile still appeared youthful. It made Andi wonder if maybe she weren’t jumping the gun on entering this memory care facility. She hadn’t spent a lot of time with her mother the night before, but Millie didn’t seem nearly as bad off as Matt made her sound. Maybe she should check into the option of hiring a home nurse to look after her, which would allow her mother to stay in the house.
Matt matched her pace as they followed the sidewalk past a bubbling fountain toward the covered entrance and the women seated on the bench.
When her mother looked up and saw them coming, her jaw dropped and she nearly burst off the bench.
“Andrea!” she hollered, peeling off her sunglasses and rushing down the sidewalk.
Andi opened her arms to accept her mother’s hug.
“I can’t believe you’re here!”
Andi’s heart dropped and she looked at Matt, who crossed his arms over his chest.
“Of course I’m here, Mom.”
Millie took Andi’s hands and held them out to the sides. “Look how pretty you are.” She reached forward and let a strand of Andi’s hair fall through her fingers. “And your hair has gotten so long.”
Matt stepped closer and when Andi felt his warm hand on her back, she inched away. Her body was already on fire and her face burned at the very real possibility that... oh, no. Fear slithered up her spine.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Matt wave Fancy over.
“Let’s go inside for our meeting,” Fancy said and put a hand on Millie’s shoulder.
But her mother continued to gape at Andi like it’d been years since she’d seen her. About four years, in fact.
“Look, Francine! This is my daughter, Andrea. She’s finally come for a visit.”
The fear squeezed the air from Andi’s chest.
Fancy met Andi’s eyes with a sad, knowing look. “Nice to meet you.”
The words choked Andi. She turned quickly and threw a curt, “I’ll meet you inside,” over her shoulder before her mother could see her loss of control.
Matt reached out, but Andi waved him off. “Please—” she held out her hand “—just give me a minute.”
And he did. He moved toward the building to catch up with their mothers while Andi tore up the sidewalk with striding laps around the building. She swiped at her eyes, but it was too late to stop the onslaught of tears. The question about whether it was too soon to put her mother in Circles of Care disappeared just like her mother’s memories. How long before Andi would be gone from them, too?
She took four feverish laps around the campus before she’d collected herself enough to go inside. She found Matt and the moms in an elegant sitting room just off the foyer, decorated to look like a seaside cottage. Her mother looked small in an over-sized wingback chair and Andi’s heart ached with the sense of lost time.
“There you are,” her mother said with a smile. “Forget something in the car?”
Andi nodded and hoisted her purse strap higher on her shoulder. “I’m good now.”
Matt came to her side and leaned in so close that his arm rubbed tenderly against hers. “You okay?”
She gave him a quick nod, but didn’t make eye contact. The tears were held at bay, but she knew the smallest ripple in her composure could get them rolling again. Looking into Matt’s eyes, seeing the genuine sympathy she knew would be there, would leave her in a puddle for sure.
Just then, a woman about Andi’s height joined them in the doorway. She wore a dark blue shirt bearing the Circles of Care logo over one breast.
“I’m Ginger Walters,” she said with a wave. “Good to see y’all again.” She touched Andi’s arm. “I don’t believe we’ve met.”
Andi introduced herself and appreciated the way Ginger spoke to all of them equally, most notably her mother.
“I’ll be giving y’all the grand tour and answering any other questions you have about the facility.”
Millie stood and scanned the area. “Where’s the pool?” she asked, then let out a whooping laugh and slapped her leg.
Ginger smiled politely, her reddish-orange lipstick a near-exact match to the color of her curly hair. “No pool, sweetie. Sorry.”
Ginger led them through the reception area, past a library and stopped at a zen-looking space labeled, “Reflections Room”.
“Circles of Care has a simple, open floor plan for safety,” Ginger explained. “The amenities are located in the center of the building, flanked by two courtyard areas, and our suites run along the perimeter of the building.”
They moved past a sitting area with a television and couches, and entered a large, open room with a sign that read, “Dining and Activities”. People, most of them her mother’s age or older, sat either alone or in small groups at tables for four, sipping coffee or tea as they chatted.
“Our friends are just finishing up lunch and the staff will begin set-up for dinner,” Ginger said. “Later tonight there will be bingo in this room and a movie showing in the media lounge.”
Her mother turned, eyes wide. “Ooooh, you love bingo, Andrea.”
Andi couldn’t help but smile
at her mother’s enthusiasm. It was true, she did love bingo. But there was a childishness about Millie’s reaction that simply broke her heart.
While Ginger continued the tour, pointing out the various features of the theater area and the nearby salon, Andi’s eyes remained locked on her mother. Millie didn’t look disturbed at all by the prospect of living at such a place. In fact, her facial expressions said just the opposite. She nodded enthusiastically and followed Ginger closely, hanging on the woman’s every word.
After a tour of the courtyards, which featured a variety of walking paths, raised-bed gardens, shaded porches with rocking chairs and even a three-hole putting green, Ginger directed them to a corridor with numbered doors.
And that’s when Andi felt her breathing change and her shoulders slumped.
The communal areas felt fairly benign, like a congenial retirement community, but the suites... The situation started to feel painfully personal. Matt must have sensed her hesitation, because he took her hand. The tenderness of his touch was almost unbearable. When she felt him squeeze gently, she gave a squeeze back, as though they shared their own secret language.
“The private suite you’ll be in has its own bath, secured storage and—” Ginger gestured to a plastic box affixed to the wall “—a memory box to help with locating your room.”
Something must have clicked in Millie’s mind, because she turned to Fancy with a look of bewilderment, then gave the same look over her shoulder to Andi. She was silent as Ginger opened the door, and she stayed back and let the others enter the room first.
The room was small, maybe two-hundred-fifty square feet at best, but the space had the same cozy cottage feel as the rest of the facility, with white-washed wood floors, a twin-size bed, dresser, recliner and end tables.
“We’ve got everything furniture-wise our guests need,” Ginger said. “But you’re welcome to swap out some pieces with your own, such as a favorite chair, nightstand and lamps.”