by Debby Mayne
“You’re kidding. Why wouldn’t she say anything?”
“She didn’t want to worry us. Dad said she thought she had everything under control. Another thing is she didn’t follow the diet the doctor put her on. That’s going to change now.”
“I had no idea.” A bit of color returned to Christina’s face. “I’m glad you told me because I’ve been beating myself up over this.”
“I know. But don’t. Mom is in good hands now.”
“I’ll do everything I can to help her, including make her eat right.”
Mandy smiled at her younger sister. “There’s no doubt in my mind that you will.”
“So how was your trip to Atlanta?”
It seemed like days since she’d been in Edward Rossi’s office discussing her future with Small World. “I didn’t have much time there, but Mr. Rossi had just told me that I’m being offered a promotion. I’ll be the regional trainer for all new photographers.”
Christina’s face lit up. “Will you be my new boss?”
“No, but I’ll probably teach you to work the equipment when you’re ready. They’re working on systems for new employees, and I don’t think they’ve ironed everything out yet.”
“I just hope I don’t embarrass you.”
Mandy felt a tug at her heart. “You’ve never embarrassed me, Christina. I’m proud of you, and I want to see you happy.”
Christina was about to say something, when their dad appeared at the door, looking disheveled. Both sisters jumped up and ran over to him.
“How’s she doing?” Mandy asked.
He raked his fingers through his hair. “She’s stabilized, and they’re getting her ready for surgery.”
“Why don’t we say a prayer?” Mandy said as she took hold of her sister’s and dad’s hands.
Mandy began, then their dad added his prayer. When he paused, Christina cleared her throat and said a few words. After they said “amen” Mandy fought back tears and squeezed her sister’s hand before releasing it. She still had the desire to control everything, but at least she was aware of it. With the Lord’s help, she’d continue to work on letting go.
“There’s nothing we can do now but wait,” Mandy said. “Why don’t we go on down to the cafeteria? I’ll leave my cell phone number with the nurse, so she can call us if we’re needed.”
❧
Tony waited a couple of hours before calling Mandy to ask about her mom. He wanted to be there with her, but he didn’t want to impose on her family while they stood vigil during Mrs. Pruitt’s surgery. The employees at Small World obviously loved Mandy because as soon as he told them what had happened, everyone was concerned and offered to work more hours so she could be with her mother. Bella said she’d do whatever she could, and Steve offered to help with anything. He encouraged them all to pray.
After he felt like he’d waited long enough, Tony picked up the phone and punched in Mandy’s cell phone number. She answered right away.
They had a short conversation. He told her everyone in the studio was praying for her family, and she gave him an update on her mom who had just gone into surgery.
After they hung up, he called his uncle in Atlanta. “Let us know if there’s anything we can do,” Uncle Ed said. “We’ve already ordered a card and fruit basket.”
“Thanks. I’ll keep you updated.”
Tony went through the motions of making sure all the customers were taken care of, while the part-timers snapped shots of the children who came in. He kept watching the clock, wishing it would move faster so he could leave and go check on the Pruitt family.
Finally, it was time to say good-bye to his employees. After he got the night deposit together, he closed out the register and shut down the computer. They banked nearby, so all he had to do was walk a few doors down and drop the wallet in the night deposit box before leaving for the hospital.
He arrived shortly before ten o’clock and went straight up to the waiting area. Mandy was there with her dad, but Christina had left for the evening.
When Mandy looked up at him, she smiled. “Mom got out of surgery a few hours ago. Looks like everything will be fine.”
Tony blew out a breath of relief. “I’m glad.” He had to resist the urge to reach for her and pull her into an embrace, so he shuffled his feet and turned toward Mr. Pruitt. “You have two very strong daughters. I bet you and your wife are very proud of them.”
Mr. Pruitt nodded. “They’ve always been good girls but a little spirited at times.”
Mandy blushed, which Tony thought was sweet. “I’m sure I gave my parents plenty of. . .spirited behavior.” He turned and winked at Mandy. She smiled.
“Thanks for giving Christina a position with your company,” Mr. Pruitt said. “Once she learns what she needs to know, she’ll do a good job.”
“No doubt,” Tony said. He wasn’t sure if Mandy had mentioned her promotion yet, so he decided not to bring it up. “We’ve found that once we have an employee who exceeds expectations, other family members often do well, too.”
“To be honest, I was a little surprised you didn’t have an antinepotism policy. But her mother and I are very happy.”
❧
Mandy touched her dad’s arm. “You told her already?”
Her dad nodded. “After she came to, her first question was how you and Christina were holding up. I told her you flew back from an important meeting to be with her, and Christina got a good job with your company. That made her happy.”
“Good,” Tony said. “Looks like everything will be just fine. If there’s anything I can do for any of you, let me know, okay?” He paused as his gaze met Mandy’s. “Take the time you need. You haven’t used any of your paid time off, and if you need more, I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thanks, Tony.”
“I better go.” Tony extended his hand to Mandy’s dad. After they shook, he hesitated before reaching for her hand. As his grip tightened on hers, she felt an odd sensation fluttering around in her stomach. He quickly let go and shoved his hand into his pocket. “Call me tomorrow if you have time.” Then he turned and left.
After he turned the corner, Mandy’s dad stepped up beside her and put his arm around her. “Your boss seems to be a good man.”
Mandy nodded. “Yes, he really is.”
“Ya know, back in my day, portrait studios were run by people who studied a long time to become photographers. I have to admit I’m surprised he wanted to hire Christina.”
“I didn’t have photography experience when they hired me, remember?”
“Yeah, seems I do remember, but somehow you never surprise me. You’ve always succeeded at everything.”
“Not everything.”
“Pretty near everything. How will your sister know how to take pictures? She’s always been in front of the camera, not behind it.”
“We have great equipment that’s easy to use with the right training. My new job will be to teach people how to operate the equipment and what to do to get the best shots of children.”
“That’s good. I hope she catches on fast.”
“She will.” Mandy slipped her arm in his and kissed his cheek. “She has good genes.”
“So tell me more about Tony. Is he single?”
“Da–ad.” Mandy laughed. “I can’t believe you just asked me that.”
“You can’t blame me for looking out after my two daughters.” He tilted his head and looked at her from beneath his heavy eyebrows. “My two available daughters. I want you and your sister to be happy and have fulfilling lives.”
“I can’t speak for Christina, but I don’t need a man in my life to be fulfilled.”
“I know, but it’s always nice to have someone to share your experiences with.”
Mandy couldn’t argue that point. She had to admit, if only to herself, she’d experienced some loneliness. There were times even Brent from the electronics store from across the street seemed appealing. Then she came to her senses.
&nbs
p; “If some nice young man just happens to cross your path, I hope you at least consider getting to know him.”
“Okay, Dad, I promise I’ll give someone a chance—as long as he’s a Christian man.”
“That goes without saying.” He glanced at his watch. “I wonder how your mother’s doing.”
“Why don’t we go see?”
❧
The next morning, Tony arrived at the studio and was surprised to see Mandy there. “Why aren’t you at the hospital with your mom?”
“She’s doing much better, and I thought it would be better to take time off after she gets home.”
“Excellent point.” Tony had scheduled around Mandy, figuring she’d need at least a week or two. “Let me call the part-timers and let them know they don’t have to come in.”
After he finished calling people, he came back out to the reception area and saw Mandy looking over the schedule. “Looks like we’ll be busy today. Good.” She came around the counter, straightened up some of the displays on the table, then walked toward the studio before she stopped and turned to face him. “When do you think Christina will be able to start?”
“I have the paperwork in my office. When do you think she’d like to start?”
“As soon as possible. I think she’s excited about working here.”
“By the way, my uncle said he’d like to talk to you. He’s planning a trip here so you won’t have to go back to Atlanta. He’s bringing his wife and making a little vacation of it, so I thought maybe you could give them some ideas of things to do while they’re here. I thought he might want to stay at Oglebay Park in the Wilson Lodge.”
“Sounds like a nice vacation. Does he play golf?”
“He loves it. My aunt will have to find something to do while he’s working, though.” He thought for a minute then added, “You’ll like my aunt.”
“I’m sure I will.” Mandy smiled. “Your whole family has been nice to me.”
“Maybe you can show her around one afternoon—that is, if your mother is doing okay, and you have time.”
His heart warmed at the smile that spread over her face. “I’d love to. Just let me know when,” she said softly before disappearing into the studio.
Tony did his paperwork then stuck his head in the studio. Mandy glanced up. “Need something?”
“I’d like to have Christina come in sometime tomorrow if she’s available.”
“Want me to call her?” she asked.
“If you want. Or I can.”
She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought about it, then she smiled. “Why don’t you call her? It’ll mean more since you’ll be her supervisor.”
Mandy finished setting up the photography area then went back to the counter to make some calls. She wanted to stay as busy as possible while at work to keep from thinking about her mother. She knew Tony would understand if she needed to drop everything if her family needed her. As long as her mother was still in the hospital, Mandy could visit without having to worry too much.
Tony appeared at the end of the counter about fifteen minutes later. “I had a nice conversation with Christina. She’s excited about working here, but I understand that she’s needed at home, so I told her she could start whenever she wanted to. She wants to start as soon as possible, so I told her she could come in now or wait until after your mother was settled.”
“What did she say?”
“I’m waiting for her to call me back. She said she needed to talk to your dad and the doctor.”
Mandy was impressed. Her sister had obviously been jolted into another burst of maturity. “Since I’ll be doing the photography training, I’ll have to be here with her.”
“That’s another thing I wanted to discuss with you. We’re hiring her into the management training program. One of the things they’re working on at the home office is a manual with self-administered tests. I’ll work with her on company systems and some management policies. After we get past the first part of the training, which should last a couple of weeks, I’ll turn her over to you. We haven’t done the photographers’ manual yet, and we’d like for you to be involved.”
Mandy’s ego jumped up a couple of notches. “Thanks, Tony.”
“I mean it. You have skills that we need to teach others. I just hope we choose the right people who are willing to learn.”
“It’s really not all that hard.” She’d never gotten so many compliments in her life.
“It took me three weeks to master the camera and poses,” Tony said. “How long do you think it’ll take someone like your sister who doesn’t have much experience with a camera?”
She looked pensive for a minute as she stuck a card back in the file drawer. “There’s more than just learning the camera and poses. I’ll want to work with her on behavior modification for the kids who are—well, rather difficult.”
Tony grinned. “She couldn’t have a better teacher.”
Mandy felt her face heat up. “I remember what it’s like to be a kid wearing miserable clothes and being told to sit still when I wanted to get up and run.”
“Yeah, I remember that, too.” He chuckled. “I think most people forget what it’s like to be a child.”
“Probably.” She finished her filing, pushed the drawer shut then turned to face Tony. As soon as their eyes made contact, she felt a giant thud in her chest.
He blinked and took a step back. Had he felt it, too?
❧
Tony felt like he’d been hit head-on by a tidal wave. The warmth of Mandy’s hazel eyes with the gold flecks caused a sensation unlike anything he’d ever experienced.
He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet. “Um. . .when your sister comes in, I’ll get her started on the training manual. I think we’ll have a better idea of when she’s ready for you after she gets started.”
She slowly nodded. “I think that’s wise.”
He remembered his new hire was due in a couple of hours. “While you were out, I went ahead and hired a new part-time photographer. I wasn’t sure if you’d be back so soon, so I told her I’d work with her until our crackerjack photographer returned.”
“Crackerjack, huh?” She looked amused.
“Well, you’re much more than that.”
Her smile widened. “Thanks.”
Tony was relieved when the phone rang. He gestured toward it. “Want me to get that?”
“No, I’ve got it.” She lifted the receiver and gave him one last smile before she turned her full attention to the caller.
Tony went back to his office to get the paperwork ready for the new photographer to sign. His cousin had encouraged him to get to know Mandy better outside of work, and he understood why. He had no doubt that they’d make a great team—both at work and as friends, or more. When Mandy appeared at the door, he motioned for her to come inside.
As soon as she did, he leaned forward. “How would you like to go out to lunch after church on Sunday?”
twelve
Mandy’s heart rate doubled. Had Tony just asked her out on a date?
He held up his hands. “Don’t feel like you have to. It’s not like a date or anything.”
Okay, so it wasn’t a date. “That would be nice.”
“I haven’t been in town long enough to know the best places. Any suggestions?”
Mandy didn’t normally go out to lunch on Sundays, so she wasn’t sure. She shrugged. “What kind of food do you like?”
“Anything I don’t have to cook,” he replied. “We can decide then.”
“Sounds good.”
Tony put down his pen, leaned back, and folded his arms. “Okay, so what do you need?”
She tilted her head. “Um. . .”
“You came in here, remember?”
Mandy shuffled her feet as she tried to remember what she wanted. “Must not have been very important.”
“If you remember, you know where I am.” She started to turn and leave, but he called her name. “I alm
ost forgot to tell you, we’re planning a regional campaign that should start in about three months.”
“What kind of campaign?”
“TV, radio, newspaper, and magazine ads. We’ve been working on it for a while, and we about have everything nailed down.”
“Anything I can do to help?” Mandy asked.
“Yes, as a matter of fact, everyone on the management team will be asked to look over the package before it goes out.”
Management team. That sounded nice. “I’m sure it’ll be good.”
“The biggest holdup is getting the actors for the TV ads. Ricco isn’t happy with what they’ve done.”
“How about using real people?”
“Real people?” he asked. “Like customers?”
Mandy nodded. “Yes. I can think of several customers who’d love to be involved in something like this.”
“Not a bad idea. Let me run it past Ricco and see what he thinks. The kids they’ve filmed are already overexposed, and we’re concerned about the credibility of using them, so I think he just might go for it.”
“You know my sister went to Hollywood to be an actress,” Mandy reminded him.
“Yes, I know.” He pursed his lips. “But I’m not sure it would be such a good idea to have her in a TV ad just yet. We need her to focus on her job here and not see this as a stepping-stone back to where she wanted to go.”
“If you want me to talk to her about that, I will,” Mandy offered.
The buzzer on the door sounded, alerting them that someone had entered. “It’s up to you,” Tony said.
❧
The next several days, Mandy spent most of her time either at the studio or with her mother at the hospital. Each day seemed to be better than the one before.
“The doctor says I can go home Monday,” her mother said when Mandy entered the room on Saturday. “Would you mind helping Christina get rid of all the unhealthy food? I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist it if it’s there.”
Mandy laughed as she patted her tummy. “Oh, I’ll get rid of it.”