Season of Joy

by Virginia Carmichael

  Grant groaned. “How could I forget?”

  “A woman who can be that honest is a treasure. I just prayed that everything else would fall into place.”

  He nodded, feeling the certainty of her words and the faith of her prayers. As soon as he could, he needed to return the favor and be as honest as possible about his past. He didn’t want anything to stand in the way of their future, least of all a man like Kurt Daniels.

  * * *

  “That’s a great style. Trying something new?” Catherine Banks peeked over her bifocals to get a better glimpse of Calista’s hair. The fiftyish woman was not a rabid fan of fashion but the atmosphere in the boardroom was as tense as a war zone and she seemed desperate to lighten the mood.

  “I was in a fire. My hairdresser did the best she could with what was left.” She ran her fingers through the sleek style that fell to her collarbone and kept her expression affable, enjoying the look of shock on Catherine’s face. She understood the woman was elected to the board because she was one of the top shareholders but she sure didn’t contribute much. When things got tough, Catherine was the first to change her vote to side with the loudest complainer and Calista didn’t respect a woman who couldn’t make up her mind.

  Brett Caldwell cleared his throat and stacked a pile of papers on the surface of the long mahogany table. “Let’s get started. We’ve got everyone here, finally.”

  Calista suppressed a retort and pasted an easy smile on her face. As CEO, she had always gotten along well with the twelve board members. They’d hired her, after all. She made VitaWow profitable, and they made sure the profits were dispersed fairly to the stockholders. Not hard to get along, usually. But right now she was sensing wariness from most, and downright hostility from a few. Choosing the site for the new building wasn’t in their purview, and they knew it, but somehow it was coming through the board first. Her stomach gave an uncomfortable wriggle of foreboding.

  She glanced around the long table at the ten men and two women. Something serious was happening and she was the last to know.

  “There’s been a new development in the search for a building site. Calista, this is a copy of the formal offer given to us by the board of the Downtown Denver Mission.” Brett passed a folder to his right and Calista flipped it open before he’d even finished speaking.

  He continued. “They have accepted a generous donation that includes a brand-new facility on private land. The donor wishes to remain anonymous. There are several unusual stipulations to this donation and one is that they offer the current site of the Downtown Denver Mission to VitaWow at a steep discount.”

  The mission? Why did the mission board want to sell now? Was the money situation worse than she’d thought? Calista scanned the document as swiftly as she could, her mind filing away facts and figures. Something was very wrong with this offer but she couldn’t point to a single major problem.

  “The anonymous donor wishes the transaction to be agreed on by Christmas Eve. That is why we are here, why some of us have delayed departing on a ski vacation with our family.” He straightened his tie with a jerk. At least one member didn’t appreciate the donor’s need for a speedy resolution.

  “The mission site was on our list of possible land options but the board refused to sell at the time we approached them in the spring. We asked only about the north end of the block, which is some sort of a community garden, but this offer includes all the mission property. It seems with the sudden appearance of this very generous mystery donor, they’ve changed their minds.”

  Calista sat shaking her head. Page after page of legal documents had already been drafted, waiting for signatures. She didn’t see Grant’s name anywhere yet. How had this all been prepared so quickly? “When did you first hear from the mission board?”

  Brett glanced around, waiting for someone to answer. He shrugged. “I received a call this afternoon at one.”

  Her mind was spinning but she forced herself to take a slow breath. “So, the fire happened around ten. By one, the mission board had been approached by this donor, who also wants VitaWow to buy the property. Why?” She tapped a pen on the desk.

  Alan Johnson groaned and said, “If the mission board agreed, then why should we concern ourselves?”

  Several members nodded. “If it works out well for everyone involved, why not?” asked Gerald Manley. He wiped his balding head with a hankie and tucked it back in his pocket.

  Helen Bonnet pursed her bright orange lips and wagged a finger at the group. “Calista is right to ask the question. We can’t afford to be involved in a shady deal.”

  Gerald snorted. “Shady? What makes you think there’s anything other than good business going on here?”

  Helen leaned forward and glared across the table. “I know good business. I built a company from the bottom up and sold it for millions. Nobody gives that kind of donation and demands the papers be signed in a deadline. Something stinks.”

  “Now, now, Helen. Let’s not be dramatic.” Brett adjusted his tie again and Calista saw drops of sweat appear at his temples.

  “I have a few questions.” Calista kept her tone light, but her heart was pounding. The board could decide whatever they wanted without her approval. And she had a feeling that her usual hard-line tactics were not going to serve her well here.

  “Did the donor make a similar offer to the mission before, but was refused? Does the mission board feel that they have no choice to accept because of the fire today?”

  Brett sighed. “Does it matter?”

  “It might.” And now for the biggest question. Calista searched each of their faces, wondering which of them knew who was behind this fiasco. It was someone powerful, well connected and immensely wealthy. Grant’s face flashed into her mind and she felt a pulse pounding at her temples. “Why VitaWow? How did this donor know that VitaWow approached the mission back in the spring?”

  “Again, I don’t think these are serious issues.” Brett huffed out the words.

  “Maybe not by themselves. But if we add the fact that Grant Monohan has been refusing significant monetary assistance from his father, Kurt Daniels, then things get more complicated.” Calista was taking a risk.

  “Wait, we don’t know for sure that Kurt Daniels is the donor.” Gerald waved a hand in the air as if to dispel the entire argument.

  There was a silence and Calista almost laughed as the members exchanged glances. Of course it was Kurt Daniels. These men and women may be willing to overlook a questionable deal, but they weren’t stupid.

  “Fine, let’s just assume it is. That’s not really a problem, is it?”

  Helen leaned forward. “How do you know Grant Monohan refused his money, dear?” Her pale gray eyes sparked with curiosity.

  “He said as much at the press conference. And today, after the fire, I saw Kurt Daniels at the mission.”

  Brett shrugged and said, “He’s obviously holding a grudge against his father for having a less-than-perfect childhood.”

  Calista wanted to slap her hand against the table and shout that less-than-perfect did not describe what Grant lived through. But she took a breath and smiled calmly. “I’m not sure what his reservations are, exactly, but I can guarantee they’re more serious than being estranged from a wealthy businessman.”

  Calista closed her eyes for just a moment and breathed a prayer. Now was the moment she needed to convince them that they had to look beyond a generous land transaction. The people needed food and a place to stay today and tomorrow and the next day. They couldn’t wait years for a new site to be built.

  “This company has thrived because of dedication, focus and drive. But we’re also active in the community, support local charities and are working to reduce our carbon footprint. So, maybe we should look at all the angles here. Even the ones that don’t directly concern VitaWow.”

  H
elen nodded, listening intently. Brett stared at his papers and didn’t respond. Calista continued, hoping her words would make them think, just for a moment, about the people that didn’t get a vote in this decision.

  “If the mission sells to VitaWow, the demolition would start immediately to keep our own building project on time. That leaves at least two years without any place for the homeless to go. Although the new mission site will be state-of-the-art buildings with extra security and a playground—” she held up the pages, pointing at paragraphs “—it is also situated five miles outside the city. The residents need the central location for school and jobs.” But from a business owner’s viewpoint, it was a win-win. No more poor people wandering about, disrupting the beautiful views.

  “There are other missions. Some of them are just a few blocks away,” Catherine interjected.

  “Seventh Street Mission is a fourth the size and has no classrooms or day care.”

  “What is your relationship with the director?” Brett’s question came out of nowhere and Calista felt as though the air was driven from her lungs.

  “I’m a volunteer.”

  “Is that all?”

  Calista stared, wondering where Brett was headed with his interrogation. Admitting that she was in love with Grant wasn’t going to help her argument. “If we’re more than friends, won’t it look even worse for VitaWow to buy the mission property at a huge price cut?”

  Silence pulsed in the room and Calista could hear her heart thudding in her chest.

  “Like I said, something stinks here.” Helen sat back in her chair with a decisive motion. “Why would Kurt Daniels force the sale of the mission and build a new one against his son’s wishes?”

  There was no good answer. Calista wished she had taken the time to get the whole story from Grant right after the fire.

  “I’m not sure. Now, you all know that in business we have to take risks.” She paused, looking each one of the board members in the eye. “I don’t think this is one of those times. There are too many unanswered questions, too many potential negatives. Whatever ugly war is brewing between Kurt Daniels and his son, it shouldn’t involve VitaWow.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  A week. That was all the time the board would give her before they made a decision. Calista dropped her head in her hands and stared at the top of her desk. It was covered with little slips of paper, messages that needed to be answered. Jackie was out calling the donors, getting the month of meals covered.

  Lord, I’m so confused. I don’t know what You want me to do. She knew that closing the mission for twenty-four months would be devastating for the residents. She knew that VitaWow needed to make smart business decisions. But everything else was a fog, a blur of conflicting advice. She wanted to talk to Grant about it, but he wasn’t just her friend. He was the director of the mission and would be absolutely livid when he heard the VitaWow plan. Maybe he already had.

  The idea that he was sitting in exactly the same posture, miles away, made her groan. What a mess. It would be awkward enough if she was just a volunteer, but she was more than that. Wasn’t she? Calista sat up, trying to shake the confusion from her mind. There didn’t seem any way out of it. If she stopped volunteering, the mission wouldn’t be a conflict of interest for her. But she didn’t want to leave them, or Grant. Not now. If she resigned her position as CEO, the board was much more likely to take the offer. She laid her hands on the table, startled. Was she even considering that? Her whole life was wrapped up in this company. Would she walk away if it meant saving the mission?

  There was a knock on the door and Jackie came in, carrying a large clothing bag. “I think your dress is here.”

  If Calista could have let out a scream of frustration and gotten away with it, she would have. She had completely forgotten about the party, just days away...the party she was attending with Grant.

  “Right. Let me take a look. The boutique had to make a few alterations.” She tried to be calm and act naturally as her fingers fumbled at the garment-bag zipper.

  Jackie let out a low whistle. “Well, now. This isn’t your usual little black dress.” She cocked her head, surveying the fabric as she lifted it from the bag. “When you got that new red coat, I wondered if you were on a red kick. This proves it.”

  Calista smiled, hoping it didn’t look as brittle as it felt. “Do you like it? I just wanted more color.”

  “Put it on, I have to see.”

  It was the last thing she wanted to do at the moment, but Calista shrugged. She might not even get a chance to wear it. No harm in playing dress up now.

  A few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom and had to smile at Jackie’s expression. The formfitting bodice gently followed her curves to the hip, where the bright red silk fell in a full skirt, gathered every so often in a draping effect. A large black velvet ribbon was wrapped around her waist, and the ends trailed to the hem. It might have made a woman look like a giant Christmas present, but the creative genius of the designer only made it seem charming. It looked sweet. Young. Joyful.

  Calista smoothed her hands down the dress and felt her eyes fill with sudden tears. She wanted one evening of magic with Grant. One evening when he was just a man and she was just a woman. She came to a decision, standing there in her party dress, wishing life was different than it really was.

  “I think it fits. Now, I better get out of this dress and get cracking. We’ve got a lot of work to catch up on today.”

  Jackie grinned, reaching out a hand to touch the black velvet sash. “If you say so. But I’m so into the Christmas spirit now, I’ll need some cookies to get me through the day.”

  * * *

  “It’s a done deal.” Ralph Maricort leaned back in his chair. The older man’s face was deeply lined but his dark eyes were like a robin’s, bright and quick. Only a day after the fire, the smell of smoke was still thick in Grant’s office.

  “Ralph, I’m stunned. When did this happen? How could the board make this kind of decision without even consulting me?” Grant was struggling to keep his voice even but it seemed like all his breath had been driven from his body with Ralph’s news. “If it’s about the fire, we’ve already got the next two weeks’ worth of meals planned, and the other buildings weren’t even touched.” His voice was rising in anger. “There’s no legal reason to close the mission. The fire was an accident and everything was up to code. The fire chief said it was an electrical issue, a faulty wire.”

  “Grant, I knew you were dealing with a lot here, so the board just decided to wait a bit before telling you. And I know this is hard, but it’s a temporary closure. The new complex will be built within twenty-four months. We’ve been deeded the land, seen the plans, and the company is thrilled to get this spot. They approached us back in April about the empty lot by the parking area, but we didn’t want to lose any more space, in case we had to expand.”

  Nothing was making sense. He felt ambushed. Grant shook his head, his mind racing to catch up with the older man’s words. “I remembered something about an offer for the community garden area.” The board fielded a lot of inquiries about the mission land, since it was a prime downtown spot.

  “They’ve outgrown their building on Plymouth Avenue and have plans for a pretty nice high-rise, complete with a new corner office for the CEO. And she deserves it. Calista Sheffield has worked wonders for that water company.” Ralph smirked at his weak play on words.

  “Excuse me?” The question seemed to be dragged from somewhere deep in his chest, pulling his heart up into his throat.

  “The CEO. She’s a real dragon lady. I heard she brokered a deal last month that had the Genesis board quaking in their boots.”

  If he hadn’t been sitting down, Grant would have sunk to the floor. He felt his legs go numb, his mind stutter. Of course. It couldn’t be just any company; it had to be
VitaWow. What were the odds?

  “When did you say this offer came through?”

  Ralph wrinkled his brow, thinking. “The day of the fire, and then the VitaWow board met that evening. The CEO asked them to wait a few days, I think, to make sure the papers were in order.”

  His head pounded as he tried to understand the situation. The mission would close. These people who were struggling with unemployment, hunger, abuse and addiction would be forced to start over. And all because Calista Sheffield wanted a new building.

  Something awful occurred to him and he dropped his head into his hands, not caring that Ralph was still speaking. Maybe she knew all along. Maybe she didn’t just walk in off the street because she needed a life outside of her work. His hopes and dreams of a life with her turned to ashes. A woman who cared so little for the poor and the vulnerable had nothing in common with him. It made no sense to fall back on the defense of how wonderful the new mission would be, when the people here now would suffer. People like Savannah and her mother. And the employees. Marisol’s face popped into his head and he groaned audibly.

  “The staff. They can’t wait around for the new building. They’ll have to find other work.”

  Ralph nodded. “True. But you’ll keep your position, and maybe the secretary, so that you can oversee the new project.”

  Grant felt sick. They were a dedicated crew. He couldn’t imagine how it would be to break the news that their jobs were gone.

  “Where is this new site?” He struggled to ask questions, to fight through the shock and disappointment.

  “Out near Landry. Very nice views.” The older man steepled his fingers.

  “Landry...the neighborhood? Isn’t that about five miles from here?”

  He nodded. “Right. Not residential, of course, since city ordinances wouldn’t allow it, but some strip malls and big-box stores.”

  Grant stood up and walked around the desk. He clenched his fists, fighting for control. “You’re telling me the mission will close. Everyone will have to find new lodgings, won’t finish their classes or training. My employees will lose their jobs. And the new site is near a strip mall in Landry? How will the inner-city homeless find their way out to Landry? On the bus? And how will they get to their jobs, and get their kids to school?”