Just a Breath Away

by Carlene Thompson

  After a few shaky moments, she decided to talk to Stuart. Normally, they discussed MG Interiors every Monday morning. Kelsey wanted to be apprised of how ongoing jobs were progressing and if they had any new projects. More importantly, she wanted to show Stuart she wouldn’t expect him to shoulder the responsibility for MG Interiors indefinitely while she spent another two weeks recovering from grief. She wanted to be the same competent, focused partner she’d been before Lorelei’s murder.

  Stuart hadn’t completely closed his office door and it opened nearly a foot when Kelsey tapped on it. Although she didn’t go in, she saw that Stuart was standing, his gray, slim-fit jacketed back turned away from her.

  ‘This hasn’t been the best time to argue with her,’ he said.

  Kelsey realized he was talking into his cell phone and started backing away when he exploded, ‘I am not going to threaten her! That’s not the way I operate.’

  Stuart turned around sharply, a dark red blush spreading across his prominent cheekbones. Surprisingly, he motioned Kelsey in, his voice almost returning to its usual smooth tones as he said, ‘I’m afraid I can’t talk any more. My boss just walked in.’ He smiled weakly as Kelsey made a face at him. ‘We’ll speak later.’

  ‘That sounded heated,’ Kelsey said as he clicked off his phone and put it in his pocket. She’d never heard Stuart raise his voice before. What had got into him?

  ‘Certain people bring out the worst in me.’

  ‘Well, I’ve never seen that side of you so that means I’m not one of them, although your conversation seemed to have something to do with me.’

  ‘It was Teddy Blakemore.’

  ‘From prison?’

  ‘He has cell phones smuggled in.’

  ‘What did he want?’

  ‘Something I don’t intend to do.’ Stuart smiled crookedly. ‘He’s old and demanding.’

  ‘And a criminal. We don’t want to be involved with him!’ Kelsey frowned. ‘Agree?’

  ‘I don’t like Teddy Blakemore.’

  Something in Stuart’s eyes prompted her to say, ‘You didn’t answer my question.’

  Stuart paused, then smiled. ‘You’re the boss.’

  ‘I’m not the boss. We’re partners.’

  ‘Yes. We are. And we both think Blakemore’s a sonofabitch.’

  ‘That settles it.’ Kelsey grinned. ‘But, Stuart, you mustn’t think of me as being in charge of MG Interiors.’

  ‘You have more shares than I do,’ Stuart said flatly.

  ‘Stuart …’

  ‘I don’t want to talk about business today.’ He smiled, then asked sincerely, ‘How are you doing, Kelsey? And I mean really. Don’t give me the party line.’

  ‘Well, I’m OK. Not great. Not sleeping well. Not able to concentrate. Not on fire with design ideas for the Sanderson project—’

  ‘Not eating.’

  ‘I eat. The calories just don’t seem to stick.’

  ‘Can you manage a long lunch today? Because I’d love to take you someplace special.’

  ‘I wasn’t hinting—’

  ‘I know.’

  ‘Shouldn’t you take out Eve instead?’

  ‘I have a hot date with Eve Saturday night. Dinner, drinking, dancing, howling at the moon – the usual.’

  ‘What’s gotten into you today, Stuart?’ Kelsey laughed.

  ‘I’m aware that I’m known as a workaholic with no sense of humor. I’m trying to revamp my image. Help me, Kelsey. Even if you don’t really want to go to lunch with me, think of the speculation it will cause in the office. Nina and Giles will believe you’re trying to steal me from Eve. Or that Eve has cut me loose and I’m trying to make her jealous or … well, the possibilities are endless.’

  ‘All right. It would be my pleasure.’ Kelsey paused. ‘Where are we going?’

  ‘Not Conway’s Tavern,’ Stuart said firmly as if reading her mind. ‘I said I want to take you someplace special. How about letting me surprise you?’

  ‘That would be lovely.’

  Two hours later, Kelsey swept out of MG Interiors in a white flared dress as Stuart held the door open. Both Nina Evans and Giles Miller gaped at them. As usual, Isaac Baum was in his own world, so caught up in budgets and cost analyses that he never noticed the activities of his co-workers. Eve waved at them and called ‘Have fun, you two!’, letting Kelsey know Stuart had already alerted her to their lunch plans.

  Outside, under the canary yellow sun with a gently warm spring breeze lifting her hair as they headed toward Stuart’s car, Kelsey giggled. ‘I feel like we’re playing a game.’ Then she sobered. ‘But I also feel a little guilty.’

  ‘We’re not spontaneous, Kelsey. This is a heady if guilt-inducing experience for us.’

  ‘Lori was spontaneous.’ Kelsey’s voice softened with her memories. ‘Even when she was a little girl, she didn’t have routines like I did. She was always impetuous, impulsive, passionate, a free spirit – so much fun.’

  After a beat, Stuart said quietly, ‘Being free-spirited and impulsive can be fun. But you can’t conduct your whole life that way. It’s reckless and leaves you open for trouble because you don’t think about the dangers of how you’re living.’ He linked his arm through hers. ‘I know you always thought Lorelei was more fun and loveable than you because she was fancy-free. And I’m certainly not saying she wasn’t fun and loveable. She was like some wild, vivid bird soaring above the rest of us!’ He pulled Kelsey a couple of inches closer to him. ‘But we also need deep, steady streams flowing calmly and smoothly. We need them for balance, for maturity, for peace.’

  Stuart’s words rang in Kelsey’s mind and heart, but she couldn’t bear to talk more about her feelings right now. Instead, as he opened his car door for her, she said lightly, ‘My, my, you are philosophical today, Mr Girard.’

  ‘It happens when I’m hungry,’ he returned with equal lightness. ‘And I’m starving.’

  Stuart did surprise her by taking her to the Captain’s Quarters Riverside Grille, one of her favorite restaurants. ‘I love this place but I haven’t been here for at least a year!’ she said in delight as she and Stuart walked through the cabin-style interior. Then they stepped out on to the large outdoor patio overlooking the Ohio River. ‘You can’t get a table out here without a reservation,’ she said.

  ‘We have a reservation. I took a chance that you’d accept my lunch invitation.’ Stuart pulled out her chair. ‘I thought you’d enjoy eating outside and watching the boats on the river.’

  ‘I love watching the boats.’ She looked out at the restaurant’s yacht, the three-deck CQ Princess. ‘My parents chartered the Princess for my college graduation party. We went up and down the river. There was a great band and the yacht has a wonderful dance floor. The party lasted until one o’clock in the morning and I was exhausted but so happy.’ She looked at Stuart, who was sitting down. ‘Have you ever been on the Princess?’

  ‘No, I haven’t.’

  ‘Oh. Well, it would be a fabulous venue for an engagement party.’

  Stuart quirked an eyebrow. ‘That was subtle.’

  ‘Sorry.’

  ‘Quite all right. Do you think Eve would like a party on the yacht?’

  ‘I know she would. Got anything in mind?’

  Stuart grinned. ‘That’s a secret.’

  The waitress arrived and asked if they wanted drinks. ‘I’ll have a white Sangria,’ Kelsey said.

  ‘I’ll have one, too.’ Stuart looked at Kelsey. ‘Unless you’ll report me to the boss for drinking on the job.’

  ‘You’re not on the job. Besides, this is a special occasion.’

  When the Sangrias came, Kelsey immediately took a sip. ‘Ummm. This is so good. It feels like I haven’t had one of these for a year, but I think it’s only been a month.’ She closed her eyes. ‘Though it’s been a hell of a month.’

  ‘I don’t know how you’ve handled it all. And you’re already back at work. We didn’t expect that to happen for at least two mor
e weeks.’

  ‘I need to work, Stuart. I’ll lose my mind if I sit in my apartment and do nothing except think. I suppose I could have stayed longer at Dad’s house, but he needs to go back to work too. I called yesterday evening and Helen said he’s spending hours on the phone with March Vaden executives, but I know he won’t get back to normal until he’s actually at the headquarters downtown overseeing everything himself.’ Kelsey paused. ‘Helen also said Olivia told her she should leave our house. Apparently, Olivia has decided that Helen and Dad sharing a home is unseemly.’

  Stuart’s eyes widened. ‘Who says unseemly anymore? But I saw for myself how determined Olivia is to get your father down the aisle. Though she’s wasting her time, he’s not in love with her. Everyone except Olivia can see it.’ He took another drink of his Sangria. ‘Besides, what’s your father supposed to do without Helen?’

  ‘According to Olivia, hire a male housekeeper.’

  ‘Of course! Get rid of the woman who’s been with you forever, who’s really one of the family, and bring in someone new. A man.’

  The waitress returned and gave them their menus. ‘I want you to eat a good meal, Kelsey,’ Stuart said. ‘No picking around at an appetizer.’

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of it. I want the smoked beef brisket.’

  ‘Me, too.’

  When their food arrived, Kelsey surprised herself by diving into it. She’d lived on sandwiches and snacks for days. She was truly hungry and the beef brisket was delicious. Halfway through her meal, she looked up to see a three-deck yacht sailing by. On the top deck, four young women in colorful tops and denim cut-offs stood beside the railing, waving to people on the restaurant patio. Kelsey joined other restaurant patrons waving back and calling, ‘Hi!’

  ‘They look like they’re having so much fun!’ Kelsey exclaimed. ‘I’d like to get on that yacht with them and sail downriver. Or anywhere, for that matter.’

  ‘You want to escape for a while?’ Stuart said.

  Kelsey nodded.

  ‘Why don’t you? You certainly deserve it.’

  ‘Maybe I’ll take a trip in a couple of months. Right now I need to focus on the business, particularly the Sanderson house. Aaron and Josie are good friends of mine.’ She laughed. ‘I won’t rest until the place is perfect, even if those two will be ready to get a divorce by the time it’s done!’

  ‘Are they that bad?’

  ‘They’re no worse than a lot of couples. You’ve worked on enough house designs to know. I’m just not used to seeing them argue. I’ve never even seen Josie mad. They’ve always seemed so mellow – the ideal couple.’

  ‘It’s easy to be mellow when you have a ton of money like they do.’

  Stuart’s voice sounded flat and hard. Kelsey looked at him sharply. ‘Do you have a problem with people who have money?’ she asked bluntly.

  ‘A lot of them.’

  ‘But Stuart, the Girards have money. Lots of it.’

  Stuart stopped eating and stared at his plate. He finished his Sangria in three gulps, then looked at Kelsey and asked quietly, ‘Did your father ever tell you anything about my childhood?’

  ‘Not really, except that he’s known you all your life. He trusts you and he thought my going into business with you was a good idea.’

  Stuart nodded. ‘Yes, he knew me. Not well, though. Your grandfather Quinton March was only about ten or twelve years older than my father. He was close to my grandfather and knew my parents well.’ He smiled without humor. ‘My parents. Now they were a pair!’

  ‘You don’t sound like they were a happy pair,’ Kelsey said carefully. ‘Was their marriage … well, rocky?’

  ‘That’s a polite word for it. My mother left my father when I was nine. She took me with her.’

  ‘I didn’t know that! Where did she take you?’

  ‘New Orleans. She was in love with a guy who owned a bar there. That romance lasted a year.’

  ‘What did your father do when she ran off with his only child?’

  Stuart moved food around on his plate. ‘My father didn’t hunt her down, or set the law on her and force her to give me back to him. Maybe the split was mutual. Neither parent filed for divorce, but they didn’t stay in touch. After the bar owner left her, my mother saw other men. I don’t know what my father did where other women were concerned. Then, when I was thirteen, Mother decided to come home. I’d really loved my father. I’d idolized him. I was miserable during those years away from him. I was so excited to see him.’ Stuart looked up, his gray eyes going cold. ‘And when I finally saw him, he said I was not his son.’

  ‘Not his son?’ Kelsey asked faintly. ‘You mean he was mad at you for what your mother had done and said no son of his would have stayed with her?’

  ‘No. He said he was not my biological father. He said Mother was trying to pass off another boy as me so I’d inherit his money. Yes, I’d changed at puberty but, except for being four inches taller and my hair turning dark brown, my appearance wasn’t too different from when Mother took me away. Nevertheless, he barely looked at me and wouldn’t talk to me.’

  Kelsey was aghast. ‘Stuart, I can’t imagine what that must have been like for you!’ He was silent. ‘Did they do a DNA test to prove your paternity?’

  ‘Yes. Father wouldn’t allow anyone to take a swab from his mouth, so Mother collected some hairs from his brush. Of course the results proved that I was his son. But he said he didn’t believe in DNA testing. He didn’t trust it. He wouldn’t budge on the issue. I was crushed. That’s when I got to know Teddy Blakemore.’

  Kelsey frowned. ‘Wasn’t he supposed to be involved in business with your father? And rumored to have Mafia ties?’

  ‘Yes on both counts, Kelsey. I barely remember him from before my mother took me away, but after Mother came back and Father rejected me Teddy made an effort to be friends with me. My mother was never involved with him, but he took a great interest in me and spent time with me. He took me to professional ball games. In fact, he was a father figure to me for a few years.’

  ‘Didn’t Grandfather say something about him being in prison?’

  Stuart’s expression was pained. ‘Yes. He went to prison, but that wasn’t until I was twenty. When I was younger, Teddy pleaded my case with my father. So did Quinton March.’

  ‘My Grandfather March got involved?’

  ‘He certainly did. Quinton talked to me one day. He told me Father had always had psychological problems when it came to the Girard money. My Girard grandfather was extremely tight-fisted. He planted the seeds in Father. He lectured my father, slapped him frequently, berated him constantly about his stupidity concerning money. Quinton told me Father was already predisposed to be suspicious and close with his money but got worse as he got older. He was obsessed with building a fortune, no matter what it took. That’s how he got involved with Teddy Blakemore and his not-so-legal money-making schemes. But the more money Father made, the more miserly he grew.

  ‘I don’t know who was more influential when it came to getting my father to acknowledge me,’ Stuart went on. ‘Maybe Quinton threatened him with social ruin. Father was obsessed with what society thought. That’s probably why he didn’t divorce Mother – it would have looked bad. Then there was Teddy, whom I think threatened to pull out of some financial arrangements with Father if he didn’t publicly accept me. Anyway, Father finally acknowledged me, although he was never affectionate. He was barely polite. And when he died, he didn’t leave Mother a dime. Most of his fortune went to charity. I think he believed that would win him divine forgiveness.’

  ‘And he became known as a philanthropist and let me guess … you received almost nothing.’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Oh, Stuart, that’s awful.’

  ‘At least, partly because of your grandfather and partly because of Teddy, I was publicly recognized as my father’s legitimate son.’

  ‘But you never knew the kind of love that my father did, or that Lori and I did. That had to
sting.’

  Stuart shrugged.

  ‘It’s what you deserved, Stuart.’

  ‘Oh, well, we don’t always get what we deserve in life.’ Stuart tried for a jaunty tone, but Kelsey saw the ghost of that crippling rejection haunting his eyes and lurking around his smile. Stuart had been wounded. He was still wounded, she realized.

  She wondered why he was telling her this, then remembered her grandfather’s outburst. ‘Stuart, didn’t Grandfather say it was he and my Grandfather March and Dad that got Teddy Blakemore thrown into prison?’

  ‘Well, that’s a bit dramatic. They certainly helped.’

  After a pause, Kelsey asked carefully, ‘Didn’t that make you resent them? After all, you cared about Teddy Blakemore.’

  Stuart shrugged. ‘It was bound to happen sometime. He’d begun to feel he was invincible and got careless.’

  Stuart sounded fatalistic about Blakemore’s imprisonment, but Kelsey wasn’t certain he was as OK with it as he seemed. She didn’t want to dig further, though, and perhaps offend him with her nosiness, so settled for a non-confrontational comment. ‘I can’t believe I’ve never heard any of this before, Stuart.’

  ‘I’m sure your parents didn’t talk about it around you.’ He sighed. ‘I wish I hadn’t brought it up today. I never usually talk about it. I don’t know what came over me … Maybe that phone call this morning. From Teddy. He wants me to do some things for him.’

  ‘Business things?’ Alarm bells started ringing in Kelsey’s head.

  Stuart nodded.

  ‘On the phone you said, “I’m not going to threaten her.” Would that her have been me?’

  Stuart stiffened slightly. ‘Did I say her? I don’t remember.’ He smiled at her. ‘What would I want from you?’

  ‘A controlling interest in MG Interiors?’

  ‘Why would I want that?’