by Beth K. Vogt
“I was asked to stage a home. It’s not buying or selling homes, but since it’s out of state, I can’t work as a Realtor anyway.”
“Wait. This job isn’t here in Florida?”
“It’s in Colorado.” Caron laced their fingers together and offered him a smile—the one that he’d noticed back when he was fifteen and realized Caron Hollister was more than just his parents’ friends’ daughter. “It’s only for a month. And I think it’ll be good to get away. Not from you, of course. But things are so tense with my dad right now. Four weeks away will allow everything to blow over. Let me get used to the idea of his partnership with Nancy Miller. And then I’ll be back and start looking for a permanent job.”
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll come back and you and your dad will talk and he’ll offer you your old job back.”
Caron shook off his hand, standing. “Alex, stop. I know you like my dad. And I know that you’ve listened to me talk about working for him ever since we started dating. But I’m done. Okay?”
He needed to keep the peace and still hope and pray things could change. “Okay. My bad. So, tell me more about this job in Colorado.”
• • •
And now came the most difficult part of the conversation. No matter how many times she’d practiced saying “I’ll be working for Kade Webster,” there was no way to be nonchalant about accepting a job with her ex-boyfriend—especially since she hadn’t mentioned seeing him while she was visiting Margo.
“Kade Webster called yesterday and offered me the job and I accepted. I fly out to the Springs on Sunday morning.” The words rushed out, one after the other, the resulting silence making it seem as if she’d shouted at Alex.
“Kade Webster?”
“Yes.”
“Why would Kade Webster offer you a job?”
“I saw him when I was visiting Margo. I mean, the only reason I saw him is because he’s Margo’s Realtor.” Caron sat back down, her knees almost touching Alex’s. “And she slipped up and mentioned that I was job-hunting.”
“And why didn’t you tell me that you saw your ex-boyfriend?”
“I didn’t mention it for that exact reason, Alex. He’s my ex. I dated him for a few months. I’ve been dating you for two years.” Caron reached for his hand again. “And I saw him for an hour because Margo wanted me to go see a house with her. To be Ronny’s stand-in. I saw Kade for less than an hour and I spent most of my time avoiding him. End of story.”
“Except now you’re going to work with him for a month.”
“Exactly. I’m going to work for him. For a month. I’ll get out of town. Stage a home. Talk wedding stuff with Margo. Come home and job-hunt. Simple as that.”
Alex’s phone rang, stalling his reply. He stood as he answered. “Yes, Dad, I’m going to work. I won’t be stopping by the shop before I go to my first appointment. I’ll talk to you later.”
Caron stood, too, waiting to resume their conversation until he was done speaking with his father. “Are we going to finish talking about this?”
“I, uh, I’ve got to get to work.” Alex grabbed his thermos and keys from the kitchen counter.
She stopped him with a light touch of her hand on his arm. “I wasn’t hiding anything from you, Alex, because there was nothing to hide. It just wasn’t important that I ran into Kade. I mean, I won the destination wedding and was already trying to figure out how to tell you about that—”
“Yeah.” Alex’s huff of laughter held no humor.
“I guess we can talk about that when I get back, too.”
“Sure.”
She slipped her hand into his on the way to the work van parked in front of the house, allowing the sound of buzzing insects and frogs to fill the silence between them.
Alex opened the van door, standing with it between them. “Do you need a ride to the airport?”
“I’ve got an early flight—”
“I’m always there for you, you know that.”
“I know. And there’s no one else I’d like to take me to the airport—and pick me up when I get back.”
“Think we can squeeze in a quick date before you leave?”
“Absolutely. It’s going to have to last for a month.” She savored Alex’s kiss. “Pray for me, okay? I still have to tell my parents.”
• • •
Either she got out of her car and marched into her father’s office and told him her plans, or she’d have to admit she was a coward.
That thought alone forced Caron from her car.
Yes, she was trembling in her high heels, but Caron refused to just tell her mother she’d taken a job in Colorado with Kade Webster, and then make her mom break the news to her father.
The same bright white, blue, and yellow pillows adorned the couch in the waiting area, but the fresh flowers had been replaced by a formal array of white calla lilies. Something Nancy Miller had suggested, perhaps?
Shelby was on the phone as Caron entered, her eyebrows skyrocketing as Caron waited in front of the receptionist’s desk.
“Caron!” Shelby leaned over the phone console and hugged her as soon as she hung up the phone. “It’s so good to see you.”
“You, too. How are you?”
“Insanely busy. This whole merger thing . . . everything is in an uproar—”
“I can imagine.”
“Are you coming back to work?”
“No. No.” Shelby’s question sent an unwanted jolt of electricity through her already-on-edge nervous system. “Just need to talk with my father, if he’s available.”
“He was in a meeting with Miss Miller, but I just saw her go out.” Shelby picked up the phone. “Do you want me to check?”
“No. I still know the way to his office. This won’t take long.”
The building pulsed with activity—ringing phones, the interwoven threads of multiple conversations, people moving in and out of offices. An occasional “Caron! Hey, Caron!” broke through her concentration, and she acknowledged the greetings without stopping. A smile. A nod. But always moving forward to her father’s office. The smaller of the three conference rooms in the middle of the building was a shambles—empty of the long table and chairs, carpeting pulled up.
What was going on?
The answer to her unspoken question was no longer any of her business.
Her father hung up the phone as she stood in his open doorway, rising to meet her. Had Shelby notified him of her arrival? Fine. It’s not as if she was going for the element of surprise. That would happen soon enough.
“Good afternoon, Caron. I’m assuming this is a social call.”
She could read between the lines. Her father’s “Don’t come back looking for a job” edict still held.
“Of course.” Caron stood behind one of the chairs situated in front of his desk, so similar to his office at home. Her father was a creature of habit. “And I realize I’m interrupting you at work. I would have waited to talk to you this Sunday at lunch, but, well, I won’t be there.”
“You won’t? Have you and Alex made other plans?”
She started to grip the edge of the back of the chair, and forced herself to release her hold. Exhale. Relax her stance. Her father knew how to read people. “Alex and his parents may very well still join you and Mom on Sunday. I, however, will be on my way to Colorado.”
“Didn’t you just get back from a trip?”
“That’s correct.” Caron clasped her hands in front of her. “I’m going back for a job.”
“A job? You’re not licensed as a Realtor in Colorado.”
“No, sir, I’m not. I’m going to be staging a home . . . for Kade Webster.”
She had to give her father credit. He was not one to give away his emotions or his thoughts. His movements were deliberate as he removed his glasses. Pulled a clean, starched handkerchief from his pocket. Cleaned one lens, then the other. Replaced his glasses on his nose. Began to fold his handkerchief.
“Do you think that’s wise, C
aron?”
Caron thought she’d prepared herself for this confrontation. She’d prayed. Reminded herself that she was an adult. That she could make her own decisions. That she didn’t need her father’s approval. But somehow she’d forgotten his ability to use one well-aimed sentence to reduce her to a mere teen, trying to defend herself to her all-wise, all-knowing father who did not approve of her actions.
Her bottom lip trembled, but she refused to catch it between her teeth. Or to acknowledge that her face flushed. But she couldn’t hide how her breathing ratcheted up, so that her shoulders jerked beneath the soft material of her short-sleeved blouse.
“I do.” Her words were breathy. “I—I know I can stage this home for Kade. I’m excited about the opportunity.”
“I thought you’d learned your lesson about not mixing business and personal relationships.”
“This is purely business between Kade and me. His regular home stager had an emergency and he needs to stage a home on short notice. He offered me the job, and I accepted.”
“I see.”
A whiff of floral perfume scented the air, followed by the sound of Nancy Miller’s voice. “I apologize, Russell. I didn’t realize you were talking with someone.”
“Come in, Nancy.” Her father came around his desk, leaning on the corner. “My daughter came to tell me that she’s taking a temporary job in Colorado.”
“Oh, hello, Caron. I didn’t realize that was you.” Nancy remained standing in the doorway. “I don’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re not interrupting—and this is quite an interesting story. She’s working for my former protégé. Kade Webster, as you know, learned everything he could from me about the realty business, thanked me by dating my daughter behind my back, and then walked away to start his own company.”
“I wasn’t aware of all those details.”
Caron waited. Now was Nancy Miller’s chance to align herself with Caron’s father. Confirm in a few short sentences that Caron had made the wrong choice by dating Kade Webster, and that she was making the wrong choice now.
“And we both can probably think of relationships in our pasts we should have avoided, too. Right, Russell?” Nancy’s laugh sounded forced.
Her father’s jaw tightened.
“I just think we have to let our children find their own way. Make mistakes all their own. We certainly did.”
Nancy Miller was defending her?
With the other woman’s words, Caron could leave with some semblance of dignity intact. There was nothing more to be said.
“I have to pack and catch a plane.” Caron backed up into the doorjamb, the impact jarring her spine. She sidestepped around Nancy and found the space to make her exit. “And I’m sure you two have business to discuss.”
“Have a good trip, Caron.” Nancy Miller touched her arm. “Good luck in Colorado.”
Nancy Miller said something, eliciting a response from her father—what it was, Caron couldn’t decipher as she moved farther and farther down the hallway. She’d come to tell her father about her decision, and she had accomplished that.
She hadn’t expected her father to congratulate her and wish her well. That would have been expecting the impossible.
SIXTEEN
As long as Alex remembered Caron’s time in Colorado was short term, he was fine. And as long as he ignored the fact she was working for Kade Webster.
In the end, she’d come back home to Florida. To him.
The drive to the airport was quick, the road empty of traffic, the occasional streetlights providing the only break in the predawn darkness.
“You checked to make sure your flight wasn’t delayed?”
“Yes. It’s still leaving at seven. I’ll be there in plenty of time.” Caron rummaged in her carry-on bag, securing her phone charger in an interior pocket. “Thanks again for taking me to the airport.”
“I don’t mind. I’ll park and help you carry your suitcases inside when we get there.”
“You don’t need to, Alex—”
“I want to.”
“I just hope what I packed in two suitcases will be enough for the next month . . . well, two suitcases and my tote.” Caron tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Of course, Margo and I can always go shopping, right?”
“I guess.” Alex drained the last of the coffee in the insulated travel cup. “She’s picking you up at the airport?”
“No. Kade is paying for a rental car while I’m there. I told you that, didn’t I?”
“I don’t think so. I guess that makes sense.”
Caron set her bag beside her feet, turning to face him. “I’ll be busy working and I don’t want to have to ask anyone else for a ride. He was going to put me up in a hotel, too, but Margo insisted I stay with her. I admit that I like this option much better.”
Another mile marker slipped past. They would be at the airport in ten minutes at this rate.
“Caron, I wanted to talk to you about something before you left.”
The early-morning darkness shadowed her face. “Okay. What’s on your mind?”
“We’ve been dating for two years now. And we love each other. We’ve talked about getting married—” Alex tilted the travel mug to his lips again. Nothing. “I’ve been thinking about that . . . and you know, why don’t we?”
Caron remained still. Silent.
“Did you hear what I said?” He reached for her hand, but she didn’t respond to his gesture.
“I did. I’m trying to figure out . . . if you just proposed to me or not.”
“Well, it’s not a formal proposal, obviously. I mean, I don’t have a ring—”
“Oh. So is this considered a casual proposal? Tossing a why-don’t-we question at me while we’re driving to the airport before dawn when I’m leaving for a month?”
“Like I said, I’ve been thinking about it—”
“Alex, the last time we talked about getting married you were telling me how much you disliked the idea of a destination wedding in Colorado.” Caron’s words ricocheted through the car. “Am I supposed to believe that our . . . our argument caused you to think about proposing to me now?”
“No.”
“Then what did?” Before he could reply, she rushed ahead. “Because if your ‘not formal’ proposal was prompted by my leaving town to work for Kade Webster, it feels more like you’re marking your territory.”
“Caron, I realize this is less than ideal—”
“Less than ideal? You weren’t even looking at me when you sort of asked me to marry you!” Caron’s shoulders were rigid, her words rupturing his hopes. “You know I’m not a morning person . . . and I don’t even have any makeup on and you didn’t even notice that my hair is blond!”
“Your hair is blond?” Alex allowed himself a quick glance. “What does that have to do with me proposing to you?”
“Nothing. And everything.” She sniffled. “And I am not crying. I’m mad.”
Right. The sounds she was making were angry sniffles.
“Can we forget what I said?”
“Yes. Please.”
The lights of the airport loomed ahead. Maybe while they waited in the terminal for Caron’s flight he could figure out a way to fix the mess he’d made.
“I think . . . it would be better if you drop me off at the curb.”
“Caron, don’t be like this.”
“I’m not being like anything.” A sigh filled the car. “I’m tired. The last few days have been stressful. I want to get through security and go sit at my gate, okay?”
“I’m sorry.”
“I know.”
A few moments later, Alex lugged her suitcases over to the curb, his car idling in the no-parking zone. Caron stepped into his embrace.
He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you.”
She tilted her face, offering him a glimpse of the barest hint of a smile. “I know you do. I love you, too.”
“Forgive me?”
“Right.”
“I’ll call when I get to Colorado.”
Maybe by then he’d have figured out a way to undo his informal proposal and make things right between them again.
• • •
We’ve talked about getting married . . . I’ve been thinking about that . . . and you know, why don’t we?
Alex’s words weighed on her like invisible—and unwanted—carry-on baggage.
Caron slumped into a seat at her gate, setting her leather bag at her feet. She pressed her fingers to her temples, willing away the pressure building there.
What was Alex thinking, tossing a last-minute proposal at her? Was he that insecure about Kade Webster—and that sure of her, thinking she’d be happy with nothing more than a “Why don’t we?” for a marriage proposal? Yes, they’d been dating for two years, but she still wanted romance. Still wanted him to put some effort into their relationship.
She understood his long work hours. Sympathized with his family situation. And forgave him when he didn’t notice things like a new hairstyle . . . or realize that she needed more than an offhanded “Will you marry me?”
She’d miss him, but she knew this trip was exactly what she needed.
For the next few weeks, she’d be on her own, experiencing unexpected newfound independence. Untangling herself from the grip of her father’s assumptions.
By nightfall, she’d be at Margo’s apartment. Again. Unpacked. Ready to face tomorrow.
Maybe not ready.
But she’d give Kade her absolute best effort when it came to staging the house. Work. Go back to Margo’s. Work. Go back to Margo’s. Toss in some wedding fun with her best friend if time allowed.
All Kade wanted from her was a well-staged home. She could do that, so long as she wasn’t lured into the past by the “might-have-beens” that lingered around Kade Webster.
Maybe, just maybe, there’d be time for her to find clarity. Figure her life out.
Maybe in Colorado she’d find the space to hear God better, to discover the answers she needed to move forward with her life.