by Regina Duke
Brewster set Pearl’s covered cage on a side table. “I hope you don’t mind, sir. She wanted to have breakfast with you.”
“Brew, what are you doing? You should be getting breakfast in bed. Uncle left you half of everything.”
Brewster held up a finger. “An enormous exaggeration, but yes, a tidy sum. However, if we are both to remain in the money, I shall need to work at maintaining our status. As I recall, you did not major in high finance.” He uncovered Pearl’s cage and opened the door.
Pearl fluttered out to perch on the edge of Kirby’s tray. “Eggs, scrambled well,” she said, helping herself.
Kirby scooted upright. “Did you eat already?”
Brewster nodded. “But I’ll have coffee with you.”
“So Mrs. Sourpuss is all mine?”
Brewster chuckled. “She’s really lovely. They’ll all relax once they realize they’re still employed. Is that your phone buzzing somewhere?”
“I put it on vibrate. Vanessa has been calling every hour. I can’t stand the thought of talking to her.”
Brewster found the vibrating phone on the dresser and picked it up. “Oh my. I think you’ll need a special ringtone for this caller.” He smiled enigmatically and answered the phone.
“Hello, Miss Madlyn. Yes, he’s right here.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Madlyn’s hands trembled. She grasped her phone tighter to keep from dropping it. Even the sound of Brewster’s voice was enough to make her tingle in anticipation. She’d planned to wait until nine a.m. to call, and she’d written a list of questions and statements that she intended to use during the conversation. Why hadn’t he left word for her? What did he really have in mind regarding their relationship? Was there a future for the two of them? Why had he lied about being a chauffeur? Was he as rich as his stepbrother? She had the list ready, and she was determined to stand up for herself.
Vicky had told her the night before about the death of Kirby’s uncle. Ray had sent flowers to the funeral. Madlyn supposed that was okay, since he was on his honeymoon after all, and attending a funeral during one’s honeymoon was probably not required. She herself had never met Kirby’s uncle, but given half a chance, she would have attended the funeral even if it meant hitchhiking back to Colorado afterward. She’d spent the previous evening composing her list because she couldn’t call New York in the middle of the night. But after a night of fitful dozing, she couldn’t wait any longer. She woke up at five, forced herself to take the time to make coffee and get dressed. Then she settled on the sofa in the living room and dialed the number that Vicky had procured for her.
Vicky and Mina had been right. Kirby did have a reason for his sudden disappearance. Now she felt guilty for doubting him. She wanted to put all her feelings into words, to let him know that her heart ached for him. She also wanted to tell him how fond she was of him. But why hadn’t he left word for her?
All these things zoomed through her mind as she waited for Kirby to come to the phone. What was taking so long? Maybe he didn’t want to talk to her at all. Maybe once again, she’d fallen for someone who did not return her affections. She felt the sudden urge to hang up. She should think things over more before revealing what was in her heart of hearts.
Too late. Kirby spoke into the phone and the sound of his voice robbed her of all rational thought. “Hello? Madlyn, is that really you?”
Madlyn sank back on the cushions of her mother’s sofa and marveled at the soft dawn that was creeping over Eagle’s Toe. The sound of Kirby’s voice sent her blood rushing headlong through her veins. Had she ever experienced such a thing with John?
“Are you there?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m here, I’m, I’m, oh gosh, I’m so sorry to hear about your uncle. Vicky just told me last night what happened. Are you okay?” She squeezed her eyes shut and berated herself silently for stammering.
Kirby didn’t seem to notice. “It’s been rough, but the worst is over. I still can’t believe he’s gone. I wanted you to meet him.”
Madlyn’s heart soared, then crashed at the missed opportunity. She cast about for something to say. As usual, the perfect phrasing made itself scarce, and she offered lamely, “I’m sure I would have liked him very much.”
Kirby’s voice softened. “He would have adored you.”
Madlyn smiled. “Thank you.”
Kirby added, “You just found out?”
“Last night. Ray and Maria are visiting Vicky and Jason, and Ray told her about sending flowers to your uncle’s funeral.”
Silence.
Madlyn wondered if the connection had broken.
Then, “You didn’t get my note?”
Madlyn whimpered with relief. “You left me a note? I never saw it.”
“The cook,” said Kirby. “He said he’d—” He choked the rest of it off, then began again. His voice was full of disappointment tinged with anger. “Vanessa.”
“She told me you’d gone,” said Madlyn.
“You saw her?”
“Oh gosh, I must have missed you by less than five minutes! Oh my heart. I feel like it’s broken. We could have said goodbye. I would have gone to the funeral with you.”
“Madlyn, dearest, are you crying?”
“Yes,” she sobbed.
“I’m right here. It’s okay now. I know what must have happened. Vanessa must have taken the note from the cook.”
“She told me you’d lied about yourself. She said it was one of your games, as if you enjoyed toying with me. She said you’d be as rich as Ray someday, and she was going to marry you. Then she tossed a crumpled paper into a wheelbarrow full of manure.”
Another silence, deeper, darker this time.
“Kirby, I could just choke the life out of her.”
“Me, too. But then we’d go to jail. And we’d never get to see each other.”
Madlyn wiped her tears away and calmed her breathing. “Yes, I guess that’s as good a reason as any to let the monster live.”
“Vanessa has no idea what my family situation really is. She’s a fool if she thinks I’m going to get a penny of the Forbes money. Daddy Forbes made my mother sign a pre-nuptial agreement that guaranteed neither she nor I would inherit. Everything goes to Ray. Maybe if I explain that to Vanessa, she’ll leave me alone. And as for the note she destroyed…. Close your eyes, Madlyn. I’m going to read you the note I wrote. Okay?”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes.
In a voice as loving as the songs on her mother’s Elvis albums, Kirby said, “Dearest Madz, you have won my heart, and I look forward to the day we can be together again. Uncle has taken a turn for the worse, and I must leave. Please call me as soon as you are able. Love, Kirby.”
She held the phone close with both hands, as if Kirby could feel her caress. “That’s so beautiful.”
“That’s what was on the paper she tossed away. On the bright side, reading it must have felt like I’d stabbed her in the heart.”
Madlyn laughed in spite of herself. “It does explain why she hates me so much.” She heard mumbling and a squawk. Then faintly, in the background, “Curse you, Pearl.”
“What’s going on?”
“Pearl just tried to take a bath in my coffee cup and knocked it over. Brewster is mopping up the mess.”
“That bird is so cute,” Madlyn crooned.
“You think so? I’m sure she could adjust to the climate in Colorado.”
Madlyn inhaled sharply. Then, astonished by her own boldness, she said, “Maybe you should bring her out for a visit.” Her insides ran riot as she waited for Kirby to respond.
“What a wonderful idea. I mean, there are so many things I want to talk to you about. I feel like we were really hitting it off before I had to leave. I mean, that is, I…. Just a moment.” He must have covered the phone to talk to Brewster because his voice was muffled, indistinct.
Madlyn’s heart pounded in her chest. She wished she could talk to Kirby in person. She couldn’t make out wha
t he was saying. The seconds felt like minutes. At last, his voice returned, deep and intimate in her ear.
“I’m so glad you called, Madz. Through all the chaos here, the funeral, everything, I kept wishing you were here.”
Madlyn pulled her feet up onto the sofa and curled around the phone. “That makes me so happy.” Then, realizing how strange that sounded, she added hastily, “The wishing part, not the funeral part.” She cringed at her gaffe.
Kirby chuckled. “I knew what you meant. Well? How about it? Would it be okay if I came out to see you?”
“Oh my gosh, that would be super! I mean, I guess I should say something noncommittal, like ‘What an intriguing concept.’ You know, so you don’t think I’m madly in love with you. But I’m jumping up and down inside, and that makes it impossible to sound cool and detached. Oh dear, I should shut up, shouldn’t I?”
Kirby murmured, “No. Never. I love that about you. It makes me happy when you babble uncontrollably.”
Madlyn’s voice trembled. “You love that about me?”
“Mmm-hmmm.” Kirby’s affirmative sounded like a love song. “That and a thousand other things.”
Madlyn sighed dreamily. “Could you make me a list?”
“I’ll start one right away.”
“I can’t wait to read it.”
“I’ll bring it in person.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Give me your address so I know where to find you.”
Madlyn gave him her home address and phone number, the Boutique’s address, and the Boutique’s landline. She didn’t want to take any chances on missing a communication from him.
She heard another voice speak in the background. Kirby said, “All right, Brewster. I’m coming. Madz, I have to go now. We have several appointments this morning. I’ll call you as soon as I can, okay?”
“Okay.” Before she could gather the courage to add “I love you,” the line went dead.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Kirby threw on the clothes Brewster had laid out for him. “How are we going to handle this valet thing?”
Brewster moved fluidly to gather up Pearl and put her back in her cage. “I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”
Kirby gave Brewster a crooked smile and let him fix his tie. “Uncle has leveled the playing field. You don’t have to be my valet or even work, if you don’t want to.”
“Nonsense, sir. I consider myself the guardian of our windfall, which shall require a good deal of looking after. Some of my duties will change, as I fully intend to spend time teaching you how to look after it as well. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for quite some time.”
Kirby grinned.“Say, I’m going to need some of the cash from the safe. As soon as we’re finished at the bank, I have to catch a plane to Colorado.”
Brewster kept his eyes on the perfect knot he was creating for Kirby. “Are you sure that’s wise, sir?
Kirby was already sliding a finger between his collar and his neck. “Wisest thing I’ve ever done.”
Brewster tapped his hand lightly and proceeded to loosen the tie a bit. “I just meant that you’re about to become a very wealthy man. Perhaps you’ll want to give yourself time to contemplate your future.” He gave the knot a nod of approval and stepped back.
Kirby turned to view himself in the mirror. “I look pretty good,” he said.
“You look fabulous. I would kill for a head of hair like yours.”
“You could dye yours blond.”
“Color is the least of the charms your hair holds for the ladies. You look like a surfer in an extremely expensive suit. No wonder the ladies crawl all over you. And you’re ignoring my suggestion.”
“Not at all. I’ve been contemplating my future all my life, and frankly there have been very few bright spots. Mom and Uncle and you, that’s been about it. And then I met Madlyn. I feel like she’s the one. She’s the woman I’m meant to be with. She was the first woman who ever reached inside me and captured my heart. All I want to do is be in the same room with her, all the time. Right now, she thinks I’m a regular guy, and I want to get out to Colorado and ask her to marry me before I turn into one of the billionaires she finds so disgusting.”
Brewster gave his own reflection a glance, then dropped his gaze and spoke carefully. “Are you sure she’s the one? If you wait—”
“If I wait, Vanessa and a whole troupe of women like her will be banging on my door, trying to catch the gold ring on the marriage-go-round. If I wait, Madlyn may get wind of how much money we just inherited. If I wait—” He paused with a hand on the doorknob and looked Brewster in the eye. “—if I wait and she goes back to her former boyfriend, my heart will break into so many pieces there won’t be enough money in the world to put it back together again.”
The corners of Brewster’s mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. “Very well then. You have the driver come round to the elevator and I will hop into the office and collect some cash.”
The penthouse had a private elevator straight to the parking garage. Once in the town car, Brewster counted out ten thousand in hundreds. “Any more is too bulky to handle easily,” he said, “so use your credit card. While we’re at the bank, we’ll have your limit raised.”
“Thanks. Hey, want to come along?”
“Desperately! But I’ll wait a day. I’ll come home and pack us each a bag so you’ll have clean clothes tomorrow. Meanwhile, I brought this briefcase for you. It has a few necessities inside.”
“Thanks, Brew. You’re the greatest.”
The car pulled up in front of the bank. “Let’s get this done so you can get going.”
Kirby did his best to pay attention during the business meeting, but his mind and heart were two thousand miles away. He was pretty sure he could find a flight to Colorado at the last minute. He’d done spur-of-the-moment trips before. His mind was racing. He’d need a rental car in Denver.
As the meeting drew to a close, an elegant woman came into the boardroom and slipped a blue folder in front of Kirby, then left.
Kirby glanced a question at Brewster, then opened the folder. Inside was a first-class ticket for his flight to Colorado. Behind that was his car rental reservation.
Kirby smiled his thanks to Brewster. The meeting ended at last with handshakes all around, and Brewster took charge of the mountain of documents they’d been signing.
At last they were in the car again, headed for the airport.
Kirby shook his head in amazement. “How did you ever have time to do all of this?”
“I didn’t. But your uncle’s secretary really wants to continue as your secretary, and she couldn’t wait to start doing you favors.”
“I think I could get used to this,” Kirby said.
His phone rang, sending strains of “Bat Out of Hell” through the back seat. Kirby thumbed the call away. “Have her figure out how to block this number for me, will you?”
“With pleasure.”
The phone rang again. This time it was just a noncommittal chime. Kirby’s brows drew together at the number. “It’s New York.”
“It might be one of the staff at the penthouse.”
Kirby nodded and took the call. “Hello?”
Vanessa fairly screeched in his ear, “Just when were you going to tell me that you would inherit the entire island of Manhattan from your great-uncle?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Madlyn was floating on air. She went to work singing.
Mina was thrilled when Madlyn related the events of the morning. She explained the confusion and deception that had kept her from reaching Kirby sooner. “And before he hung up, he said he was coming out to Colorado to see me! Isn’t that wonderful?”
“Did he say when he’s coming out?” she asked.
“He was about to when Brewster told him they had to go to a meeting somewhere. I hope it’s soon. He said he’d call me as soon as he gets a chance.”
“This is so exciting. If I were twenty years younger,
I’d squeal like a cheerleader. I can hardly wait to meet him. He sounds wonderful. Have you told Vicky yet?”
“I haven’t called her this morning. It seemed awfully early, considering they have a house full of company.”
“That was thoughtful,” said Mina. “And speaking of meetings, I have one, too. I’m talking to the realtor today about the possibility of making an offer on the building.”
“That’s wonderful.”
Mina shrugged and said, “We’ll see. It’s sort of exploratory. Remember Thanksgiving? How supportive Ashley and Thor were about the idea? Ashley feels like it would be a great investment, and Thor is one hundred percent behind whatever Ashley wants to do.”
“Is Ashley going with you?”
“Yes, thank goodness. I’m a nervous wreck.”
Madz gave her a quick hug. “I’m sure it’ll all work out. What time is your meeting?”
“Three o’clock.”
“You have to wait all day? I hate waiting.”
“Me, too. But the best remedy is to stay busy. Are you ready to open?”
“Only if we get to snag a pastry from that Muffin Man tray before anyone else.”
Mina laughed. “Deal! Go get yours. I’ll open the doors.”
One of the shop girls had just made a fresh pot of coffee. Madlyn chose a cruller so she wouldn’t get powdered sugar all over the cash register. She sipped her coffee and nibbled her pastry as the morning’s customers came in to browse and visit and shop.
Some of the locals always came in to visit in the Nook while The Muffin Man pastries were the freshest. Soon the shop was full of early Christmas shoppers, and Madlyn and the girls were busy taking down Thanksgiving decorations and putting up Christmas lights.
Before she realized it, the day was nearly over. She checked her phone every hour, hoping to hear from Kirby but each time there was nothing. By one, she was too busy to think about the phone.
As the sun went down, the girls turned on the newly strung holiday lights and made a party out of it by sharing the remaining cookies and coffee.