Meanwhile, Katie was still as entertaining as ever while she helped out around the office a few times a week. Emily usually tried to spend as much time as she could working on designs, but these days, she often stopped by the main office on days when Katie was working to chat with her young protege."I organized all these receipts for you by month," Katie said, pointing to a folder with the receipts all neatly paperclipped together."You're amazing!" Emily said, "What would I do without you?""That's not all," Katie replied, "I've almost got Loungers to carry our brands!"Loungers was a huge retailer, and if Katie could pull that off, then Emily was pretty certain the kid was a genius. She must be just biding her time in college before taking over the world."Loungers is a big deal," a smooth male voice said from nearby. "I could help you negotiate with them."Emily realized her receptionist Spencer was leaning against the door frame. "It's okay, I can handle it on my own," Kat
A few days later, Fred came by the house to report his findings. Emily could tell by the regretful look on his face that he had not found anything good. Usually Fred was excited when he was on the tail of a suspect."Would you like a drink?" she asked politely."No, thank you," he said, "I won't stay long. I'm afraid there's nothing definite pointing to any one of your former enemies." He put down a folder on the coffee table. "The reports are in here regarding his schooling and previous employment, but to give you the gist, Spencer has no connections with any of the people you indicated except… and this probably doesn't mean anything.""Except what?" Emily was literally on the edge of her seat.Fred stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "There is one thing: Spencer was born in the same hospital as Ruby. Who knows, it could mean they grew up in the same area of the city, possibly knew each other. Or it could mean nothing."Emily released a tense breath. "You're right, it is pretty t
Trying to concentrate on work, Emily was failing to keep her mind off Byron's state of health. Even Katie's carefree chatter could hardly distract her from the problem. She did her best to take care of the most urgent things and went home a little early.The dogs greeted her with excited barks, while Sylvia waved lazily from the couch."Good, you're just in time," Sylvia said, "I ordered pizza.""Even though I didn't want any," Byron chimed in. Sylvia must have managed somehow to get him off the couch because now he sat with his elbows resting on the dining room table, his head cradled in his hands like he was mourning. And in a way, he was. He seemed to be lamenting the loss of his father all over again. Emily gave him a little kiss on the cheek. "How are you, lover?" she whispered"Not great. I wish you hadn't sent in my mom to torture me.""I heard that!" Sylvia called from across the room.Rupert and Shandy paced the house nervously, unable to settle down anywhere.The doo
Emily emerged from the room feeling completely exhausted. "He's asleep."Sylvia was pouring herself a stiff drink, having only eaten a slice of pizza. "Teddy has something to do with this, I'm almost sure of it." She sighed deeply. "I thought seeing his father would be good for him… Obviously, that didn't work out.""Do you know where he lives?" Emily asked. "Yeah, a farm somewhere in California. He has a website and everything. Why?"Emily was beginning to come up with a plan. She needed to see Teddy in person, maybe even convince him to come back to Vancouver. If only he could talk to Byron, they would resolve their differences like they did once before."I wonder if you could take care of Byron for a couple of days…" "You're going to see my ex-husband?" Sylvia asked in disbelief."I feel like something is missing," Emily said. "Some piece of information. I don't think Byron has talked to Teddy recently, or if he has, he hasn't told me what was said. Maybe if I can get them
Mateo, who was Byron's half-brother, gave Emily the impression that this was a warm and loving family. As she made her way through the entrance hall and into the living room, she got a good vibe about the house. Well-worn gloves and hats hung in the hall, ready for farm work, while the living room was decorated with stone carvings and books on gleaming wooden shelves."Mateo, did you get the door?" a woman's voice called from one of the back rooms. "Who is it?"The kid hesitated a moment then said, "I think you better meet this visitor."The woman who came out to greet her had long, wavy hair, just like Mateo, and a beautiful though tired face with some puffiness around the eyes like she hadn't slept well."Hello, my name is Aitana. Welcome to our farm!" Her middle-aged face was marked by a few lines, but they were mostly laugh lines that told of a kind and joyful personality."Thank you," Emily said. "It's beautiful, both the farm and the house. I'm here to see Teddy."Aitana lo
Emily's jaw dropped open at the terrible news. She had not been prepared for something so serious, and she hated to see Teddy in grave danger. Not only that, it ruined her plan for Teddy to come to Vancouver since he was obviously not well enough to travel, and it meant he might die without ever seeing Byron again."Teddy, why didn't you say anything, instead of sending us so many videos of puppies?" she exclaimed."Because puppies are more fun than cancer?"Emily smiled in spite of the direness of the situation. "Can't argue with that.""Byron is pissed off at me, isn't he? Sending him too many emails, asking him to loan me money. It's too much, too soon.""I wouldn't say he's exactly pissed off…" Emily began."Damn, I knew it." Teddy struck the edge of the bed with his fist."The thing is, he just needs to know for sure that you care about him. So many people come to him for money—"Even though she tried to put it gently, Teddy looked completely crushed. "You're right, I shou
It was too late to get a refund for her flight, which wouldn't leave until next evening, but Emily didn't care if she lost the money. Instead, she booked the next available flight to Vancouver, which would leave the next morning. She had to get back to Byron, and to her company as soon as possible.The next thing she did after re-scheduling the flight was try to call Byron. If he had seen that awful email, she would have a lot of explaining to do…The dial tone rang once, twice, and several times, but then the voice messaging service came on. Emily tried to call him again, just in case he didn't have time to grab the phone, but he didn't pick up. It was pretty late, so he might have been sleeping. Emily tried to call Sylvia next, but she wasn't picking up either. Emily sighed, thinking this was probably what Ruby wanted, to make her panic. She decided to get a good night's sleep to spite the evil miscreant. In the morning, feeling fairly well-rested and optimistic, she tried to c
"I missed you," Byron said, "I thought maybe you'd run off on a business trip so you could have a break from me. So I decided to surprise you for your return.""I am surprised," Emily admitted. Looking around at the farm house, she counted at least nine hummingbird feeders hanging from every possible place."I hung two at our house," Byron said, "and then I thought why not add some to the animal sanctuary. Angie and Susie were happy to help, and I'm paying them extra to keep these refilled with sugar water for the birds.""What a way to spend your hard-earned money," Sylvia grumbled."I love it!" Emily said. She had always liked watching the tiny birds whirring about, their wings moving so fast they looked like a blur. "Now it's also a hummingbird sanctuary. They need the extra nectar, especially in the fall and winter when they don't have many other food sources.""So you're not annoyed with me?" Byron asked, searching her face with his tender gaze."No, why would I be? I'm just
Emily felt such a strong current of desire running throughout her frame. It was always the most overwhelming sensation, being engulfed in the torrent of his kisses. It was one of those times when she was reminded how fierce and powerful her love for him really was. Sometimes day-to-day life interfered and made her forget that there was a man by her side who would do anything for her. When he showed how much he loved her, whether it was with grand gestures and romantic trips or simply the way he kissed her, it felt like the rebirth of a love that was too beautiful for words.Holding him in her arms and knowing how much he desired her nearly made her faint every time. It enchanted every single cell of her being, making the rest of the world a mere blur compared to the hot passion coursing through her body."I love you," she murmured as they rested in the sumptuous bed. "Thanks for always being there for me.""You don't have to thank me," he said, gazing back at her with a look fi
A few days later, Emily woke up to a grey and rainy day, but she was eager to get out of bed. It was the day of their trip. Byron was already up, pulling a tight t-shirt over his muscular torso. He looked way too awake for the earliness of the hour."Today's dress code: motorcycle gear," he said, eyes shining eagerly."It's a road trip?" Emily exclaimed."Yes indeed!"They could have flown anywhere in the world on their private jet, but for some reason Emily was more excited about a trip to the nearby mountains, just like they had always done. It reminded her of the early days of their relationship when they swiftly fell in love, and she had fallen in love with everything about this landscape too. And in some ways, not that much had changed."It's going to be a rugged journey," Byron said, "but don't worry, I've prepared some amenities at our destination.""What is that supposed to mean?" she asked."You don't need to pack too much stuff, just your basic clothes."They left t
Byron poured a lot of funds into the construction of the wave pool, and a few months later, it was built and ready for use.The building looked sleek and contemporary on the outside, while inside it was a warm oasis away from the autumn chill.Mandy swam and frolicked in the waves with her friends, stopping only to sip a bit of juice, then she was back in the water for more splashing. The high ceiling allowed natural light to come in through its numerous skylights, giving the space the ambience of a warm beach. The wave pool was definitely a hit. Emily and Byron watched the kids, lounging on deck chairs by the water."It's not quite as relaxing as a real beach, but it'll do," Byron said as the echoes of children's voices bounced around the vast space. Ripples of sunlight reflected off the water and played over his face."The kids don't seem to care if it's relaxing or not," Emily said, observing them race each other in the waves. "But as long as they're happy…""Do you think Man
"Can I do it when I'm six?" Mandy asked, not letting go of the idea of being on television."No," Emily said firmly."Can I do it when I'm seven?""No.""Ten?""Maybe." Emily hoped the whole discussion would be forgotten after that many years. She never wanted her child on a so-called talent show which was probably rigged anyway.Luckily, Mandy was distracted by her friend, and the two girls went to play outside."She's so talented," Katie said, "You should take her to a music academy. I'll bet she's going to be a sensation."Emily shook her head. "She's way too young. Please don't get excited. I know it seems like showing her talent to the world is a good thing, but too many child stars have started out on brilliant careers only to burn out as teenagers. I definitely don't want that for Mandy.""You're right, Talent Quest is a bit of a freak show," Katie said, "but don't you want her to at least learn as much as she can to reach her full potential?""She's got all the time i
Byron took a long breath. "Okay, don't be mad at me but… I bought Charmers. And now every single branch of Charmers will carry your brand of clothing.""Byron, you promised me you wouldn't do that!" Emily was so disappointed she was hardly even tempted by the creamy pasta."I promised I wouldn't destroy them," he said, a sly smile playing about his lips, "and I don't intend to. I've even kept Simone around, though in a slightly less senior role. She couldn't be induced to resign. The woman is very stubborn, but I know you don't like us to make enemies…""So you took over the company she was running, and you don't think she'd be mad?""Not as mad as I was when you told me she dropped your products," Byron retorted, "But believe it or not she's actually okay with the takeover. Charmers were struggling financially anyway. Believe me, I did them a favor.""Well you didn't do me a favor," Emily retorted. "I didn't want you to get involved.""But—""I'm capable of solving my own probl
"I pet a big white dog!" Mandy announced when they got home.The dogs spun around the new arrivals in a furry whirlwind, and Emily was relieved to be with her four-legged friends. She was glad she hadn't brought them to work that day to be despised by Simone."That's good," Byron said, greeting Mandy and Emily with kisses."I was not so lucky," Emily said."Mommy didn't have time to play with doggie," Mandy said sadly."And on top of that, I lost a really big client…" Emily added. She took off her shoes and collapsed on the living room couch."Lady said the 'f word'," Mandy recalled. Byron raised his eyebrows. "I know I'm not allowed to say it," Mandy continued, "but she didn't know that.""What the heck happened over there?" Byron asked."Ugh! I can't even go into right now," Emily lay back on the couch and closed her eyes, trying to shut out the stress of the day. "Simone made me so mad.""Lady was silly," Mandy said."Yes, she was very silly," Emily confirmed.Byron s
Emily was in a playful mood the next morning. She didn't want to get out of bed, even though she had an important meeting. The date night had ended in a rather passionate episode. Mandy was already asleep by the time they got back home, and they made the most of their time. It was not exactly rare for them to have alone time, but maybe it didn't happen as often as before."You're very giggly," Byron noted. "I thought you'd be tired after last night."He was a bit sleepy but didn't mind indulging her desires when she kissed his face and body all over."Thanks for helping me feel relaxed when I should be nervous," Emily said as she got up to get dressed. "Simone Cather is coming in for a meeting today. I've never worked with her before, but I hear she can be difficult. I'm going to bring Mandy with me to win her over with cuteness."Simone had just taken over leadership of Charmers, the biggest fashion retail store in the country. Emily had a good relationship with the previous CEO
Emily was able to run some errands while Sylvia gave Mandy her first piano lesson. She was glad to have a bit of time to shop, and Sylvia insisted on not having anyone interfere in her tutelage anyway. Emily wondered how Sylvia would cope being left alone with her granddaughter. She had been out a couple of hours, and she hoped they hadn't killed each other.Contrary to her expectations, the house was quiet when she entered. Sylvia and Mandy were deep in conversation over tea and cookies."Mommy! Mommy!" Mandy ran over to greet her."How was your lesson?" Emily asked."I learned to play piano!""She did fairly well," Sylvia said. This sounded like high praise from someone who was more used to criticizing.Mandy sat down at the piano with very good posture to show Emily what she'd learned. She played Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. It was a simple piece that most kids started with, but Emily was amazed that Mandy played it so flawlessly. She kept up a steady rhythmic accompanimen
Unschooling was a little harder to commit to than Emily had imagined. She knew that there were plenty of learning opportunities for Mandy at home, but sometimes work demands, or just wanting a bit of time to herself made her reluctant to teach the kid.It was early September, and the unschooling had been going on for a week. Emily was working on her sketches in her home office while Mandy watched an educational program in the cinema room. It didn't seem like too much time had passed, but when Emily looked up from her sketch, the house felt unusually quiet. She went into the cinema room and saw that Mandy must have finished her program and dutifully turned the screen off. She was an amazingly responsible child in some respects."Mandy!" Emily called, "Where are you, Mandikins?"An eerie silence filled the large house. Emily checked all the rooms, but her daughter was nowhere to be found. Surely she wouldn't have gone outside all by herself? For a chilling moment, she thought the