“Etiquette says rip the damn bow off and see what you got.” Tasha grins. “And oh yeah. If you hate it, you’re supposed to smile politely as you pretend you like it. Then you put it in the trunk of your car and drive around with it for six months before you remember to drop it at the donation center.”
Lila and I both laugh.
“You heard her.” Lila edges in closer. “Rip off the damn bow.”
Grinning, I do. Then I gasp.
It’s a Bonds coffee maker, one I’d never be able to afford, even in my wildest dreams. She’s also included a number of different locally roasted bags of coffee. “Tasha! You shouldn’t have!”
Not thinking, I throw my arms around her, and she laughs and returns the hug.
Lila grins. “I think she likes your present.”
When I finally recover from the shock of the extravagance, I let Tasha go.
“There’s nothing better than the first night in your new home, except for a perfect cup of coffee the next morning.”
“This was—” I’m shaking my head, trying to find the right words. “Thank you. I love it. You’ll have to come and have a coffee with me.”
“When I’m in your area again, I’d love that.” She gives me a few brewing tips, then tells us both goodbye. “Wish I could stay and help unload some of these boxes.”
“No, you don’t.” Lila and I say the words at the same time.
The movers are bringing in the final few things as I walk Tasha to the door. “I meant what I said about having a cup of coffee.”
“I meant it when I said I’d love it.”
As she leaves, Blackwell comes in. Shocking me even further, he gives each of the movers a generous tip.
They thank him, grab some of the sandwiches and sports drinks, and wheel out the empty dolly.
This entire day has been a total whirlwind.
The last of the Hawkeye Security guys does a final sweep, clipboard in hand. He catches my eye, polite but no-nonsense.
“Ms. Hollis, I’d like to show you a few things.”
I’m overwhelmed by the day, and things keep happening. “Of course.”
He leads me to the inside wall. “We’ve programmed the new cameras to alert you if anyone approaches your door. You’ll get real-time pings to your phone. The front keypad’s been updated with a rotating code system. You’ll get your own override code in a secure message tonight.”
He installs the app on my phone, does a few things while Blackwell watches and Lila continues to work in the kitchen.
“Any questions?”
“I’ll probably have a million when I try to operate it.”
“Then let’s do that.” Patiently he walks me through the process. Then he has me go through it by myself several times until I’m completely comfortable.
Finally he hands me a business card. “Call me anytime. Night or day. And if you have an emergency, here’s the contact number.” He programs it into my phone. “Of course, if anything unusual happens here, we’ll be notified immediately.”
After showing me the places panic buttons have been installed, he and the rest of the crew leave.
Once the door is secured behind them, I look at Blackwell. “This is really overkill.”
“Better that than the alternative.”
And that’s hard to argue with.
