Page 84 of A New Year In The Presidential Suite

Her cell rang. Flo.

“Blake said he’d watch the kids when Eloise goes down for her morning nap. Why don’t we plan on my being there in a half-hour? I’ll bring something sweet to eat, and Aurelia is going to join us for a sisters’ breakfast.”

“Okay. I’ve got juice and some fruit in the refrigerator. See you soon.”

Lori ended the call and was both relieved and unhappy that her sisters were coming to visit. The two of them would persist until she’d told them all they wanted to know.

###

A short while later, Lori opened her door to her sisters, smiling when she saw that Flo had brought a box of doughnuts and Aurelia had brought homemade granola bars. It was typical of each of them.

“Come in, come in,” Lori said. “It’s cold outside.” The temperature change from California to New York was noticeable.

Her sisters deposited their coats on the chair in the front hallway and headed to the kitchen.

“We have many questions to ask you,” said Flo.

Aurelia followed Flo into the kitchen and put her plate of granola bars in the middle of the table for them to share.

“Coffee for everyone?” asked Lori.

At their nods, Lori served coffee in mugs while Flo opened the box of doughnuts and placed them on a plate.

“Something for everyone,” said Flo.

Lori got out the box of blueberries from the refrigerator and served them in a bowl.

Aurelia took a sip of coffee and sighed. “You don’t know how much I’ve needed this.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help,” Flo said to Aurelia. “But I didn’t want to spread cold germs to Dad. Or mom.”

“I know. It’s best that you stayed away. Is everyone better now?” asked Aurelia.

“Yes,” said Flo. “I’ll make some casseroles to take to Mom and Dad’s house. Then Mom won’t have to worry about getting a meal. I know how much she’ll fuss over Dad.” She turned to Lori. “She was a mess when Dad had to go into the hospital.”

“I’m sorry I was away. But I knew they both were being carefully tended to with the two of you,” said Lori.

“And we know how you feel about hospitals,” said Aurelia. “We’re just glad we were around. That’s what makes living close to family valuable.”

“But we were glad you were having an enjoyable time in Napa,” Flo quickly injected. “Tell us about it. I’ve seen pictures of Napa online and the website for Adeline Hills Winery is stunning.”

“Is it actually like that?” asked Aurelia. “Gordon and I have talked about a trip there one day, but we tend to take short trips along the East coast or in the Caribbean.”

Flo held up a finger to stop her. “Before we talk about the vineyard, I want you to tell us about a certain Griffin Sawyer. His photo on the website shows he’s a handsome guy. His friend, Pete Mercado, is another one. You told me you met Griffin at The Beach House Hotel, but you also told us you were doing things there with an older man, just for fun. Which is it?”

“You sent a picture of the older man,” Aurelia said. “Was that just a ruse?”

Lori squirmed under her stare. “Yes. I didn’t want you to get any wrong ideas. Griff and I did some things together. We both made it very clear that we were friends. He’d been left at the altar by someone he says he should never have been involved with, and I still wasn’t ready for a new relationship after Nick’s death. That’s why it worked so well between us.”

“But I guess it’s now more than that for each of you, right?” asked Flo.

“At the time, I honestly just enjoyed being with him. He had to leave in a hurry because his grandfather had a stroke. It turned out to be a mild one, but Griff left in the middle of our New Year’s Eve celebration.” Lori still remembered her disappointment.

“But you obviously wanted to see him again,” said Flo. “Thus, the trip to California.”

“Yes, and I also wanted to learn more about his winery,” Lori admitted. “In Florida, he taught me a lot about sipping wine and told me about growing up there. I wanted to see how it all worked.”

“Flo and I checked the website, and like she said, it looks like a beautiful place,” said Aurelia.