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Worried about her instability, Mrs. Brandt’s daughters had recently asked Angela to get into the pool with the elderly woman. She even helped the lady in the shower. It wasn’t part of the drive service, which was only supposed to be door-to-door, but Angela didn’t mind. She wanted to keep Mrs. Brandt active for as long as possible. She often carried in groceries, putting everything away, helping her seniors as best she could. It was worthwhile work, and she loved it.
“The elderly are a delight when you get to know them,” she added.
Sienna looked at her as if seeing her in a whole new light, a real person instead of Mother.
“But enough about me,” Angela said. “I don’t want to take you from away from your friends.”
He showered her with a winning smile. “I’ve known these guys forever. We went to university together. Every year we get away in the summer for one big trip. My father believes that after a year of hard work, you have to let loose or go crazy. So he lets me out of my cage for three weeks to get wild. We’ve done the beaches of Brazil, the Caribbean, London and traveling around England. But the girls—” He hooked a thumb, indicating the top deck. “—wanted more beach and sun. So this year we decided on Santorini.”
“Wow,” Sienna said. “This is my first vacation in three years.”
Grinning, Carter asked, “Does that mean you’re going stir crazy?”
Sienna’s smile was genuine this time. “Yes, I am.”
“That’s why I wanted to get her away for a two-week holiday.” Angela couldn’t resist taking credit for getting Sienna here. It made them sound like they were close, that she’d been working on her daughter for years to get away, when the reality was that Angela didn’t even know Sienna hadn’t taken vacation in three years.
“Good on you for bringing her to Santorini. And rather than hanging out with these guys—” He shrugged at the noisy group in the sun. “—I’d rather know more about you two.” He jutted his chin at Sienna. “What keeps you from taking a vacation?”
Sienna leaned forward for another canapé, saying before she took a bite, “I’m a financial advisor. With the ups and downs in the market, my clients need a little extra handholding.” She popped the fritter into her mouth.
“It sounds more like they need a lot of handholding.”
She nodded, swallowed, and said, “I work with a lot of elderly clients, and whenever there’s a dip, they’re afraid they’re going to lose all their savings. I have one sweet old lady—” She gave an inner-directed smile as if she was picturing the woman’s face. “—who grew up in the depression, and she’s terrified of ending her days as a bag lady living in a cardboard box. Every time there’s a downturn, even a small one, I always call her right away and reassure her.”
“That’s good of you,” Carter said, his head tipped as if examining Sienna. “Most people would find that annoying.”
Sienna smiled, punctuating with a little snort. “My colleagues dump their elderly clients on me. I have no problem with that at all.” She looked at Angela. “It’s like you driving the seniors. Most of them are really sweet.” She shrugged. “But they need TLC.”
Angela felt a kinship with Sienna that she hadn’t known in years. It was wonderful to hear how caring Sienna was.
“That’s what keeps me at my current company. I don’t want to leave my clients.”
And yet Sienna did want to leave. “Would it be unethical to take those clients with you?” Angela wanted to know.
Sienna frowned. “Well, it’s not exactly kosher. Then again, it would be unethical to leave them in the hands of colleagues who don’t want to bother with them.”
“Technically, aren’t you allowed to give them your cell phone number when you leave? And if they choose to call?” Carter let the sentence hang.
“We’ll find out,” Sienna said with a sudden smile. “I have an interview with a group called Smithfield and Vine when I get back.”
Wasn’t that the job Sienna had been so upset that she hadn’t gotten?
Hearing the question Angela hadn’t asked, Sienna explained, “I saw Mr. Smithfield while I was out jogging, and I mentioned that if he ever had another opening, I’d be interested. He called me just before we left.”
Why hadn’t Sienna said anything? But Angela knew why. Because Sienna didn’t talk to her. She should be used to it by now. “I hope you get the job. I know it’s what you really want.”
“I know Smithfield and Vine. Great outfit,” Carter added. “We’ve often worked with them. But if you’re interested in staying in San Francisco, you might try Walker and Walker, another good company up there.” He stopped, cocked his head. “Walker.” He raised one finger. “You couldn’t possibly be part of the family or you’d already be working there.”
“That’s my father.” Sienna’s lips thinned. “My brother works for him. But I wanted to strike out on my own.”
As if realizing it wasn’t a subject Sienna wanted to discuss, Carter clapped his hands. “I wish you all the luck at Smithfield and Vine, and being able to bring along your elderly clients who adore you. And while I have you as my captive audience, I’d like to invite you to go with us tomorrow to climb the Karavolades Stairs. We plan to go around noon. That way all the adventurous tourists coming from the old port will have already made their way up the stairs or taken the funicular.” He waved a hand. “We’ll ride the cable car down and climb back up.”
She was about to say that Sienna wouldn’t climb the steps, but her daughter jumped in before she got a chance. “My mother’s been talking about walking those stairs. It’ll be fun with a group.”
Angela barely stopped her jaw from dropping. When she’d asked, Sienna preferred to sunbathe, but when Carter Ellis offered, Sienna immediately said yes. All right. That was fine. Angela knew where she stood. She wasn’t hurt, she wasn’t even upset.
It just meant she had her work cut out for her.
