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The next morning,I was up at seven and got dressed. I collected all my work stuff before going downstairs so I wouldn’t have to climb the stairs again, and I found Pat in the kitchen at the table, reading the newspaper.
“Good morning,” I called out cheerfully.
“Morning, Roxanne. Coffee is on, and if you tell me what you’d like for breakfast, I can get that ready for you.”
“Thank you, Pat, but you really don’t need to cook for me. I am capable of doing that for myself,” I paused. “Unless you prefer me to not use your kitchen.”
She chuckled softly as she rose from her chair. “Roxanne, you are welcome to use anything you need in this house, including the kitchen. The fridge is always full, so help yourself to anything. I haven’t eaten yet and was just thinking maybe I should. That’s why I offered to cook for you.”
“Oh, well, that’s kind of you, thank you. What are you having for breakfast?”
“I was thinking a couple of eggs over easy and an English muffin. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” She told me where the coffee mugs were, and I doctored up my brew with cream before going to sit at the table.
“Did you get a lot done last night?”
“I did. I have a ton of questions to ask my boss today. As soon as I eat, I want to head in and start organizing my office. There is a wedding tomorrow that I will be overseeing, so I want to make sure all the details are set on that, also.”
“Jumping right in, aren’t you?”
I chuckled. “I tend to do that. I never have been one to do anything halfway. It’s all or nothing for me.”
She eyed me carefully before she cracked an egg into a frying pan. “Are you like that in love, too?”
“I am,” I paused, “and if you are wondering, I feel very strongly for your son. He’s a wonderful man, and I can see a future with us.”
“I’m glad to hear that, Roxanne. As a mother, we want only the best for our kids.” She directed her focus right at me. “And I think you are one of the best. I liked you the minute I met you, and I can tell how much my son cares about you.”
“Thank you, Pat.”
We put the conversation to rest and started discussing the Valentine’s party again, and she told me what she would be doing for it. It was only a couple weeks away, and most of the details were nailed down, but she needed to check on some decorations and get those squared away.
After breakfast, I helped with the dishes and bade her a farewell, telling her I’d let her know if I wasn’t going to make it home for dinner.
I was excited to head into my new office, and once there, I got busy immediately. Officially, I wasn’t supposed to start until the next day, but within two hours, people were knocking on my door, asking questions about the upcoming wedding, and the phone was ringing on my desk.
Around lunch, Carol popped her head into my office. “Wow, look at this place. It looks great.”
“Thanks, I’ve almost gotten it all unpacked and organized.”
“Would you be interested in grabbing lunch? We could go over any questions you might have on the wedding reception for tomorrow.”
“That would be fantastic.” I grabbed my notepad that had all my questions. “I have a ton of things to ask you about.”
Her brow rose as she stared at the pad and then snickered. “I had a feeling you were going to do well at this job.”
“I can’t thank you enough for reaching out to me. Business back in Plattsville was not as good as I had hoped it would be.”
“Would that have something to do with Susan Bartlow?” she asked as we walked down the hallway toward the dining room.
I turned to her. “Do you know Susan?”
“Know of her, yes. I’ve never actually met her, but strangely enough, she called here yesterday.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, and Carol paused and turned to look at me. “What did she want?”
