our division heads. My legal team will brief everyone on what’s about to happen.”
Alex looked as if he’d been hit over the head with a shovel. “You can’t do this to me, not after all the hard work I’ve put in.”
“Mom,” said Elaine, her head drooping into her hands, “I can’t talk about this tonight.”
“We don’t need to,” said Millie, struggling to push her chair back from the table.
Danny stood and helped her. Quietly he muttered, “I was hoping we could talk privately for a few minutes.”
“This discussion is over.”
“No . . . I don’t want to talk about the sale. It’s something . . . more personal.”
Millie sighed, patting his arm. “I’m too tired, dear. I’m going to turn in early.” Addressing everyone, she said, “Will someone tell Zander to bring my medication up to my room? Doc, I’ll see you tomorrow. The rest of you, well, I suppose you can take another crack at me in the morning, but it won’t change my mind.”
On that note, she turned and walked out of the room.
Elaine’s head sank down farther against her hands. In twenty-four hours her daughter and her mother had managed to blow her entire life to smithereens. All this talk about terrorists seemed like nothing but a red herring. Why did you need a terrorist to create chaos when you had the love of a good family?
10
An arm waving a white silk handkerchief oozed inside Sophie’s office door. The cuff links on the shirt belonged to Bram, so Sophie assumed the body did, too.
“What are you doing?” she asked, tossing her pen on the desktop. She’d been at work since seven A.M.
“Asking for permission to enter,” came his deep voice.
“Do you need permission?”
“You tell me.” He opened the door, a strained smile on his face. “I’ve come to grovel.”
“Well then, better sit down. It’s no fun groveling and standing at the same time.”
Sophie had been working on a new program she was designing for the Maxfield. She called it the Corporate Connection. It was meant specifically for frequent business travelers and she hoped to have it up and running by the time her father returned, though that seemed optimistic.
“You got up awfully early this morning,” he said, pulling up a chair. He unbuttoned his herringbone sport coat, then straightened his tie.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Because of me?”
“You? Why would you prevent me from sleeping?”
“You’re upset with me. Because of Margie.”
“I am?”
“You don’t think I should have offered her one of the Maxfield’s apartments. If I’ve overstepped, Sophie, I’m sorry. I know, in theory, the hotel belongs to both of us, but it’s really yours. We both know that. I just thought, having her here would be so fantastic. I’d actually get to see her every now and then.”
“I think it’s fine, sweetheart. Really. I’m just not sure—” She could hardly say that she knew he’d written Margie a sizable check. After all, she shouldn’t have been snooping, and if he gave his daughter money that was up to him. Sophie simply felt uncomfortable around Margie, and being a sensitive sort of guy, Bram had picked up on it. “Look, I’m happy that Margie’s here, truly I am, particularly because it makes you happy.”
“But not you.”
“No, it’s not that.” She’d been dreading this conversation, though she knew it was coming.
“You two have never really bonded, Soph. That’s the problem.”
“I agree. But I’m not sure how to change it. I mean, I tried years ago, but Margie resisted. I hoped we could be friends, but it never happened.”
“But it could, if you spent time with her. She’s grown up a lot since high school. She’s not the same person. We’re a lot alike. You love me. I think you could love her, too.”
Sophie’s take on Margie was a little different from her husband’s, but she knew he was right. She had to try harder. Bram had been so generous when Rudy, Sophie’s son, had come to stay
Alex looked as if he’d been hit over the head with a shovel. “You can’t do this to me, not after all the hard work I’ve put in.”
“Mom,” said Elaine, her head drooping into her hands, “I can’t talk about this tonight.”
“We don’t need to,” said Millie, struggling to push her chair back from the table.
Danny stood and helped her. Quietly he muttered, “I was hoping we could talk privately for a few minutes.”
“This discussion is over.”
“No . . . I don’t want to talk about the sale. It’s something . . . more personal.”
Millie sighed, patting his arm. “I’m too tired, dear. I’m going to turn in early.” Addressing everyone, she said, “Will someone tell Zander to bring my medication up to my room? Doc, I’ll see you tomorrow. The rest of you, well, I suppose you can take another crack at me in the morning, but it won’t change my mind.”
On that note, she turned and walked out of the room.
Elaine’s head sank down farther against her hands. In twenty-four hours her daughter and her mother had managed to blow her entire life to smithereens. All this talk about terrorists seemed like nothing but a red herring. Why did you need a terrorist to create chaos when you had the love of a good family?
10
An arm waving a white silk handkerchief oozed inside Sophie’s office door. The cuff links on the shirt belonged to Bram, so Sophie assumed the body did, too.
“What are you doing?” she asked, tossing her pen on the desktop. She’d been at work since seven A.M.
“Asking for permission to enter,” came his deep voice.
“Do you need permission?”
“You tell me.” He opened the door, a strained smile on his face. “I’ve come to grovel.”
“Well then, better sit down. It’s no fun groveling and standing at the same time.”
Sophie had been working on a new program she was designing for the Maxfield. She called it the Corporate Connection. It was meant specifically for frequent business travelers and she hoped to have it up and running by the time her father returned, though that seemed optimistic.
“You got up awfully early this morning,” he said, pulling up a chair. He unbuttoned his herringbone sport coat, then straightened his tie.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“Because of me?”
“You? Why would you prevent me from sleeping?”
“You’re upset with me. Because of Margie.”
“I am?”
“You don’t think I should have offered her one of the Maxfield’s apartments. If I’ve overstepped, Sophie, I’m sorry. I know, in theory, the hotel belongs to both of us, but it’s really yours. We both know that. I just thought, having her here would be so fantastic. I’d actually get to see her every now and then.”
“I think it’s fine, sweetheart. Really. I’m just not sure—” She could hardly say that she knew he’d written Margie a sizable check. After all, she shouldn’t have been snooping, and if he gave his daughter money that was up to him. Sophie simply felt uncomfortable around Margie, and being a sensitive sort of guy, Bram had picked up on it. “Look, I’m happy that Margie’s here, truly I am, particularly because it makes you happy.”
“But not you.”
“No, it’s not that.” She’d been dreading this conversation, though she knew it was coming.
“You two have never really bonded, Soph. That’s the problem.”
“I agree. But I’m not sure how to change it. I mean, I tried years ago, but Margie resisted. I hoped we could be friends, but it never happened.”
“But it could, if you spent time with her. She’s grown up a lot since high school. She’s not the same person. We’re a lot alike. You love me. I think you could love her, too.”
Sophie’s take on Margie was a little different from her husband’s, but she knew he was right. She had to try harder. Bram had been so generous when Rudy, Sophie’s son, had come to stay
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