her.”
“Please,” Philip said seizing his arm. “Let her be. She’ll get used to seeing me around and be more comfortable with me as time goes by. Anyway, let me give you this.”
He handed the gift to Kristin and smiled conspiratorially at Teddy.
“This is very nice of you. Should I open it now?”
“Please do,” Philip said. Kristin went to the coffee table and put the package down. She tore off the gift wrapping neatly and revealed a new doorbell chime, one that played a few bars of music instead of sounding an anonymous ding dong .
“Oh, how sweet,” Kristin said.
“We can hook it right up,” Philip said winking at Teddy. “It’s designed to simply plug into wires for the one that’s already here.”
“We don’t have to do it right now,” Kristin said.
“No problem,” Teddy said. “While you’re getting the coffee and pie, we’ll see to it.”
“Okay,” she said. Teddy still had that silly grin on his lips. She started for the kitchen and the two men went to work. Less than ten minutes later, just as Kristin had the coffee ready to pour, Teddy announced the chime was ready for its first test run.
He called Jennifer, who was tempted out of her room to participate in the festivities.
“You can push the doorbell, Jen. Okay?” She nodded, gazing tentatively toward Philip Slater. “Go ahead, honey.”
She ran to the front excitedly and opened the door. “Push it, babe,” Teddy ordered and she did.
Kristin’s eyes widened with delighted surprise as soon as she heard the first two notes. It was one of her tunes, Teddy’s favorite, from a song she had entitled “Every Beat of My Heart.” She squealed with delight and Jennifer came running back.
“How did you do that?”
Teddy and Philip Slater laughed.
“Philip was the one who came up with the idea. He told me he wanted to do something special, something personal.”
“It’s so nice of you.”
“It was no big deal. I have a friend who manufactures these things. I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Did you hear that melody, honey? It’s one of Mommy’s songs,” Kristin told Jennifer.
“Can I push the button again, Mommy? Can I?”
“Oh no,” Teddy said. “I’ll be hearing the tune in my dreams.”
“Not such a bad thing to hear in your dreams, is it?” Philip said.
Kristin blushed.
“Thank you, really. It’s a very special gift. And please, tell your wife thank you, too.”
“I will.” He smiled at Jennifer. The excitement left her face.
“I wanna go color,” she said quickly and ran back to her room.
“I don’t know what’s got into her tonight,” Kristin said.
“I’m sure it’s just the strangeness of being in a new world,” Philip said and narrowed his eyes as he looked after Jennifer. There was a heavy silence. Kristin looked at Teddy who gestured with his eyes toward the dining room.
“Well, why don’t we have that coffee and let me try my pie on our captured guinea pig,”
she said.
“Good idea,” Teddy said.
Philip smiled.
“From the aroma, I know it’s going to be delicious.”
Kristin served the pie and coffee, and they talked. Phil Slater described his background and how he had come to build the development. He asked polite questions, but made no attempt to get too personal. If he did ask something that could be construed as such, he quickly apologized.
“That’s all right, Philip,” Kristin said. “We should be preparing ourselves for the interview on Sunday.”
“Interview?”
“For the Emerald Lakes directory.”
“Oh.” Philip smiled. “One of my committee’s pet projects. Actually, it’s turned out very well and proven to be very useful. I hope you’ll get involved with some of our other activities. We’re always looking for fresh blood and new ideas.”
“Oh, if I know Kristin, she’ll come up with new ideas,” Teddy warned.
“Well, a little controversy is a good thing as long as it stimulates healthy discussion and results in improvement. But,
“Please,” Philip said seizing his arm. “Let her be. She’ll get used to seeing me around and be more comfortable with me as time goes by. Anyway, let me give you this.”
He handed the gift to Kristin and smiled conspiratorially at Teddy.
“This is very nice of you. Should I open it now?”
“Please do,” Philip said. Kristin went to the coffee table and put the package down. She tore off the gift wrapping neatly and revealed a new doorbell chime, one that played a few bars of music instead of sounding an anonymous ding dong .
“Oh, how sweet,” Kristin said.
“We can hook it right up,” Philip said winking at Teddy. “It’s designed to simply plug into wires for the one that’s already here.”
“We don’t have to do it right now,” Kristin said.
“No problem,” Teddy said. “While you’re getting the coffee and pie, we’ll see to it.”
“Okay,” she said. Teddy still had that silly grin on his lips. She started for the kitchen and the two men went to work. Less than ten minutes later, just as Kristin had the coffee ready to pour, Teddy announced the chime was ready for its first test run.
He called Jennifer, who was tempted out of her room to participate in the festivities.
“You can push the doorbell, Jen. Okay?” She nodded, gazing tentatively toward Philip Slater. “Go ahead, honey.”
She ran to the front excitedly and opened the door. “Push it, babe,” Teddy ordered and she did.
Kristin’s eyes widened with delighted surprise as soon as she heard the first two notes. It was one of her tunes, Teddy’s favorite, from a song she had entitled “Every Beat of My Heart.” She squealed with delight and Jennifer came running back.
“How did you do that?”
Teddy and Philip Slater laughed.
“Philip was the one who came up with the idea. He told me he wanted to do something special, something personal.”
“It’s so nice of you.”
“It was no big deal. I have a friend who manufactures these things. I’m glad you’re happy.”
“Did you hear that melody, honey? It’s one of Mommy’s songs,” Kristin told Jennifer.
“Can I push the button again, Mommy? Can I?”
“Oh no,” Teddy said. “I’ll be hearing the tune in my dreams.”
“Not such a bad thing to hear in your dreams, is it?” Philip said.
Kristin blushed.
“Thank you, really. It’s a very special gift. And please, tell your wife thank you, too.”
“I will.” He smiled at Jennifer. The excitement left her face.
“I wanna go color,” she said quickly and ran back to her room.
“I don’t know what’s got into her tonight,” Kristin said.
“I’m sure it’s just the strangeness of being in a new world,” Philip said and narrowed his eyes as he looked after Jennifer. There was a heavy silence. Kristin looked at Teddy who gestured with his eyes toward the dining room.
“Well, why don’t we have that coffee and let me try my pie on our captured guinea pig,”
she said.
“Good idea,” Teddy said.
Philip smiled.
“From the aroma, I know it’s going to be delicious.”
Kristin served the pie and coffee, and they talked. Phil Slater described his background and how he had come to build the development. He asked polite questions, but made no attempt to get too personal. If he did ask something that could be construed as such, he quickly apologized.
“That’s all right, Philip,” Kristin said. “We should be preparing ourselves for the interview on Sunday.”
“Interview?”
“For the Emerald Lakes directory.”
“Oh.” Philip smiled. “One of my committee’s pet projects. Actually, it’s turned out very well and proven to be very useful. I hope you’ll get involved with some of our other activities. We’re always looking for fresh blood and new ideas.”
“Oh, if I know Kristin, she’ll come up with new ideas,” Teddy warned.
“Well, a little controversy is a good thing as long as it stimulates healthy discussion and results in improvement. But,
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