should anyone inquire. She backstopped everything beautifully, as she always does. I will be the one carrying all the legal papers, just so you know.”
Charles looked down at Myra. “All physicals are done, passports in order. Are we a go?”
“We are good to go, dear.”
“Do any of you have any questions?”
Dennis’s hand shot in the air. “Who is staying behind?”
“Just me,” Abner said. “You guys are going to need me here. I’ll just be a click away, as will Lizzie just in case things turn sticky.”
Dennis had another question. It was the reporter in him. “Are you staying here at the farm or going back to your loft?”
“I’m camping out here and will be in charge of all of the dogs except for Cooper, who is going with you. I don’t know how Lizzie did it, but she got clearance to take Cooper into the country. I’ve got it buttoned down here, so relax.” Isabelle winked at him, then smiled. Abner turned bright pink as Dennis sighed with relief.
“Anything else?” Charles asked.
All eyes turned to Harry and Yoko. Yoko shook her head to indicate she was okay with everything. Harry simply waved his hand in the air, indicating the same thing. As one, the room relaxed.
“Okay then, let’s go topside and start opening those boxes. We have a lot of packing to do and quite a bit of preparing.” Espinosa was on his feet in a nanosecond to escort his ladylove topside. There was a brief scramble as everyone gathered up their papers and files and jammed them into their respective folders.
“It’s happening, isn’t it?” Myra whispered to Annie.
“It is, Myra, it truly is. Are you having second thoughts?” Annie whispered in return.
“Good Lord, no. I am heartsick over that little girl, and I want Harry and Yoko to have her in their arms again. It’s just been a long few days with so much preparation. I worry that maybe one of us missed something crucial along the way that might come back to bite us at some point.”
Annie watched as Myra fingered the pearls around her neck. “You have to leave those behind, you know. I’m referring to the pearls, Myra.”
“I know what you meant. I will be sure to leave them in my jewelry box. By the way, Annie, I made an important decision last evening.”
“Oh. Care to share that important decision?”
“I’m leaving my pearls to Lily in my will.”
Whatever Annie was expecting to hear, that wasn’t it. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words. Next to Nikki, Myra’s adopted daughter, and Charles, the most important thing in the world to Myra was her pearls. All she could think to do was bob her head.
“It was a big decision, and I didn’t make it lightly, Annie.”
“Hmmnnn. Why are we having this discussion, Myra?”
“I was trying to get you to relax. You’re strung too tight, Annie. Not only can I see it, but I can feel it. Things will be okay.”
“China is a scary place these days,” Annie said.
“I have an idea, Annie. While we’re over there, why don’t you see if you can go straight to the horse’s mouth and find out why all those Chinese stocks you talked me into buying are falling so rapidly.”
“No one likes a smart-ass, Myra,” Annie snapped.
“Takes one to know one, but I would like an answer on those stocks.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Annie snapped again.
Myra giggled all the way up the moss-covered stone steps that would take them to the chaos that was going on in the kitchen.
Chapter 8
T he morning was exceptionally cool, with a brisk wind ripping across the tarmac. The caravan of cars came to an organized stop at the private airfield where Annie’s private plane and Dennis’s corporate plane were housed. They were out on the runway, the Welmed plane behind Annie’s Gulfstream, poised for takeoff.
Nikki was first out of the car. She stared at the weak winter sun shining on the skin of the sleek jets, making them look like sheets of glistening silver. She smiled when she saw the logo
Charles looked down at Myra. “All physicals are done, passports in order. Are we a go?”
“We are good to go, dear.”
“Do any of you have any questions?”
Dennis’s hand shot in the air. “Who is staying behind?”
“Just me,” Abner said. “You guys are going to need me here. I’ll just be a click away, as will Lizzie just in case things turn sticky.”
Dennis had another question. It was the reporter in him. “Are you staying here at the farm or going back to your loft?”
“I’m camping out here and will be in charge of all of the dogs except for Cooper, who is going with you. I don’t know how Lizzie did it, but she got clearance to take Cooper into the country. I’ve got it buttoned down here, so relax.” Isabelle winked at him, then smiled. Abner turned bright pink as Dennis sighed with relief.
“Anything else?” Charles asked.
All eyes turned to Harry and Yoko. Yoko shook her head to indicate she was okay with everything. Harry simply waved his hand in the air, indicating the same thing. As one, the room relaxed.
“Okay then, let’s go topside and start opening those boxes. We have a lot of packing to do and quite a bit of preparing.” Espinosa was on his feet in a nanosecond to escort his ladylove topside. There was a brief scramble as everyone gathered up their papers and files and jammed them into their respective folders.
“It’s happening, isn’t it?” Myra whispered to Annie.
“It is, Myra, it truly is. Are you having second thoughts?” Annie whispered in return.
“Good Lord, no. I am heartsick over that little girl, and I want Harry and Yoko to have her in their arms again. It’s just been a long few days with so much preparation. I worry that maybe one of us missed something crucial along the way that might come back to bite us at some point.”
Annie watched as Myra fingered the pearls around her neck. “You have to leave those behind, you know. I’m referring to the pearls, Myra.”
“I know what you meant. I will be sure to leave them in my jewelry box. By the way, Annie, I made an important decision last evening.”
“Oh. Care to share that important decision?”
“I’m leaving my pearls to Lily in my will.”
Whatever Annie was expecting to hear, that wasn’t it. Suddenly, she was at a loss for words. Next to Nikki, Myra’s adopted daughter, and Charles, the most important thing in the world to Myra was her pearls. All she could think to do was bob her head.
“It was a big decision, and I didn’t make it lightly, Annie.”
“Hmmnnn. Why are we having this discussion, Myra?”
“I was trying to get you to relax. You’re strung too tight, Annie. Not only can I see it, but I can feel it. Things will be okay.”
“China is a scary place these days,” Annie said.
“I have an idea, Annie. While we’re over there, why don’t you see if you can go straight to the horse’s mouth and find out why all those Chinese stocks you talked me into buying are falling so rapidly.”
“No one likes a smart-ass, Myra,” Annie snapped.
“Takes one to know one, but I would like an answer on those stocks.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Annie snapped again.
Myra giggled all the way up the moss-covered stone steps that would take them to the chaos that was going on in the kitchen.
Chapter 8
T he morning was exceptionally cool, with a brisk wind ripping across the tarmac. The caravan of cars came to an organized stop at the private airfield where Annie’s private plane and Dennis’s corporate plane were housed. They were out on the runway, the Welmed plane behind Annie’s Gulfstream, poised for takeoff.
Nikki was first out of the car. She stared at the weak winter sun shining on the skin of the sleek jets, making them look like sheets of glistening silver. She smiled when she saw the logo
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