good deal longer than you have.”
So she had. There was nothing like being rebutted by her own words, but Brynn felt she had to make one last, if hopeless plea. “Are we sure we’re talking about the same path?”
Miranda grinned, a thousand-watt smile. “Absolutely, my dear. Absolutely.”
Chapter Seven
B rynn finished the last of her lunch, glad that Miranda was out with friends. Not that she wasn’t growing very fond of the older woman, but she’d been afraid that Miranda would decide to start a complete makeover. She pushed at the familiar security of her glasses for reassurance, before glancing at her dining companions. Even though Matt was at her table, she sat closest to Ruth and Frank, who had entertained her throughout lunch with stories about Gregory as a child.
Matt had been preoccupied, scribbling in a leather portfolio while they’d driven down memory lane. But the reminiscing seemed to perk up both Ruth and Frank.
That morning the family had spent hours on the phone, trying to learn news about Gregory. Ransom demands had been made. The MacKenzies were ready to pay if Drake Chemical hesitated. To their frustration, the State Department had insisted that they continue negotiations for the moment. Not wanting to set a precedent of a quick cash payoff which could encourage future abductions, the State Department refused to let Drake Chemical pay immediately. Frank and Matt, angered and frustrated, wanted to bypass the system, but that was impossible.
As Frank and Ruth rose, Frank patted Matt on the shoulder. “You have the bids for the new chair lift under control?”
Matt nodded. “Just working out some more cost projections.” He glanced at his watch. “But they’ll have to wait. I need to check Plum Ridge. If we don’t get the new lifts installed next season, we may have to overhaul the quads.”
Brynn listened to their exchange with interest, surprised that Matt was so familiar with the business side of Eagle Point. True, he’d grown up here, but this sounded like the nuts and bolts of the organization, not bookkeeping and outdoor maintenance.
“It’s an ambitious plan, son.” Frank looked at the same time both admiring and skeptical. “But you’re right about checking out Plum Ridge. I should be going with you—”
“Don’t worry about it, Dad. You know it’s my favorite spot. And I plan to take some more measurements. The new lift has to have more room than the quads.”
“Then you’ll definitely need a spotter—I should go.”
“Frank, let’s don’t have this argument again,” Ruth intervened. “You have no business trotting up a mountain. If Matt needs some help, I’m sure he could...” Her gaze landed on Brynn. “If Brynn wouldn’t mind, she could go along as spotter.”
Brynn caught the pleading look in Ruth’s eyes and knew she couldn’t refuse. “Of course. I’m not sure I’ll be much help—”
“You’ll do great,” Ruth interjected. “Right, Matt?”
He shrugged, only a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he looked pointedly between his parents. “You don’t have us fooled. You’re just trying to get rid of everyone so you two can be alone.”
That brought a smile to Frank’s face, along with relief on Ruth’s.
“Always said you were a bright boy,” Frank agreed.
Matt wagged his eyebrows at his father. “You know what they say about the acorn....”
“That it’s a good thing for the oak tree that you’re around,” Frank replied.
Brynn watched as the affection flowed between them, nearly stunned by the links that bound this family. No wonder they had such strength and happiness.
“Too bad neither the tree nor the nut noticed that we’re surrounded by an army of employees. We’ll hardly be alone,” Ruth teased.
Matt tsked. “The more you protest...”
Ruth took Frank’s arm. “Your son’s impossible.”
Frank leaned toward his wife, kissing her cheek as Matt turned to Brynn. “We’ll need to leave in a few
So she had. There was nothing like being rebutted by her own words, but Brynn felt she had to make one last, if hopeless plea. “Are we sure we’re talking about the same path?”
Miranda grinned, a thousand-watt smile. “Absolutely, my dear. Absolutely.”
Chapter Seven
B rynn finished the last of her lunch, glad that Miranda was out with friends. Not that she wasn’t growing very fond of the older woman, but she’d been afraid that Miranda would decide to start a complete makeover. She pushed at the familiar security of her glasses for reassurance, before glancing at her dining companions. Even though Matt was at her table, she sat closest to Ruth and Frank, who had entertained her throughout lunch with stories about Gregory as a child.
Matt had been preoccupied, scribbling in a leather portfolio while they’d driven down memory lane. But the reminiscing seemed to perk up both Ruth and Frank.
That morning the family had spent hours on the phone, trying to learn news about Gregory. Ransom demands had been made. The MacKenzies were ready to pay if Drake Chemical hesitated. To their frustration, the State Department had insisted that they continue negotiations for the moment. Not wanting to set a precedent of a quick cash payoff which could encourage future abductions, the State Department refused to let Drake Chemical pay immediately. Frank and Matt, angered and frustrated, wanted to bypass the system, but that was impossible.
As Frank and Ruth rose, Frank patted Matt on the shoulder. “You have the bids for the new chair lift under control?”
Matt nodded. “Just working out some more cost projections.” He glanced at his watch. “But they’ll have to wait. I need to check Plum Ridge. If we don’t get the new lifts installed next season, we may have to overhaul the quads.”
Brynn listened to their exchange with interest, surprised that Matt was so familiar with the business side of Eagle Point. True, he’d grown up here, but this sounded like the nuts and bolts of the organization, not bookkeeping and outdoor maintenance.
“It’s an ambitious plan, son.” Frank looked at the same time both admiring and skeptical. “But you’re right about checking out Plum Ridge. I should be going with you—”
“Don’t worry about it, Dad. You know it’s my favorite spot. And I plan to take some more measurements. The new lift has to have more room than the quads.”
“Then you’ll definitely need a spotter—I should go.”
“Frank, let’s don’t have this argument again,” Ruth intervened. “You have no business trotting up a mountain. If Matt needs some help, I’m sure he could...” Her gaze landed on Brynn. “If Brynn wouldn’t mind, she could go along as spotter.”
Brynn caught the pleading look in Ruth’s eyes and knew she couldn’t refuse. “Of course. I’m not sure I’ll be much help—”
“You’ll do great,” Ruth interjected. “Right, Matt?”
He shrugged, only a hint of a smile tugging at his lips as he looked pointedly between his parents. “You don’t have us fooled. You’re just trying to get rid of everyone so you two can be alone.”
That brought a smile to Frank’s face, along with relief on Ruth’s.
“Always said you were a bright boy,” Frank agreed.
Matt wagged his eyebrows at his father. “You know what they say about the acorn....”
“That it’s a good thing for the oak tree that you’re around,” Frank replied.
Brynn watched as the affection flowed between them, nearly stunned by the links that bound this family. No wonder they had such strength and happiness.
“Too bad neither the tree nor the nut noticed that we’re surrounded by an army of employees. We’ll hardly be alone,” Ruth teased.
Matt tsked. “The more you protest...”
Ruth took Frank’s arm. “Your son’s impossible.”
Frank leaned toward his wife, kissing her cheek as Matt turned to Brynn. “We’ll need to leave in a few
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