sorry, Mr. Myers,” his housekeeper said, rushing after the boy.
“It’s okay, Margaret.” He halted her, raising his hand. “You go on with your day while EJ and I catch up.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Myers,” the housekeeper said as she headed off toward the back of the apartment.
He lifted his eight-year-old son into his arms and ruffled his curly hair. He’d inherited the soft curls from his mother, along with that impish grin he was sporting right now. EJ reminded Everett of Sara, and it sometimes made him sad that she wasn’t here to see their son grow up. Other times, it reminded him just how lucky he was.
“How’s my boy?” Everett asked as he carried him to his study.
“I’m good,” EJ answered, looking down at him.
“How was school?” He lowered EJ to the floor and then sat in his recliner to hear about his son’s day, while EJ sat on the adjacent ottoman. It was their daily routine and a way for Everett to catch up on what happened.
“Fine, but I need you to sign off on a field trip.” EJ produced a slip of paper from his back pocket.
“When’s this?” Everett asked. Although he had a busy schedule as president of Myers Hotels and his own business, Myers Coffee Roasters, he made a point of attending EJ’s field trips as a chaperone when his schedule permitted.
“At the end of the month.”
“Sounds like fun. I’ll be there.”
“Aww, Dad,” EJ sighed. “You don’t have to come every time.”
Everett frowned. “You don’t want me to come?” He was crushed. He thought these were moments EJ would treasure, because Everett made time for him despite his busy schedule.
“It’s not that...”
“Then what is it?”
EJ lowered his head and was silent.
“Well? I’m waiting.”
His son’s curly head popped up. “It’s just that I don’t want the other kids to think I’m uncool because my dad is a chaperone.”
Everett smiled as he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew there would be a time when he would have to pump the brakes, pull back and not be so overprotective, but he’d thought that was a few years away. He was wrong. “If I promise to be a ‘cool dad,’ can I still come? What do you say?”
“Okay, but only if you promise not to embarrass me.”
Everett chuckled as he held out his hand for a father-son handshake. “Sounds like a deal to me. By the way, I brought a treat for you.”
“Oh, yeah? What’d you bring me?” EJ asked.
Everett rose from the recliner. “I’ll be right back.” He returned moments later holding the box of goodies from Lillian’s. “I brought you these.” He handed it to EJ. With the bakery’s signature label on the top and the deliciously sweet aroma of fresh baked goodies emanating from within, he knew EJ would be in heaven.
His son’s large, dark brown eyes opened wide with interest and he started to open the box, but Everett slapped his hand away.
“After dinner,” he said. “Miss Margaret would kill me if I allowed you to eat that beforehand.”
“Can’t I have just one?” EJ gave him his best puppy dog look.
“Sorry, kid,” Everett said. “That doesn’t work on me, but good try. I promise we’ll have them after dinner.”
“All right,” EJ replied. “How was your day, Dad?”
Everett was surprised sometimes when his son inquired after him. He was supposed to be the parent, not the other way around. But Everett suspected that EJ was curious why pretty much all he did was work, then come home most nights. Everett didn’t have a social life to speak of.
Occasionally he went out on a date with someone his parents or friends fixed him up with, but most of those fizzled when the women realized he wasn’t interested in marriage or commitment. They assumed he was in the market for a wife and mother for EJ, but were sorely disappointed by the end of the evening, or in some case by the second or third date, when they realized he wasn’t budging.
It wasn’t as if he was still mourning for Sara. He’d finally gotten over the tragic loss and had picked up the pieces of his life. He just hadn’t been sure he was ready for another serious commitment, until today, when he’d seen Mariah Drayson. He wasn’t sure why meeting the woman had him reevaluating his stance on marriage and commitment, but he was.
“Dad’s day was good,” Everett finally responded. “I found that new bakery.” He pointed to the box. “Has me thinking of new ideas.”
“Like what?” EJ sat cross-legged on the ottoman and propped his head in his hands with rapt attention.
“Like expanding our coffee business at the bakery.”
The idea had come to him almost immediately as he’d watched the large crowd at the bakery. What if he offered Myers coffee there for folks to buy along with their pastries? It would be a win-win for both firms, but especially Lillian’s. Having the Myers brand for purchase on-site would only authenticate Lillian’s promise that they offered the best and highest quality of products, given that Myers coffee was available only in high-end restaurants and coffee shops throughout Seattle.
“Sounds cool, Dad.”
“Thanks, son.” Everett smiled. “How about we get cleaned up and have some dinner?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Everett only hoped that Mariah and her brothers approved of his idea. It was good business and it would also give him the opportunity to spend some time with Mariah and get to know her better. He knew his play was somewhat obvious, but if she wouldn’t agree to have dinner with him as a man, perhaps he could appeal to her as a business colleague. Time would tell.
* * *
“It was a wonderful turnout,” Shari Drayson told Mariah after all the guests had gone and they were cleaning up after the grand opening. “I’m sure Lillian’s of Seattle will be a great success.”
“Thank you.” Mariah smiled from ear to ear. It was great to hear such high praise from her cousin, given that Lillian had entrusted the flagship location to Shari several years ago. Mariah greatly respected Shari not only as baker, but as a businesswoman. When she’d lived in Chicago, Mariah had sat in on one of the family board meetings, and she could see it wasn’t easy wrangling with all those personalities and big egos. But Shari did it with ease. Heck, she made it look simple, when Mariah knew it was the opposite.
Her cousin Belinda hadn’t been happy with Lillian’s decision for Shari to run Lillian’s of Chicago. Mariah had always suspected that Belinda was Aunt Lillian’s favorite because she’d followed behind their aunt when she was a child and was always in the bakery as her helper. And even though Mariah was closer in age to Shari, she’d always favored Belinda, who
