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“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’ll instruct my lawyer to pass a message along not to call you.”
My mother laughed gently. “Deacon, you know how headstrong that woman is. She listens to nobody but herself.”
That was true. There had been a time when I had admired her for it.
My mother continued, “However, she did say you were no longer in your apartment. That you had fled the country and you were trying to avoid your part of the settlement.”
“Of course she did.” I let out a long sigh. “Yes, I’m out of the country right now, and no I am certainly not fleeing to avoid the settlement. The bulk of the work is done—we’re waiting on her signature. I am simply on a vacation.”
There was a pause. “I figured as much. Are you all right?”
I considered brushing her off, but my mother could be a bit of a pit bull, herself. And I was her only child, so she had to put all her maternal energy somewhere. “Yes,” I said. “I just had to get away from everything for a while. This is the final part of the divorce, and I knew that Lauren would get… intense. Plus, the Board of Directors has the business in hand—you know that it’s the slow season for us. It seemed to be a good time to take a step back. Take a breather.”
“Well,” she said. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. I’m glad to hear that you’re taking care of yourself, honey.”
I was an adult, but I respected my mother and it felt good to have my choices validated. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I’m sorry for interrupting your vacation. Next time Lauren calls, I’ll tell her to jump in a lake.”
I laughed aloud at that. My mother was sweet as apple pie. I seriously doubted she would do that. Though she might think about it.
“Do me a favor: If she does call back, don’t tell her where I am. We are only supposed to communicate with one another through our lawyers.”
“Of course, dear. I hope you have fun out there. Please try to relax, for your sake.”
“I will,” I said in a long-suffering tone.
We said our goodbyes and I hung up the cell phone.
I stretched, feeling all the vertebrae in my back pop in a very satisfying way. Then I looked out to the beach beyond the sparkling lap pool.
I really should relax, I thought. That was why I was here.
But, as always, my gaze was drawn to my laptop. Old habits die hard and my ‘relaxation consultant’ would be around sooner rather than later. I would do some more vacation-oriented things then.
That decided, I dragged my laptop into my lap, and got caught up on some work.
5
KENDALL
I let Deacon be for a few hours, but by lunch his meal order still hadn’t come through. No matter. I grabbed up one of our menus and swung by the villa to check on my guest.
I knocked and let myself in to see him dressed and perched on the edge of a loveseat, an open laptop on his lap.
By the looks of the damp, rumpled towels, he had used the pool again and polished off the rest of his breakfast.
Deacon glanced up at me and then quickly down again at his laptop screen.
I revised my assessment of him up another notch to “workaholic businessman.”
“Yes?” he asked, almost briskly.
“Just checking in to see if you needed lunch?”
“Lunch?” he repeated as if it were a foreign word. He glanced up at me and quickly away again, hunching slightly. The laptop was firmly on his lap, but he almost seemed to be hiding behind it.
“No… no, I’m good. Actually,” he interrupted himself with a quick shake of his head, “I could use a little air. The resort provides a buffet at the main common center, right?”
