Page 80 of One Sweet Day is Never Enough

“Well, I kinda failed at that, but…”

She shook her head. “No, you didn’t. It’s okay.”

He squeezed her tight and held her there for several moments before he pulled back. “Get some rest. You guys’ll figure it out.”

Gia nodded and Tom headed downstairs.

* * *

Sunday morning arrived,and Seth was out of the house early. It seemed that everything from the party had been cleaned up well, so he’d taken care of a few things in the orchard and then stopped in at the office to do an hour’s worth of bookkeeping.

Stacey hadn’t been up yet when he’d left to check on the property, but his mother said she’d deal with her. She’d be making breakfast. A good meal, some coffee, an ounce of patience, and an ounce of understanding ought to help move things along today. His mother’s words.

He’d tried calling Gia but she hadn’t answered, and she hadn’t returned either of his calls. He’d sent a text but hadn’t heard back yet, either. It was unusual for her. She must be really upset. One thing at a time, though. He could hardly blame her.

He’d phoned Abigail Trewet and apologized profusely—his mother had her number. He took full blame for the undignified behavior on display by his ex-girlfriend and himself. He explained the unusual circumstances and what had transpired between Ryan and him and between the women, leaving out the seedier details, but he’d been sure to mention that Gia and the Jenkins Agency had nothing to do with it. Abigail assured him that she would take that into account when she spoke to Noreen. Seth had thanked her for understanding.

Around eleven, Seth came back to the farmhouse to find that Stacey had showered, dressed, and eaten. She sat at the kitchen table talking over coffee with his mother, and they both looked up and greeted him when he walked into the room. His mother smiled but Stacey looked worried.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” he asked pleasantly.

His mother answered for them. “We did the dishes. We were just having a nice chat.”

Seth poured himself some coffee and joined them at the table.

“It seems Stacey has some great stories about you and all of your friends in Sonoma. I was enjoying hearing about your last few years there—when I never got to see you.”

Seth felt a guilty pang for having been gone for so many years. He rested an arm on the table and forced a grin. “Ah. All good stories I hope?”

Stacey returned the look. “Give or take a few.”

His mother set down her coffee cup and wiped the corner of her lip. “One in particular where you happened to drop an entire bottle of expensive red wine all over the floor in front of a roomful of customers.”

“Ouch.” Seth nodded sheepishly and Stacey grinned again.

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself,” she confessed.

Seth laughed. “Not one of my proudest moments. That one came out of my paycheck.”

His mother grinned. “I’ll bet it did.”

Seth’s father came into the room and sat down at the table. “Stacey’s been telling us you did some great work at the Henderson Estates, son. She said when you were managing the place, revenues increased by twenty percent the first month.”

Seth smiled. That was true. It seemed that Stacey was, indeed, back on her best behavior. He sighed with relief and shot her a friendly look.

“Yeah, I made some changes when I started and got lucky—they worked.”

“Oh, he’s always so modest.” His mom scolded him. But she was beaming; he knew she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Seth, why don’t you take Stacey out and show her the orchard and the barn? She didn’t get a chance to see it yesterday.”

Seth nodded. “That’s a great idea. Let me just grab something to eat first. Any breakfast left?”

“Sure is. I made you a plate. It’s waiting for you in the microwave.”

He turned on the machine and swiped the panel. “Thanks, Mom.”

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