“Yes, well, I can’t stay long. I have a lot to take care of at the office.”
“Ah, that’s too bad. Your father always took the day off. We would love your participation.” She met my gaze and then glanced to the side as if not wanting to judge me for my lack of enthusiasm, but I didn’t miss the disapproval in her expression.
“My father was a great man, and I’m still trying to fill his shoes so…” What you see is what you get.
Joanna smiled and lightly touched me on the arm. “He was, and we will miss him greatly. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. The picnic and day at Six Flags are very appreciated. The kids are having a wonderful time.”
I glanced around as hordes of children played tag or some such game. They were laughing and smiling and basically doing what children did. There had to be at least two hundred people here today, which wasn’t a lot considering how many foster youths there were in California. But Dad had chosen to support a small foster family agency, believing he could make a bigger impact with a more manageable group. And here I was, continuing the effort.
A man dressed in a clown outfit waddled by in shoes three times the size of mine, and he poked me on my stomach as he passed in an attempt to get me to smile. I glared at him and fell just short of telling him to take his ugly clown hands off of me. He got the hint and moved on.
“That’s Chester,” she said, trying not to laugh. “He’s harmless.”
“Chester had better stay away from me.”
“I’ll make sure he knows.”
“Please do.”
“Excuse me for a moment.” She headed in Chester’s direction, and I let out a breath, glancing at my watch again. Joanna had arranged for the picnic to last three hours and then the volunteers planned to take the kids through the park so they could enjoy the rides.
I took out my phone and typed a quick text to my secretary, Verity Williams.
Call me in ten minutes and pretend there’s an emergency so I can get out of here.
She used to be Dad’s secretary, but I kept her on because she was the best at what she did, and I preferred her calming presence over some of the younger admins. In her sixties, she was a force to be reckoned with, and she had more energy than most had in their twenties.
Her response was short and quick. You don’t pay me enough for these charades. She’d been around for so long that she seemed to think she had more liberty to voice her opinions when it came to me, and I allowed it, but only from her.
Glancing up, my gaze landed on Joanna, who was heading back after talking to Chester the clown. I sent another text to Verity telling her to “just do it” and then shoved my phone in my pocket, managing a curt smile as Joanna joined me.
“He won’t bother you again,” she said eagerly.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like me to introduce you to a few of the families?”
I pressed my lips together and frowned, scanning the grassy area. Everyone was having fun, and quite frankly, I doubted they wanted to meet a stiff suit who didn’t look as if he fit in. “That’s okay. I have to get back to the office, anyway.”
“Oh.” A crease formed at her forehead, and she looked at me with concern. “I’m so sorry you can’t stay.”
“I only planned to stop by and make sure everything is running smoothly.” I winced, not meaning for it to sound as if I didn’t trust her or her volunteers to do a good job. “You’re doing wonderful work, Joanna.” I turned to leave, not bothering to wait for Verity’s emergency call.
“Wait!” Joanna reached out as if to touch me but stepped back when she saw my hesitation. “I was hoping to discuss another event we need funding for.” She paused, appearing unsure as to whether she should bring it up. “I thought we would have more time—”
“Of course. Contact my secretary, Verity Williams, and give her the details. We’ll be happy to accommodate you.”
I took off in the direction of my car, not glancing back even once. When I got there, I checked the time. Ten minutes. That was all that exchange had cost me. Ten lousy minutes. Way to go, Easton. Dad would have been so proud.
Truth was, my father had been a better man than me. I knew it, and so did everyone else, but there was no use dwelling on that now.
Later that evening, I stopped by to see my sister, Charlotte, before heading home. She’d left a cryptic voicemail message saying she had something important she needed to discuss, and it wasn’t a conversation she could have over the phone. Before I even had a chance to knock, the door flew open and she urgently pulled me inside.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“We need to talk.”
“About what?”
She directed me to her living room and invited me to sit on her floral couch, the one I hated looking at because it was too frou-frou for my taste. “Lila called me.”
I rolled my eyes and loosened the tie at my neck, feeling way too hot all of a sudden. “Spare me the details.”
“Easton, come on.” She crossed her arms and gave me a look she’d mastered over the years. It was an I-know-better-than-you expression even though she was almost two years my junior. “I liked Lila. Mom and I had high hopes for her.”
“It didn’t work out. Not every relationship progresses past the casual dating stage.”
“Apparently none make it past that mark with you.” She let out a sigh and turned to face me. “You’re twenty-seven years old, but you’re no better off than when you were in high school.”
I smirked. “And what about you, little sister? I don’t see a ring on your finger.”
“That’s beside the point. I’m quite capable of a lasting relationship. I just don’t choose to have one at the moment.”
“Well, I don’t either.” I started to rise, figuring there wasn’t much more to say on the matter, but she put a hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back down. Few would have gotten away with that, but she was my little sister so I gave her leeway this time.
“Look, I think I have a solution to your dire dating difficulties.”
I laughed, focusing more on the tongue twister than on the concept itself. “I’m sure you do, but I didn’t ask for help.”
She clapped her hands together and shot me a delighted smile, ignoring my last statement. “Let me set you up on a blind date.”
I stared at her like she was crazy for five whole seconds and then turned away, rolling my eyes. “That’s what you called me here to talk about? A blind date?” I scoffed and stood this time, refusing to sit on that awful couch one second longer. “No wonder you wouldn’t share the details over the phone. You knew I’d say no.” I headed for the door, anxious to get home so I could change and order takeout from my favorite Greek restaurant.
Charlotte ran ahead of me, her dark blonde hair flying through the air. She planted herself in front of the door, arms spread wide as if ready to hold me hostage for as long as it took. “I have to offer a shoulder to cry on every time one of your girlfriends doesn’t work out. It affects me more than you know.” She had a poker face, the kind a negotiator gave their toughest client. “Let me pick the next one.”