White Chocolate Moments (25 page)

"Cancer:'

"Oh, Sam," Arcineh began. "I don't know how much more I can take:'

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before:'

"But it has something to do with your Bible reading, doesn't it?" "Yes. Mason set me straight on some things. It's been a big help."

"So what? You've had some sort of religious experience?" "You make it sound pretty disgusting:'

"I didn't mean to:' Arcineh immediately recanted. "I have a friend who's very religious, and she goes to church, and she's very sincere. It just all sounds so hard that I can't imagine wanting that. There was a time when you didn't:'

"That's very true. I'm thankful that people can change:'

Arcineh could only look at him. He was changed. Remarkably so. The old Sam would have blamed her, to some extent, for leaving. He would have said she could have tried harder to tell him or thrown it onto Violet. This humble, almost gentle, man took a little getting used to.

"Did you have enough lunch?" Sam said, not ever planning to shove his beliefs down her throat.

"I did, thank you. Can I ask you one more thing?"

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"Sure:'

The phone rang before Sam could say anything. He got up swiftly, checked the caller ID, and came back.

"Go ahead:' Sam said.

"Why didn't you pick up?"

"Because it wasn't Vi. She's the only person I'd pick up for right now--so you could talk to her"

Arcineh could only stare at him. "You're so changed:' "Yes, I am:'

"I think I don't want to ask any questions:' Arcineh decided. "I just want you to tell me exactly what happened:'

"She speaks Italian?" Patrice all but whispered.

She was sitting in Gage's office, and he had just learned that Patrice did remember the notes from Arcineh.

"This is all my fault:' Patrice went on. I ignored her, and now we're in this terrible mess:'

"Why did you ignore her?" Gage asked.

"I--" Patrice began, but stopped. How did she tell this man that she must protect him? She saw the adoring looks he got but knew that none of those women were good enough. When one came along that met the standard, she would know, but it hadn't happened yet.

"Patrice?"

"I'm rather protective of you:' Patrice said, finding the words. "But I've failed miserably, and I see no choice but to resign:'

"I don't want you to resign. I have no plans to fire you, but before this is over, you'll be dragged over the coals. Arcie will sit on the witness stand and say she tried to warn you. The main focus will be on the lying translator and whoever hired him, but the light will definitely hit you as well:'

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Patrice nodded, thinking she deserved nothing less, but Gage wasn't done.

'And there will be some changes around here. I find it hard to believe we can't get our jobs done unless you fill each woman with fear:'

Patrice licked her lips. "Arcie did quite a bit of talking."

"She got some things off her chest:' Gage said, putting it mildly. "And she was right. My head's been in the sand. I don't want these hardworking women to stay because the pay is good. I want them to enjoy each day, be productive, and not fear your reprisal:'

Patrice was not so humble now. It wasn't like that, she was sure. The women enjoyed working on this floor. Arcineh hadn't been around long enough to know anything.

"What exactly did she tell you?"

"Many things, but mostly that your need to be needed by me

clouded your judgment. She was very surprised to learn you were going

to be married. She was sure you were protecting me for yourself' "Well, I'm not:'

"But you do protect me:' Gage said, glad to have it on the table for the first time. He'd been aware of this in the back of his mind but never let himself think about it.

"You don't see the looks!" Patrice snapped. "The women mooning over you--one of these days one is going to get her hooks' in you and make you miserable:'

"And you thought Arcie was the next candidate?"

"I guess I did:' the assistant admitted, calming down some and sitting back in her chair.

"What exactly did you object to?"

"She's such a mousy little thing, without a lick of style! She's all wrong for you:'

"You need to trust me when I tell you that there is nothing mousy about her:'

Patrice looked at him but kept quiet. She watched while he picked up the phone, dialed, and spoke into it.

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"Mallory, I need everyone in here as soon as you can manage it. All right. Thank you:'

Gage replaced the phone, his eyes going back to the woman in front of his desk.

"I've been checked out for too long, Patrice. We're going to have a brief meeting. I'm not out to humiliate you, but the changes begin now:'

"Hello:' Arcineh said when Gage suddenly appeared in his great- grandfather's kitchen.

"Hi, how are you?"

"Fine. Yourself?"

"Doing fine."

"Will I be in the way in here?" Gage asked, wishing he didn't feel so nervous.

"No:' Arcineh said, not sure why he was there.

"How is it coming?"

"A little faster right now:' Arcineh answered, seeing that her hand was not so steady at the moment. "It's nice to hit a straightaway and make some progress."

The room grew quiet. Arcineh did her best to keep working. It felt as though the silence lasted an hour, but Gage spoke after a minute.

"I've always heard about people who looked good no matter what, but I never met one before you."

"Did you have breakfast?" Arcineh asked. "Are you feeling a little dizzy?"

Gage laughed, but added, "You even looked good in those low shoes and frumpy skirts and blouses you wore to the office." Arcineh looked up at him from her place on a stool.

"It was an interesting experience to become invisible. I'd never

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known that before she said without conceit. "You were very kind during that time, and I appreciated that:'

Their eyes held for a few seconds before Arcineh made herself turn back to the tiles.

"It's pretty, isn't it?" Gage said, coming close to inspect a part she had finished.

"Yes. I didn't think of colors this vibrant for the time, but obviously I was wrong:'

"Have you seen the carpet that just came?"

"No:'

"Come on. I'll show you:'

Arcineh followed him, feeling this wasn't quite real. She had had a crush on this man at one time, and even though she'd been ready to hit him on her last day at the office, she was still very drawn.

"This is the carpet?" Arcineh asked, looking to where Gage had turned back the roll.

"That's it:'

Arcineh looked down at an amazing pattern of colors. Blues, reds, yellows--every color she could imagine--drawn into an intricate pattern Arcineh would have pegged as modern.

"It's so pretty:'

"Evidently my great-grandmother liked lots of color:' "And your great-grandfather let her have it:'

"She was the love of his life Gage said. Arcineh didn't know why, but it made her look at him. He was looking right back. Arcineh wondered how long they would have stayed like that had Bud not wandered onto the scene.

He snagged Gage's attention, who, after telling Arcineh goodbye, went on his way. Arcineh went back to work and would not admit to herself that the kitchen seemed lonely.

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"So talk some sense into me," Arcineh demanded when she'd told Jalaina and Will the whole story. "I should hate this man, right?" The husband and wife exchanged a smiling look.

"What does that mean?" Arcineh asked, feeling uncertain. "He's sounds perfect for you," Will answered.

"How can you say that?"

"Do you remember how it was with Kevin?" Jalaina asked. "His not knowing about who you were held you back. Gage Sefton knows exactly who you are. He's seen you in every way, and he's still coming around:'

"I'm probably reading something into it. He's probably not interested at all."

Both Jalaina and Will laughed hysterically over this.

"Oh, no," Jalaina struggled to get up, her very pregnant abdomen

making it a challenge. "Every time I laugh, I have to excuse myself" Jalaina waddled from the room, and Arcineh looked at Will. "I didn't think you two would feel this way."

Will smiled and said, "Let me get this straight. You recently sat in a restaurant, raked this man over the coals, and he thanked you:' "Yes:' Arcineh's voice was quiet.

"And is this not the same man who was very nice to you when you wore those horrible shoes to the office?"

"Yes:'

"That's not normal," Will told her. "No one likes to be told how badly he's failed, and men don't have a tendency to look below the surface. This man has to be a little bit special, Arcie."

Arcineh had not looked at it this way. In a few short sentences, Will had given her a lot to think about.

"Gage, have you heard anything I said?" his sister asked.

"I think so:" He looked at her, trying desperately to catch up.

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"If I didn't know better:' she muttered, "I'd swear you were in love. You've been in a fog all night:'

This said, Erika walked from the living room. Luke, on the other hand, noticed Gage's thoughtful face.

"What's her name?"

"Arcie:"

"That's different:'

"She's different."

"Special or peculiar?"

"Special:"

"How does she feel about you?"

"I wish I knew:'

"Who is she?"

"Sam's granddaughter:'

"The one who just had a baby?"

"No. Arcie hasn't been around for a few years. I get the impression they're going to need to get to know each other, all over again:'

Both men heard Erika coming back from the kitchen. Luke had more questions but kept them to himself. Gage didn't bring it up again.

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Chapter Seventeen

Help me to trust You,
Sam prayed early one morning.
I want Arcineh to know You. I want her to accept Your salvation, but I must trust Your timing on this. I know You can change her heart, but she's not been able to trust all the people in her life, and I fear that will spread to You.

Help me to believe Your Word and Your promises. Help me to be the example she needs, but mostly be the grandfather she needs. She might not want to see the family, but she seems to be all right with me. Please, Lord, please save both of us. Save me today, Father, and save Arcie for eternity. I ask You, Father, in Your Son's name and with all my heart. Amen.

Sam eventually climbed from bed, but his heart continued to pray, not just for Arcineh, but that he would learn a deeper trust and gain a deeper faith through all of this.

"Quinn has invited us over:' Sam told Arcineh when he saw her

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at the old house a few days later. "A week from this Saturday. Jeremy and Tiffany will also be in town:'

Sam had brought lunch again, so the two had been visiting, but the tiler had not expected this. She was not thrilled. Her look spoke volumes but she didn't say no.

"Are you going to tell me what you're thinking?" Sam asked. "I'm trying to think what Quinn might be thinking:"

"She wants to see you but knows it's more complicated than that. She'll understand if it will hurt you too much:"

Those words coming from Quinn, ones that said she was putting others ahead of herself, made Arcineh curious. Arcineh wished she could see her cousin without having to talk to her--watch her in action from a distance with no opportunity to be hurt by her--but knew this was impossible.

She also knew the invitation would only come up again. Arcineh took a moment to say that she would go, but she agreed only to get it over with.

"So how is it going?" Gage asked Mallory in a private meeting. "It's fine," she said--this is what she always said--and Gage stared at her.

Mallory began to look uncomfortable, thinking this was worse than trying to figure out Patrice.

"You can speak freely:' Gage said after a moment. "Patrice is trying to change. Don't worry about being made miserable:'

"Miserable on this job has become normal:' Mallory finally admitted,

barely believing those words had come from her mouth. Gage shook his head a little. He'd been foolishly unaware. But he

was trying to change as well.

"What was your impression of the meeting with Siena, Mallory? Were you in there at all?"

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"I wasn't in the room, but it's been my job to type the notes, and I've seen inconsistencies. I didn't think that was what I was reading, but when all of this came up, I went back and looked:' She looked frightened for a moment but still admitted, "I even took a copy of the notes home with me so I could study them. It's subtle, but it's there:'