CHAPTER ELEVEN
KATE
It was the next morning and I was lying in bed thinking about the events of the day before when I got a frantic call from Casey about the materials for Alexis’s new line.
“There’s a problem with the factory that’s making the materials, and they say it will be an extra week to get all the banners changed to the new colors.”
Jumping out of bed, cellphone in hand, I grabbed a robe and started pacing. “There’s no way to get them to speed it up?”
“No. Something about union workers going on strike. The only people who are working are the managers who aren’t striking, and they’re backed up over a week.”
“Tell them I’ll pay them double if they can get it done in three days.”
“I tried that. They said there’s no way.”
“Shit.” Alexis was going to kill me if I didn’t get her new designs done in time for fashion week. “Did you call around to see if there is another place that can do it?”
“For the amount of product we need and how fast we need it? You’re kidding right? I got laughed at a couple times. The rest were kinder, but I think they were more shocked than anything that I had the gall to even ask.”
“Shit. A week puts it right at the start of the expo,” I groaned. “I guess I’ll be calling Alexis.”
“Good luck,” she whispered into the phone.
“Thanks, I’m gonna need it.”
I needed caffeine before I dealt with Alexis; it was not going to be a pleasant conversation. When I got to the kitchen, Adam was standing in front of the stove with a skillet in one hand and a spatula in the other flipping pancakes.
“Those smell good,” I said startling him. He turned and smiled.
“Have a seat. They’re almost ready.”
“Thanks, but I have a crisis on my hands.” I walked to the fridge and pulled a diet soda out. It was my only vice. Coffee was bitter and gross even with cream and sugar in it.
Adam walked up behind me and wrapped his big hands around my hips. “Do you need a little stress relief?” he asked kissing the column of my throat.
“That sounds great, but you’re gonna burn the pancakes.” I turned in his arms and kissed him softly.
“Shit you’re right.” He pecked me on the lips and went back to his pancakes.
“What do you have planned for today?” I asked, popping the top off the soda and taking an energizing sip.
“Hang out around here. I still need to find those letters, and I need to look for some things to do with the kids.”
“I heard Big Bear is getting some snow. We could take the kids up there for the first weekend in December.” Getting the kids out of the routine of the house and school sounded like a good idea, in my head at least. “What do you think?”
“Yeah, that sounds great. I’ll check it out when I’m looking stuff up later,” he said flipping a pancake high in the air.
Two hours later, I clomped in the office filled with dread. The phone call to Alexis was plaguing me, so I called the factory owner first hoping I could negotiate a better timeframe. Hanging up the phone, having to pay his employee time and a half, was a necessary evil in order to keep the owner of a multi-million-dollar company happy.
“Good morning, Alexis,” I said after she picked up the phone.
“Ms. Nichols. I hope we don’t have a problem.”
Strengthening my resolve I continued, “Well there has been a tiny issue with the banners. They won’t be done for three days.”
Silence.
This is not going to bode well.
“And, how long does it take to ship to Milan?”
“Five days.”
“This is unacceptable.” She pounced. “You must bring the materials here. I will see you here in four days.”
“But…” I started to argue before I realized the line had gone dead. “Shit. I can’t fly off to Milan.”
“Milan?” Casey said as she walked into my office.
Tapping the pen against my desk, I groaned. “She wants me to take everything for the displays to her personally in Milan.”
“You love Milan,” she said, clearly not getting the problem.
Looking up at my assistant, I tried to explain. “I can’t just leave Adam with the kids and jet off to Milan, Case. The kids already think we’ll leave them in foster care. It’s a really bad time at the house right now. Adam has been doing most everything, while I’ve been stuck with the Italian biatch.”
“Oh.” Realization finally dawning. I didn’t blame her. She was twenty-three, looking at life through rose-colored glasses I wish I still owned. “What are you gonna do?”
“She didn’t give me much choice. I have to go,” I said getting out of my chair and grabbing my purse.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to go shopping. If I don’t do it now, I’ll run out of time before the first when we start our twenty-five days of Christmas thing,” I said absently, thinking of things I could pick up and mentally preparing the list of where to go, on Black Friday of all days.
“Your what?”
“Adam came up with a great idea. We decided to do twenty-five days of presents leading up to Christmas Day, and then on Christmas we’re going to take them on a scavenger hunt to find a special present from their parents. We’re hoping the whole thing will lift their spirits and maybe can move us all forward out of this persistent gloom.”
“That’s an awesome idea! If you need any help getting presents, I’m the best shopper.”
“Thanks. Actually, that would be great. I have no idea what to get these kids.” Casey ran out of my office to get her bag, while I shut down my computer and sent a quick text to Adam to let him know what I’d planned. I’d leave the Milan thing until he and I had a chance to speak later that night.
“Well you probably want to do small things like lip gloss and costume jewelry for the girls and army men and rubber spiders for the boys,” Casey chatted away as we made our way to my car.
“No rubber spiders.” I shuddered remembering the last incident with the spider.
The afternoon was successful, and I'd felt good about the progress I’d made. We found all kinds of things for the kids, and I kept my mind off the fact that in four days I would be flying around the world and leaving the kids with Adam. I only planned to stay over there for a day. Two days max, but I really didn’t have a choice. If I lost Alexis as a client, the senior partners, who were typically lax with me, would still skewer me. Losing a job was not an option, considering there were four kids depending on me now.
I had gotten ten small things for each of the kids, and I planned to stay up that night wrapping them after the kids went to bed. I realized as I drove home that I was freaking out over nothing. Adam could handle the kids for a day or two alone. He was the one who’d taken on the majority of the childcare, while I was working to help us financially. Besides, he was a better cook than I was and seemed to have a gift for handling parental crisis. This wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as I thought.
“Hey, where’re the kids?” I asked Adam as I walked into the kitchen.
“They’re in their rooms.” He turned from the stove. Whatever he was cooking smelled amazing. “How was your day?”
“I got some bad news,” I said and he stopped stirring whatever it was that he was making and walked over to wrap me in his arms.
“What’s wrong?”
“That very difficult client, the one that’s been calling me non-stop. Well, she told me today that I have to deliver all her display materials personally to her.”
“That’s not a problem, right? I mean, how far is she?”
“Milan. I leave in three days.”
He looked at me warily for a beat. “How long will it take?”
“Two days at the most. I’d love nothing more than to go, drop the stuff off and get on the next plane back, but you know that won’t happen. She’ll demand I come to her office there. Sit down while she complains about how I do my job. How things aren’t going as well, blah, blah…”
He leaned his head down to touch my forehead with his. “Kate, I can hold down the fort for a couple days. Just make sure dragon lady has you back for the big weekend trip.” He smiled at me reassuringly and I could see the excitement in his eyes as he continued, “I booked a cabin up in Lake Arrowhead and I figure we can go up next Friday after the kids get out of school.”
“That’s great, I’m sure they will love it.” I pecked him on the lips. “Wait until you see what I picked up today amongst the hordes of people at the mall. You wanna help me wrap some presents after the kids go to bed tonight?”
“I can think of something I’d rather unwrap,” he whispered seductively. He pulled me closer and I could feel his hardness up against my stomach as he kissed me forcefully. I always loved kissing Adam. I loved him. The realization that I had never stopped loving him all these years hit me like a ton of bricks and I threaded my fingers through his hair as he deepened the kiss.
“Ewww.” I heard two little voices say in unison and we broke apart chuckling.
“That can be arranged too,” I murmured back and his eyes flashed with desire.
“Auntie Kate, why were you kissing Uncle Adam?” Jace asked in horror.
“It’s something adults do sometimes when they really like each other,” I replied and saw Adam smile. “You’re mommy and daddy kissed, right?”
“Yeah, but not like that,” he replied making a disgusted face.
“You’ll get it someday kid.” Adam laughed and placed his hand on my hip. Both boys’ eyes followed the movement and I giggled when they said “gross” and ran away.