“You do? Why?”Donna asked.
“When I was younger, I came to The Cabot for several summers for vacations with my grandparents. I have such fond memories of it. And I want to make sure she’s restored to how grand she used to be.”
“I think she will be,”Barry said.“And the ballroom is turning out even better than I’d hoped. The old chandeliers are rewired and repaired. And Emily found old photos of the room and we’ve matched the room as closely as we could to how it was before.”
“And I do like that there is still the polished reception desk all along the one wall at the side of the lobby. I’m glad you were able to use it. It looks so much the same. It just has computers on it now.”Delbert grinned and turned to Donna.“And your Emily is quite the find for us. She’s doing a great job with setting up the history alcove in the library. It’s almost finished.”
“She’s really enjoyed working on it. I’m grateful you gave her the opportunity. I know she’s quite young.”
“And quite smart and has a world of knowledge about the town.”Delbert waved to someone across the room and turned back to them.“I guess I should go and mingle a bit. I see the mayor of Moonbeam. Must say hi and keep on her good side.”
“Everyone is on our mayor’s good side,”Donna laughed.“I don’t think she has a bad side.”
Delbert walked off, shaking hands with people as he headed over to the mayor.
Donna turned to him.“So, Camille. She’s the one who was so…ah…not nice to Emily?”
“She told you, huh?”
“She told Olivia, who told me. And she was in Parker’s the other day. She was…let’s just say not the friendliest person to Olivia.”
“I’m sorry.”He frowned. He couldn’t imagine someone not being nice to Olivia. Or Emily for that matter. Camille was a difficult person…
“It’s not your fault. It’s just an…interesting pairing, Delbert and Camille.”
A thought he’d had before himself.“Yes…it’s…”He shrugged, not wanting to spend any more time talking about Camille or talking badly about his boss’s choice in girlfriends.“Shall we go mingle some more?”
“Good plan.”She smiled at him.
Donna wassure she’d met two hundred people, or possibly five hundred or abazillion, here at the event. At first, she tried to remember all the names, but soon she realized that was impossible…She’d had a good time but now she was exhausted.
She’d tried appetizers that she had no idea what they were and switched to sparkling water after her one champagne. Her new black shoes were pretty, but her feet hurt after all the standing. She’d love to be home in jeans and bare feet about now. She was weary of the drone of conversations and struggling to remember faces and names. Too bad Evelyn wasn’t here. She would have handled all of this with grace and charm. And probably had everyone’s name straight, too.
It hadn’t been as bad as she thought it would be, and she’d even really enjoyed it for a bit. But…she was over it now. She glanced around for Barry and suddenly he was at her side, whispering in her ear.“You ready to go? I’m kind of over the noise and people.”
“I’m so ready.”She nodded.
As Barry led her back out into the lobby, the din of conversation faded. Her muscles relaxed and tensions swept away every step they took. The cool air rushed over her as they stepped outside, and she took in a deep, cleansing breath.
Barry shrugged off his suit coat, loosened his tie, and unbuttoned the top button on his shirt. Then he grinned as he rolled up his sleeves.“I’m ready to get back to the more casual life in Moonbeam.”
“And the quiet,”she said as she got into his car.
They drove back to Moonbeam chatting about people they’d met and trying to decipher a few of the choices of appetizers. The motion of the car began to lull her to sleep, but she struggled to stay awake to keep Barry company on the drive.
Barry glancedover at Donna and smiled. She was sound asleep in her seat, her face relaxed and peaceful. He knew she’d do fine at the get-together, and she had. But events like that were tiring. He’d done his part, chatting about the opening of the hotel until he just couldn’t bear it another moment. The crowded room, the buzz of conversation. He was glad Donna seemed ready to go when he was.
It was strangely intimate to be driving home in the darkness with Donna sleeping beside him. Okay, in her own seat, but still it was peaceful and calming after the hubbub of the evening.
He finally pulled into her driveway, leaving the car running, unwilling to disturb her. But he couldn’t sit out here all night with the car running. She stirred a bit and he reluctantly shut off the car.
She blinked a few times, stirred again, then looked over at him with sleepy eyes and a sheepish look.“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“No problem. It was a long night.”
She stretched her arms out and cocked her head from one side to the other.“It was, but now more people know about Parker’s expansion and the opening of The Cabot, so we did what we’d planned to do.”
“That they do.”He got out and went around to open the car door for her.
