Comfort And Joy. Fern Michaels

reached the food court, which was virtually empty this early in the morning. Neither said a word on the short journey.

      “How do you take your coffee?” Josh asked.

      “Black. It’s not coffee if you doctor it up with cream and sugar.”

      “I feel the same way. Take a seat, I’ll get the coffee.” A black-coffee drinker like himself. Who knew?

      The moment Josh sat down, Angie leaned forward and said, “We’re going to cancel the lease. We can renegotiate it again after the first of the year if the store is still open. Until then, Eagle’s gets 80 percent of the take, we get 20 percent. Look, let me finish what I have to say before I lose my nerve. My mother told me what you told your father. You’re leaving the first of the year. I guess I more or less understand that. Speaking strictly for myself, I’ve never been a quitter, but that’s me and, like you said, you have a lot on your plate.

      “Your father…well, he’s been wrong. Older people have a hard time…What they do is give generously and then they realize they lost their control. It’s hard for them to accept the aging…Help me out here, Mr. Eagle.”

      “First things first, let’s stop with the Mr. and Ms. I’m Josh, and you’re Angie. Okay?”

      Angie smiled. Josh suddenly felt his world rock. “I…I know what you’re saying. For the last ten years I’ve battled my father. He’s stubborn as a mule. I had so many plans for the store, but he shot me down each and every time I presented something. I finally got to the end of my rope. There’s nothing more I can do.”

      Angie sipped at the scalding-hot coffee. “Sure there is. Where are all the suggestions that were in the suggestion box? I used to slip one in that box once a week.”

      “You’re the one who…I still have them all in my office. They were good suggestions. I ran each and every one of them by my father, but he vetoed all of them. I’m being kind when I say he’s in a time warp.”

      “I know. I drove him home from the rehab center yesterday. He didn’t say much to me, but he did open up to my mother, who in turn passed it all on to me, and I am now telling you. What a round-robin. Why can’t people just say what’s in their minds and hearts?”

      “Why are you telling me all this?” Josh asked, suspicion ringing in his voice. “I thought you hated my guts.”

      Angie looked genuinely puzzled at his remark. “I don’t hate you personally. I don’t even know you. I hate what you did. I guess I should say I hate what you didn’t do, but I didn’t understand what was going on. I have ideas,” she said quietly.

      “It’s too late, Angie. The store needs mega revenues for the Christmas season or the doors close in January. Dad…”

      “You scared the devil out of your father, according to my mother. He’s onboard now. You have carte blanche to do whatever you want. I have ideas,” she repeated.

      In spite of himself, Josh was intrigued. “It’s the middle of September, Angie.”

      “That’s almost two months until the Christmas season kicks off. If we hunker down, with no interference, I think we might be able to make this a banner season. I’m game if you are.” Angie waited, hardly daring to breathe, waiting for Josh’s answer.

      “I guess I owe my old man one more shot at it. If nothing else but to prove I wasn’t a know-it-all. If, and it’s a big if, we pull it off, I’m still leaving for London after the first of the year. I committed, and I never go back on my word.”

      “That’s your decision, Josh. I, for one, would never try to talk you out of something if your mind is made up. I guess that’s a holdover kind of thing from when I was a kid. I have a ton of stuff to do today. How do you feel about getting some Chinese at the Jade Pagoda this evening after the store closes? We could talk in detail and make a plan. That’s if you’re serious. If you are, check all those suggestions I bombarded you with. There’s a game plan in there.”

      Josh propped his elbows on the table. “Did you just ask me to dinner? A date?”

      Angie laughed. “Well, yeah,” she said. “Now that we’re…uh…friends, I thought…” She flushed a bright pink when she caught Josh smiling at her. “I never asked a guy for a date before. It’s a little embarrassing.”

      Josh threw his head back and laughed, a sound that sent shivers up Angie’s back. “Now you know a guy’s worst fear. Asking a girl for a date is traumatic. I accept. I’ll meet you by the loading dock at six-ten. Does that work for you?”

      “Yes. I want you to think about something today. I’d like to see you close the store for two days. Get rid of all that outdated merchandise on the floor. Close off the second floor until we can decide what we’re going to do, what we’re going to specialize in. Like I said, I have some great ideas.”

      Josh felt his throat close up. “Close the store! In the middle of the week? That had never happened in the lifetime of the store. Are you sure you have a plan?”

      “I do. It will work, too, as long as you don’t fight me. Look, I’m giving up the lease. It’s all yours. That alone should prove I’m on your side. Besides, I hate the thought of going job hunting. Do we have a deal?”

      Josh gulped but nodded. Angie’s hand shot out. He reached for it, marveling at how soft her hand was in his.

      Josh smiled.

      Angie smiled.

      Throw your line into the pond and reel him in, Bess had said. Angie giggled all the way back to the gift wrap department, which she’d just given away.

      The first thing she did when she walked behind the counter was to call her mother. “Josh said okay, but he’s still leaving in January because he committed to Harrods. I’m hoping he might change his mind. We’re in business, Mom. Listen, I’m going to have Bess pick you up and take you home. I have tons of stuff to do. You can work the phones when you get home. You okay with that? Okay, now listen up…” She went on to detail the outline of her plan.

      “Yes, honey. It all makes sense. I just hope you can do it all in two months. The vendors aren’t all that cooperative at this time of year. Is it okay to tell Angus?”

      “Sure. Your job is to make sure he doesn’t waffle on us. Talk it up real good, Mom.”

      “Okay, honey. Congratulations!”

      “Bess, instead of taking me home, take me to Mr. Eagle’s house. It’s just a few miles out of your way since it’s on the corner of Plainfield Road and Park Avenue. Angus has a ramp, so I won’t have a problem with the steps. Angie can pick me up later.”

      Bess raised her eyebrows but only nodded. Something was going on. She wondered when Eva or Angie would confide in her. She didn’t like being kept in the dark. And now this visit to the Eagle home. Something was definitely going on.

      “Just park in the back, Bess. The ramp is by the kitchen door. At least it was years ago, when Angus’s father had to use a wheelchair. No, no, don’t help me. I have to do this myself. I have my cane. Thanks for bringing me here, Bess. You’re a good friend.”

      “Is there anything I can do, Eva?”

      “Not right now, but very shortly there will be plenty for you to do. Have a nice day now. Go, go! I’m fine.”

      At the kitchen door, Eva used her cane to rap on the glass pane. When there was no response, she opened the door and stepped into the kitchen. She took a moment to look around. She’d spent a lot of time in this kitchen, catering to Mrs. Angus Eagle. The truth was, as Angie pointed out more times than she wanted to remember, she spent more time here than she did in her own kitchen. She suspected Angie still held that against her.

      It was all so long ago.

      “Angus, it’s Eva,” she called out. “Are you here?”

      “I’m