Family By Design. Callie Endicott

from your wife’s style as I can imagine. She had verve and originality. Now it’s opulent and generic. Sorry, but those are the only words that come to mind.”

      Simon’s mouth flattened into a straight line, but he finally shrugged. “You’re right. I approved redecorating because the designer felt it was needed to keep up with the changing world of fashion. Except now I suppose it’s generic decoration to fit a generic product.”

      “Some people may like that product. You mentioned sales have dropped, but surely they haven’t entirely vanished.”

      “We’re still in the black. It’s just that my gut tells me things aren’t going the way my wife would have wanted.”

      Simon seemed to have a good business acumen, but this wasn’t about making money; it was about saving something special for his daughter.

      “Hello, Mr. Kessler.” A woman had come out of the back room. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

      “I’m showing an acquaintance around who’s interested in fashion houses. I thought everyone would be gone since the shop closes early on Fridays.”

      “There were a few things I wanted to clear up.”

      Simon turned to Rachel. “Rachel, this is Miriam Timmons. She’s the manager of Liv’ing Creations. Miriam, Rachel Clarion.”

      “Hello. Simon, I’d be happy to give Ms. Clarion a tour. You don’t need to stay.”

      “That isn’t necessary. Have a good evening. And weekend, of course.”

      Miriam seemed reluctant to leave. “Thank you. It was nice meeting you, Ms. Clarion. Is there any chance you used to be a model?”

      It wasn’t unusual for Rachel to be recognized by people, whether or not they were connected to the fashion industry, though she preferred anonymity.

      “A long time ago. Now I’m a partner in the Moonlight Ventures talent agency.”

      “Really.”

      The look on Miriam Timmons’s face wasn’t especially friendly. Was she interested in Simon on a personal basis, or did she suspect the purpose behind the tour was his concern over how the shop was operating? Whatever the reason, she clearly wasn’t thrilled when Simon firmly sent her out the door and locked it behind her.

      Rachel gazed at a memorial photo on the wall with a tribute from the staff written beneath. While not traditionally beautiful, Olivia had been an auburn-haired, blue-eyed stunner, whose picture seemed to exude the same suppressed energy as her husband. They must have been exhausting to know as a couple.

      “She looks so dynamic,” Rachel said to Simon, who was also gazing at the large portrait. “I get the impression of tight springs, as if she was bursting to keep moving and even sitting still for a picture was hard for her.”

      He chuckled, though there was sadness in his face. “Liv had to do everything as fast as possible. Before we met, I thought I was the only one who was that driven. It was a struggle to make time for marriage and family, but we managed.”

      A wistful envy went through Rachel. Mutually demanding careers had also been tough on her and Hayden. In a way she kept wanting to blame the accident for her divorce, but she knew it had just precipitated the inevitable end. Their problems had begun practically from the day of their wedding.

      It wasn’t that she still loved him. The idea of love and partnership was appealing, despite her choice to stay single and focus on friendship. She was a modern woman, yet deep down she longed for the fairy-tale love she’d grown up hearing her grandmother talk about.

      “Is something wrong?” Simon asked.

      “No, of course not.”

      He hiked an eyebrow and she shrugged.

      “I was thinking about the problem with fairy tales. ‘And they lived happily ever after’ is really just the beginning of the story. Falling in love is easy, but staying in love and making things work is hard. You and your wife succeeded where a lot of people fail.” Rachel squared her shoulders. “Enough of that. How about showing me where the designer does her thing?”

      “Sure.”

      As they moved past the public area, Rachel studied what she could see of the operation. Sketches, fabric swatches, half-made garments. This was the heart of the process, where the creative production began.

      When she tried to open a large wardrobe, she discovered it was locked.

      “Are there valuables in here?” she asked.

      “That’s where Liv used to store her designs ready for production. I believe it’s still used for the same purpose.”

      He took a key ring from his pocket. “Liv gave me this as a way of showing she trusted me. We got married rather quickly and it was kind of a wedding present.”

      Rachel grinned. “Does your designer know you have it?”

      “Probably not. I’ve got the impression she’s slightly paranoid about her designs being copied, but I wouldn’t give it to her, regardless.”

      Of course not. The key symbolized a relationship and it was endearing that Simon carried it with him more than two years after his wife’s death. Hopefully it remained a working key.

      He fitted it into the lock and it turned. “Let’s see what secrets are hidden here,” he whispered conspiratorially. “Maybe it’s a dragon’s lair.”

      Rachel hadn’t expected the hint of whimsy. Perhaps, deep down, there was a little boy inside the stern man she’d seen so far. The doors opened to show a rack of clothes. She began pulling a garment out, then stopped. “Should we make sure they go back in the same order?”

      “Frankly, I don’t care. Under Janine’s contract, her designs belong to the company.”

      One by one Rachel took the garments from the cabinet. The fabric was conventional and not unattractive, but far from distinctive. If possible, the clothes were even more blah than the last time she’d taken a look at a Liv’ing Creations collection. She didn’t actually think another designer could capture Olivia Kessler’s style, but surely someone could be found who’d use more color and innovation.

      “What do you think?” Simon asked.

      “It’s more of the same,” she admitted, deciding to be frank. If he didn’t like what she had to say, he didn’t have to hire her as a consultant. “A clothing designer may do something startling to be unique, which can work great for some people. But Liv’ing Creations made stylish and unusual clothing that everyone could enjoy. That probably doesn’t make sense to you.”

      “I think I get what you’re saying. What is your take on this collection?”

      “Some of the designs are decent, even classic, but they’re largely in the clone category. They should appeal to women who shop at department stores, wanting to look like other properly dressed midlevel business women, which often means not standing out or grabbing attention.”