03_The Unexpected Gift (7 page)

“Well, I’ll do my best to help,” she promised.

“That’s all we ask.” He dug into the pocket of his jeans and withdrew a folded piece of paper. “I’ve jotted down the board meeting dates through May. Mary will send you more detailed information and the agendas. But I wanted you to have these so you can incorporate them into your schedule. As you know, we meet at the headquarters, in Portland.”

Scanning the list Grant handed her, Morgan noted that all of the meetings were on Saturday—which was almost always a workday for her. And Portland was a long way from Boston. At least it was only for five months, she consoled herself.

As if reading her mind, Grant spoke. “We’ll appreciate whatever help you can give us. I know this is very inconvenient for you.”

“True. But I’ll manage. This is far easier to deal with than Aunt Jo’s other stipulation. At the rate I’m going, I’ll be lucky to log a week at the cottage, let alone four, before the six months is up.”

Grant took a last swallow of coffee, put the cup on the desk, then stood. “Well, I’m sure Jo put the conditions in her will for a reason. She was a very smart woman.”

As Morgan said her goodbyes, she reflected on his last words. Jo
had
been a smart woman. But she hadn’t exactly made it easy for any of her nieces to claim their bequests. Morgan in particular. Yet Grant seemed convinced that she’d had her reasons. And maybe she had.

But Morgan didn’t have a clue what they were.

“O
h, Grant, come in! You have to see what just arrived!”

Grant stepped into the foyer of Kit’s house and smiled at his sister. “Whatever it is, it must be good. Your face is lit up like a Christmas tree.”

She took his hand, led him into the dining room and pointed to the table, where a huge arrangement of tropical flowers occupied the place of honor in the center.

Grant stared at the overflowing basket. “Wow!”

“My sentiments exactly. Come and look.” She pulled him into the room and began pointing out the exotic blossoms. “Protea, birds of paradise, orchids, ginger, more orchids…I feel like I’ve been transported to the tropics!”

Bill was always good about sending Kit flowers on their anniversary, but that was two months off. And her birthday wasn’t until June. Besides, he never ordered anything as extravagant as this. Grant turned to her with a puzzled look. “So who sent them?”

“Morgan! It’s a thank-you for Christmas.”

He turned back to the flowers. He couldn’t even imagine what the extravagant arrangement had cost. More than he made on a good day, no doubt.

“Can you believe she remembered one random comment I made at dinner, about how nice it would be to spend a few days somewhere warm and tropical this time of year? Listen to the note.” Kit picked up a small card from the table. “‘Sorry this is a bit belated, but things have been hectic here. Thank you so much for your gracious hospitality on Christmas. I can’t transport you to Hawaii, but maybe this will bring a little bit of the tropics to you.’ Wasn’t that thoughtful?”

“It was a very nice gesture,” he conceded.

Setting the note down, Kit placed her hands on her hips. “That, dear brother, is an understatement. A simple thank-you note would have been more than sufficient.”

“Maybe this was easier. All she had to do was pick up the phone and place an order. It didn’t take much time away from her work.”

She tilted her head and studied him. “That wasn’t a very gracious comment, considering she made the trip all the way up here for—” she blinked back sudden tears “—for the funeral.”

Grant felt his neck grow red. He hated being called on the carpet by his older sister. Especially when she was right. “That’s true. It wasn’t,” he admitted.

“So what gives with you and Morgan? She seems like a nice enough woman. Why don’t you like her?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like her. We’re just very different.”

“So? You’re only business partners, after all. And she strikes me as very efficient. I would think you’d be glad to have a partner like that.”

Again, she was right. The fact that he and Morgan clashed philosophically and personally was irrelevant. Their partnership was short-term at best. He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “You sure don’t cut a guy any slack.”

Her eyes softened, and she slipped her arm around his waist. “Sorry. I know you’re not yourself right now. I just think you’re being too hard on her.” Then she threw him her zinger. “Probably because you think she’s a lot like Mom.”

He shot her a startled look. “Have you been talking to Dad?”

“No. Why?”

“I just wondered. And she does remind me of Mom.”

“I don’t think they’re anything alike,” Kit declared.

His eyes grew suspicious. “Are you sure you haven’t talked to Dad?”

“Did he say the same thing?”

“More or less.”

“Well, I think he’s right.”

“How can you say that? She’s driven, work-focused and has no life except her job. Nor does she seem to want one.”

“How do you know?”

“I’ve talked with her enough to get the picture. And I know you. You’re a talented graphic designer and you love your work, too. But you’ve got balance in your life. She doesn’t.”

“I’m also married. With children. It might be different if I was single.”

“I doubt it. Besides, I suspect Morgan has put marriage on the back burner so she can concentrate on getting ahead in her career.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, as Uncle Pete put it in his usual succinct style, she’s a looker. She’s also smart. And considerate,” he added, indicating the flowers. “There must be plenty of guys who’ve pursued her.”

“Did it ever occur to you that maybe she’s just never met the right man?”

He gave her a skeptical look. “I don’t think she’s in the market.”

“Or maybe she’s divorced,” Kit speculated, her tone thoughtful.

Grant frowned. That possibility had never occurred to him. And for reasons he couldn’t even begin to understand, it bothered him. So he changed the subject. “Look, am I going to get that lunch you promised or not?”

Kit grinned and gave him a playful jab in the shoulder. “Changing the subject does not get you off the hook, dear brother. We’ll resume this conversation another day. But in the meantime, lunch is ready.”

As Grant followed her toward the kitchen, his frown deepened. Not because Kit had made it clear that she wasn’t finished with this subject. But because the subject itself bothered him.

Which didn’t make any sense. He and Morgan were merely business partners and her personal life should be no concern of his.

“Hey, Morgan, did you hear the news?”

Annoyed at the distraction, Morgan glanced up from the layouts she was reviewing. David Butler, another account executive, had entered her office and closed the door behind him. And he looked worried. “No. What news?”

“The acquisition is a done deal.”

Morgan felt her stomach lurch. There’d been rumors for the past few weeks that her firm was going to be acquired by a larger agency, but management had assured them that there was no immediate need for concern. So much for the firm’s professed value of open, honest communication with employees. “Are you sure?”

“It just came through on e-mail. There’s a meeting in an hour. What a present to come back to after the holidays,” he said in disgust, shoving his hands in his pockets. “So what do you think is going to happen?”

“I don’t have a clue.” She wasn’t that worried, though. She’d put in her time. Clark knew she was a hard worker and was committed to her job. She was less sure how David would fare. Though he was talented, he’d never put in the long hours she did or been as single-minded in his pursuit of success. He’d made time for other things in his life—which might come back to haunt him now. But she didn’t point any of that out. He was worried enough as it was. “We both have high-profile accounts. If anyone is going to be safe, it should be us,” she reassured him.

David didn’t look convinced. “Yeah. In a perfect world that would be true. But you know what they say about the rat race. You have to be a rat to participate. And I have a feeling the rats are about to come crawling out of the woodwork.”

“Let’s not panic,” Morgan said, though her own stomach was still fluttering with tension. “Maybe we’ll find out more at the meeting.”

But she didn’t feel any better after the brief gathering an hour later. It was clear her own boss had no idea what was coming next. Management had simply asked people to be patient as transition details were worked out, and had assured them that there would be no immediate changes.

So Morgan didn’t suspect a thing when she was called into Clark’s office on Friday—until she saw a human resources representative sitting at his conference table. She came to an abrupt halt on the threshold as a sudden feeling of dread washed over her.

Clark ushered her in, then shut the door behind her. “Have a seat, Morgan. Can I get you something to drink?” There were lines of tension in his face, and his voice sounded tight.

“No, thanks.”

“You know Luke Preston, don’t you?”

“We’ve met,” Morgan said, forcing her legs to carry her forward. She shook the man’s hand, then sat across from him.

Clark sat at the head of the table and opened a folder that lay in front of him. “First of all, Morgan, I want you to know that your contributions to this firm have been much appreciated over the past eight years. You’re dedicated and hard-working and have great potential. If things had remained the same, I think it would be safe to say that you were destined to rise very high in the ranks here.

“But, as we all know, things change. And our acquisition is going to have a tremendous impact on this firm. Much more so than we first thought. Our new owner has lost some major accounts in the past few months, and the management there has decided to assign some of its key people to our primary accounts. Many of which you handle.”

He took a deep breath. “Aside from asking you to take a step back—which I would never do because I don’t think it would be in your long-term best interest—we have no choice but to let you go, Morgan. However, we’ve worked out a nice severance package for you, which Luke will explain.”

As the human resources representative began to go over the severance pay, extension of benefits, outplacement help and myriad other things, Morgan felt as if she’d been dropped into the twilight zone. The whole experience was surreal. This wasn’t how things were supposed to work. If you gave up your life, if you devoted yourself to your job, if you made sacrifices and put your own needs last, you were supposed to be rewarded. Not fired. This couldn’t be happening. They couldn’t do this to her! She’d been told she was a rising star. That great things were in store for her if she kept up her pace and her focus.

But it had all been a lie.

“That’s pretty much it, Morgan.” Luke closed the folder and slid it across the table toward her. “Do you have any questions?”

She forced her attention back to the man across from her. He was acting as if nothing was wrong, as if her life hadn’t just been turned upside down, as if this was business as usual. And maybe it was, for him, she realized with a jolt.

When she didn’t respond, Luke shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Clark.

“We know this is a shock, Morgan,” her boss acknowledged. “And it wasn’t my choice. But you’ll do well wherever you go. And I’ll be happy to give you a glowing recommendation.”

Dazed she turned to look at him. “When is this effective?”

“Immediately. The new management wants a clean and quick change. You can stay today to pack your personal things, or you can come back over the weekend, whichever is easier for you.”

“
This
is my last day?” she said, stunned. “But…I’m in the middle of several major campaigns. What about my clients?”

“They’ll be reassigned.” Clark looked back at Luke, then both men stood, signaling the end of the meeting.

“If you have any questions as you look over that material, just give us a call next week.”

Morgan slowly stood and took their hands as they wished her well. Clark led the way toward the door, and as he opened it to let her out she saw David waiting on the other side. The instant she came into view his face went several shades paler, and she saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed.

Morgan felt sorry for David. Unlike him, she didn’t have a big mortgage, a stay-at-home spouse or two kids in expensive private schools. No wonder he looked panicked. Yet in another way, she felt more sorry for herself. Even though he was facing a crisis, David had something she didn’t have. By balancing the demands of his career with his personal life, he’d managed to find time to maintain his relationship with God and create a strong home life. As a result, he now had his faith and his family to sustain him.

As Morgan made her way back to her office, numb with shock, she realized that she didn’t have anything to fall back on. Her sisters were far away, and God…well, He seemed farther away still. She was on her own. And she had no idea where to go from here. She’d mapped out her future, played by the rules, done everything she was supposed to do to get ahead. She’d felt in control of her destiny.

But the rules had changed with no warning, leaving her with an obsolete game plan and robbing her of the future she’d planned with such care.

And for the first time in her life, she was afraid.

“Okay, I think we’re ready to begin.”

As Grant spoke, the eight people milling about the small meeting room made their way to the simple wooden conference table. Morgan hovered in the background, and Grant looked over at her with a smile. “Anywhere is fine, Morgan. We don’t have assigned seats.”

As she took a place at the far end of the table, Grant watched her. She’d arrived for her first Good Shepherd Camp board meeting at the last minute, and he hadn’t had a chance to talk with her one on one. But he’d been startled by the change in her appearance. In the two weeks since he’d visited her office, she’d lost weight. Her fair complexion was far paler than he remembered, and the spark of energy that had radiated from her eyes had all but disappeared. He continued to observe her as she withdrew some papers from her briefcase, noting that her hands weren’t quite steady. Something was very wrong, he realized.

But he didn’t have time right now to dwell on Morgan’s problems. He could barely manage his own grief. And there were pressing Good Shepherd issues to deal with.

“Good morning, everyone. Thanks for coming out on this cold, snowy day. Let me begin by introducing you to Morgan Williams, Jo Warren’s great-niece. She’s going to be serving as an advisory member of the board for the next few months as we plan our fund-raising campaign. Her extensive experience in the advertising and marketing business will be invaluable, and I know I speak for all of us when I say we’re grateful for her assistance.”

Grant moved on to a review of the financials for the camp, which were pretty dismal. As the board discussed the numbers in excruciating detail, Morgan zoned out. It had taken every ounce of her willpower to get up, get dressed and show up for this meeting, when all she wanted to do was crawl back in bed, pull the covers over her head and escape to the oblivion of sleep. She’d been feeling more and more like that with each passing day. Which she knew wasn’t healthy.

On the other hand, she supposed she was reacting in a pretty typical fashion to the trauma that had derailed her life. She’d gone through the stereotypical emotions in rapid succession after her layoff—shock, disbelief, anger. But after a few days she’d swung into action, blanketing the Boston ad community with résumés, assuming that she’d have an offer in no time.