glaring at Kevin.
Her father’s hand waved in dismissal. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Mason.”
“Dad.”
He leaned over and picked up a carrot stick. “Early this morning. Sevenish.” He scooped dip onto the carrot. “I should thank my lucky stars I never had you for a teacher.”
Kevin laughed as he strode toward the kitchen. “Some of the guys call her ‘Ms. Bullhead Mason.’”
“Not to my face.” Jenna tossed her head.
“I’m sure not.” Her dad smiled. “You get that streak from your mom.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. It was an old joke. Her mom didn’t have one ounce of mulish tendencies.
“Dad, I talked to her.”
“Mmm.” He chewed his carrot.
“I told her you were coming over.”
He nodded.
“She and Tandy and Lexi were going shopping today, then out for dinner.”
He swallowed. “Good. She should have fun on her birthday.” Kevin handed him a bottle. “Thanks, Kevin. Well, cheers.” He held it up. “To your mom.”
Kevin clanked his bottle against her dad’s. “Cheers to Claire.”
“Dad, we’re not taking sides.”
“I wouldn’t want you to, hon. Your mom needs some space, and I need to give it to her. Along with a few diamonds, I guess.”
“Diamonds?”
“She didn’t mention my gift?”
Jenna shook her head. “She said you went over to Tandy’s this morning.”
“I put my gift on the table. It was unopened when I left.”
“What was it?”
“Diamond necklace and earrings.”
Jenna sighed. “I’m sure she loves them. You are a generous gift giver, Dad. Extravagant.”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t always be, you know. Not in the beginning. Couldn’t afford more than one decent suit, let alone jewelry. Guess maybe I’m trying to make up for lost time.” His eyes flicked in her direction. “She did mention something she wants that’s beyond my means, though. Maybe that’s why she’s so bent out of shape.”
“What does she want?”
“She wants me to sell the agency.”
Jenna stared at him.
Kevin burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?” she said.
“It’s so totally inconceivable! I mean, it’s his life. Right, Max?”
He nodded. “I think the French call it raison d’être .”
“Dad, give me a break. The agency is your reason for being?”
“Hon, you know the history. I was sixteen when I got my first temp job. The industry saved my life. Those first jobs and relation-ships got me out of bed in the mornings and in bed most nights instead of out bar hopping. Years later I started helping other guys find jobs—all those losers I’d hung out with in school. It was the biggest high I’d ever flown. Not much has changed since those days.”
Jenna had no response. According to her grandmother, Max could easily have gone off the deep end if he hadn’t stumbled onto this passion. And, Nana always added, met her mom, who’d been his right hand in the early days.
Why did he always forget that part of the story?
Kevin leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “Did Claire give you any warning about what she was thinking?”
“No. It came totally out of the blue.”
“Sounds like unnecessary roughness on the playing field.”
“Dad, she gave you warnings.”
Both men turned to her, puzzled expressions on their faces.
“Whenever you show up late to something, she gets real quiet. Like at our wedding rehearsal. She totally checked out after you got there. Kevin’s mom thought she was sick. It happened at Nana and Papa’s anniversary dinner too. She usually buys a new outfit soon after. You know. Mall therapy.”
The guys exchanged a shrug.
“That’s a warning?” Kevin asked.
“It’s subtle, yeah, but this kind of stuff builds up. You know?”
Her dad shook his head. “Not exactly. Our schedules often conflict. She’s a busy woman. She understands. We’ve been like this since before you were born.”
“Okay. What about yesterday? She told you to stay home or else she’d be gone. That was pretty
Her father’s hand waved in dismissal. “Don’t worry, Mrs. Mason.”
“Dad.”
He leaned over and picked up a carrot stick. “Early this morning. Sevenish.” He scooped dip onto the carrot. “I should thank my lucky stars I never had you for a teacher.”
Kevin laughed as he strode toward the kitchen. “Some of the guys call her ‘Ms. Bullhead Mason.’”
“Not to my face.” Jenna tossed her head.
“I’m sure not.” Her dad smiled. “You get that streak from your mom.”
Jenna rolled her eyes. It was an old joke. Her mom didn’t have one ounce of mulish tendencies.
“Dad, I talked to her.”
“Mmm.” He chewed his carrot.
“I told her you were coming over.”
He nodded.
“She and Tandy and Lexi were going shopping today, then out for dinner.”
He swallowed. “Good. She should have fun on her birthday.” Kevin handed him a bottle. “Thanks, Kevin. Well, cheers.” He held it up. “To your mom.”
Kevin clanked his bottle against her dad’s. “Cheers to Claire.”
“Dad, we’re not taking sides.”
“I wouldn’t want you to, hon. Your mom needs some space, and I need to give it to her. Along with a few diamonds, I guess.”
“Diamonds?”
“She didn’t mention my gift?”
Jenna shook her head. “She said you went over to Tandy’s this morning.”
“I put my gift on the table. It was unopened when I left.”
“What was it?”
“Diamond necklace and earrings.”
Jenna sighed. “I’m sure she loves them. You are a generous gift giver, Dad. Extravagant.”
He shrugged. “I couldn’t always be, you know. Not in the beginning. Couldn’t afford more than one decent suit, let alone jewelry. Guess maybe I’m trying to make up for lost time.” His eyes flicked in her direction. “She did mention something she wants that’s beyond my means, though. Maybe that’s why she’s so bent out of shape.”
“What does she want?”
“She wants me to sell the agency.”
Jenna stared at him.
Kevin burst into laughter.
“What’s so funny?” she said.
“It’s so totally inconceivable! I mean, it’s his life. Right, Max?”
He nodded. “I think the French call it raison d’être .”
“Dad, give me a break. The agency is your reason for being?”
“Hon, you know the history. I was sixteen when I got my first temp job. The industry saved my life. Those first jobs and relation-ships got me out of bed in the mornings and in bed most nights instead of out bar hopping. Years later I started helping other guys find jobs—all those losers I’d hung out with in school. It was the biggest high I’d ever flown. Not much has changed since those days.”
Jenna had no response. According to her grandmother, Max could easily have gone off the deep end if he hadn’t stumbled onto this passion. And, Nana always added, met her mom, who’d been his right hand in the early days.
Why did he always forget that part of the story?
Kevin leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees. “Did Claire give you any warning about what she was thinking?”
“No. It came totally out of the blue.”
“Sounds like unnecessary roughness on the playing field.”
“Dad, she gave you warnings.”
Both men turned to her, puzzled expressions on their faces.
“Whenever you show up late to something, she gets real quiet. Like at our wedding rehearsal. She totally checked out after you got there. Kevin’s mom thought she was sick. It happened at Nana and Papa’s anniversary dinner too. She usually buys a new outfit soon after. You know. Mall therapy.”
The guys exchanged a shrug.
“That’s a warning?” Kevin asked.
“It’s subtle, yeah, but this kind of stuff builds up. You know?”
Her dad shook his head. “Not exactly. Our schedules often conflict. She’s a busy woman. She understands. We’ve been like this since before you were born.”
“Okay. What about yesterday? She told you to stay home or else she’d be gone. That was pretty
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