said, pleased.
Rae shuffled the cards with the ease of someone who had handled a deck of cards for years. “Want to cut?” she offered Dave.
He offered the cards to Emily, sitting beside him.
The little girl grinned.
Rae dealt the cards, a flip of her wrist landing the cards directly in front of each person at the table. “Your bid,” she told James.
“Two clubs.”
Dave and Lace ended up going head to head again, both holding the last of the trump cards.
Dave laid down the three of hearts. “Sorry, honey. You’ve been got.”
Lace laid down her last card with a smile. “You need to count better, friend.” The five of hearts.
Rae burst out laughing at Dave’s expression.
“Next year we’re going to play Monopoly,” Dave told Lace, as Rae collected the cards.
“I would love to be your landlord,” Lace replied, grinning.
“Rae, mind some company?” James asked quietly, stopping at the bottom steps to the pavilion. The bridge game had concluded a little over an hour ago. He had left Dave and Lace haggling in the kitchen over the best way to reheat spaghetti left over from dinner, and come out to walk along the lake before turning in for the night. He had thought Rae had already gone to bed, instead he found her sitting alone in the pavilion, looking at the water.
Tomorrow they would be packing up and heading home.
“Come on up,” she replied, her voice quiet.
He touched her shoulder as he reached the bench.
She was cold.
He slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
“Thanks.” She buried her hands into the warmth, one last shiver shaking her frame.
“You should have come back to the cabin for a jacket.”
“I didn’t realize I was this cold.”
James settled on the bench beside her, pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. The water was tranquil tonight, the moonlight reflecting off its surface, dancing around. A multitude of stars were out. Nights in Africa had been like this—panoramic in their display.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly. She didn’t disappear in the middle of the night without something driving her actions.
She eventually sighed. “I don’t want the vacation to end.”
He turned to look at her. There was so much sadness in her voice. “Why, Rae?” he asked gently.
“I’ve enjoyed the last several days working on the book. I don’t want to give it up.” She leaned back, looked up at the stars, a pensive look on her face. “It’s simple to say I’ll make time to write when I get home, but the reality is, there won’t be time. There is so much work to do, it’s overwhelming.”
“You’re tired.” Tired of the pace of life, tired of the weight, tired of carrying the responsibility, tired of being alone…. How well he understood tired.
She sighed. “In three days, this will all be only a distant memory. I’ll be living on adrenaline again, going from one crisis to another.”
“Rae, you can change it. The schedule is reflecting your choices.”
“I have a responsibility to my clients to see that the job is done well. I’ve been looking for someone to step in and help manage the business, looking hard, but it just hasn’t happened yet.”
He knew what it felt like to be the one carrying the responsibility to make sure a situation worked out. You did whatever had to be done, it was that simple. The early days in business with Kevin, most of the last six years in Africa…a commitment was kept, even if it meant long hours and a lot of lost sleep. But the doctors had been pretty frank—they didn’t think his symptoms would be as severe had he not been pushing himself so hard for so long.
“I’ve watched you this week. You’re one of the best planners I have ever met. You can manage the business until you find someone. Just don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Set some limits, do what you can and walk away from it,” he advised, wishing he had learned to heed his own advice at some point in his
Rae shuffled the cards with the ease of someone who had handled a deck of cards for years. “Want to cut?” she offered Dave.
He offered the cards to Emily, sitting beside him.
The little girl grinned.
Rae dealt the cards, a flip of her wrist landing the cards directly in front of each person at the table. “Your bid,” she told James.
“Two clubs.”
Dave and Lace ended up going head to head again, both holding the last of the trump cards.
Dave laid down the three of hearts. “Sorry, honey. You’ve been got.”
Lace laid down her last card with a smile. “You need to count better, friend.” The five of hearts.
Rae burst out laughing at Dave’s expression.
“Next year we’re going to play Monopoly,” Dave told Lace, as Rae collected the cards.
“I would love to be your landlord,” Lace replied, grinning.
“Rae, mind some company?” James asked quietly, stopping at the bottom steps to the pavilion. The bridge game had concluded a little over an hour ago. He had left Dave and Lace haggling in the kitchen over the best way to reheat spaghetti left over from dinner, and come out to walk along the lake before turning in for the night. He had thought Rae had already gone to bed, instead he found her sitting alone in the pavilion, looking at the water.
Tomorrow they would be packing up and heading home.
“Come on up,” she replied, her voice quiet.
He touched her shoulder as he reached the bench.
She was cold.
He slipped off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
“Thanks.” She buried her hands into the warmth, one last shiver shaking her frame.
“You should have come back to the cabin for a jacket.”
“I didn’t realize I was this cold.”
James settled on the bench beside her, pushed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. The water was tranquil tonight, the moonlight reflecting off its surface, dancing around. A multitude of stars were out. Nights in Africa had been like this—panoramic in their display.
“What’s wrong?” he asked quietly. She didn’t disappear in the middle of the night without something driving her actions.
She eventually sighed. “I don’t want the vacation to end.”
He turned to look at her. There was so much sadness in her voice. “Why, Rae?” he asked gently.
“I’ve enjoyed the last several days working on the book. I don’t want to give it up.” She leaned back, looked up at the stars, a pensive look on her face. “It’s simple to say I’ll make time to write when I get home, but the reality is, there won’t be time. There is so much work to do, it’s overwhelming.”
“You’re tired.” Tired of the pace of life, tired of the weight, tired of carrying the responsibility, tired of being alone…. How well he understood tired.
She sighed. “In three days, this will all be only a distant memory. I’ll be living on adrenaline again, going from one crisis to another.”
“Rae, you can change it. The schedule is reflecting your choices.”
“I have a responsibility to my clients to see that the job is done well. I’ve been looking for someone to step in and help manage the business, looking hard, but it just hasn’t happened yet.”
He knew what it felt like to be the one carrying the responsibility to make sure a situation worked out. You did whatever had to be done, it was that simple. The early days in business with Kevin, most of the last six years in Africa…a commitment was kept, even if it meant long hours and a lot of lost sleep. But the doctors had been pretty frank—they didn’t think his symptoms would be as severe had he not been pushing himself so hard for so long.
“I’ve watched you this week. You’re one of the best planners I have ever met. You can manage the business until you find someone. Just don’t let yourself get overwhelmed. Set some limits, do what you can and walk away from it,” he advised, wishing he had learned to heed his own advice at some point in his
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