Only later did he wonder what caused her insomnia.
“Danny, I’m worried about you.”
He flashed her a smile, a good one. “You like worrying, Mom.”
“I brought some books with me that might be helpful.”
Oh, God. He didn’t need to look at the collection she dragged out of her bag to know the titles would contain words like healing, inner child and transformational. She devoured self-help manuals, chiefly for inspiration on how to change his father.
“Thanks.” A glance out the window gave him an escape route. “Looks like some showers are coming. I’ll go get the bed off the roof-rack.” He paused at the doorway. “How did you get it up there?”
“A neighbor helped. Of course it would have been easier if your father was around,” she added tartly. “Dan, please don’t encourage Herman to think he’s got all the time in the world to do this changeover. It’s time your father made good on his word.”
He touched hand to heart. “I promise to stay a neutral party.”
His mother didn’t take the hint. “I mean, is it so bad traveling Europe for three months and spending quality time with your wife?”
Dan tried again. “Talk to Herman, Mom.”
“You think I haven’t?” she snapped, then collected herself and gave him a tremulous smile. “No, you’re right. It’s not fair to make you take sides.”
Sides? Alarmed, Dan headed for the door. “I’ll get that bed.”
A T ELEVEN T HURSDAY MORNING a courier delivered CommLink’s final offer. Kevin raced into her officewith it, closing the door and pulling the blinds like a conspirator. Jo wished she hadn’t told him. He was taking it all so seriously, even though she’d assured him she could handle it.
The poor guy had had his faith in her shaken over the past year. “Think of it as a team-building exercise,” she’d told him. “Close your eyes, fall back and I’ll catch you.”
He wasn’t amused. “This is no time for jokes. I’ve been researching CommLink over the last couple of days. They’ve got a history of picking up financially distressed companies—”
“We’re not distressed, merely uncomfortable.”
“And setting up competitive newspapers.”
Perusing the contract, Jo didn’t answer. “What do you know,” she said, “it’s actually fair. Grant must have squeezed Chris. Offer expires on May 18.”
“That’s only two weeks. We’ve got no time to rebuild advertising for a prolonged siege.”
“Relax. It will take them months to set up a paper—if they’re serious.”
“I made a few calls. They can set up within weeks of a final no.”
“I made a few calls, too. They’ve been sitting on their hands for eighteen months. And Grant implied the economic downturn has affected them as much as us.”
Kev looked hopeful. “You think they’re bluffing.”
“My instincts are pretty good about these things.”
He looked at her oddly.
“What?”
“Didn’t you say that about Dan?” This morning’s edition of the Chronicle lay unread on her desk. Kevinunfolded it and laid it flat. Jo’s eyes settled on the strip ad along the bottom of the front page. And widened.
Bridal nerves have settled. Wedding back on .
For a moment she gawked at it, then pushed to her feet and headed to the sales department. “Who accepted this?”
Delwyn’s gaze darted to the paper clenched in Jo’s fist, then around the room like a panicked swallow fluttering for an exit. Bingo. Jo dropped the paper on the sales rep’s desk.
“He paid the most expensive rate. And you told us to take anything in the current economy.” Seeing Jo wasn’t buying it, Delwyn whimpered. “Okay, I’m a sucker for romance.”
“This isn’t romance, it’s a declaration of war. And you’re on my side.” Her voice rose. “Hear that, people? My side. The only advertisement you accept from Dan Jansen is a retraction. Am. I. Clear?” Heads nodded vigorously. “Once and for all—we are not getting married.”
Delwyn waved for
“Danny, I’m worried about you.”
He flashed her a smile, a good one. “You like worrying, Mom.”
“I brought some books with me that might be helpful.”
Oh, God. He didn’t need to look at the collection she dragged out of her bag to know the titles would contain words like healing, inner child and transformational. She devoured self-help manuals, chiefly for inspiration on how to change his father.
“Thanks.” A glance out the window gave him an escape route. “Looks like some showers are coming. I’ll go get the bed off the roof-rack.” He paused at the doorway. “How did you get it up there?”
“A neighbor helped. Of course it would have been easier if your father was around,” she added tartly. “Dan, please don’t encourage Herman to think he’s got all the time in the world to do this changeover. It’s time your father made good on his word.”
He touched hand to heart. “I promise to stay a neutral party.”
His mother didn’t take the hint. “I mean, is it so bad traveling Europe for three months and spending quality time with your wife?”
Dan tried again. “Talk to Herman, Mom.”
“You think I haven’t?” she snapped, then collected herself and gave him a tremulous smile. “No, you’re right. It’s not fair to make you take sides.”
Sides? Alarmed, Dan headed for the door. “I’ll get that bed.”
A T ELEVEN T HURSDAY MORNING a courier delivered CommLink’s final offer. Kevin raced into her officewith it, closing the door and pulling the blinds like a conspirator. Jo wished she hadn’t told him. He was taking it all so seriously, even though she’d assured him she could handle it.
The poor guy had had his faith in her shaken over the past year. “Think of it as a team-building exercise,” she’d told him. “Close your eyes, fall back and I’ll catch you.”
He wasn’t amused. “This is no time for jokes. I’ve been researching CommLink over the last couple of days. They’ve got a history of picking up financially distressed companies—”
“We’re not distressed, merely uncomfortable.”
“And setting up competitive newspapers.”
Perusing the contract, Jo didn’t answer. “What do you know,” she said, “it’s actually fair. Grant must have squeezed Chris. Offer expires on May 18.”
“That’s only two weeks. We’ve got no time to rebuild advertising for a prolonged siege.”
“Relax. It will take them months to set up a paper—if they’re serious.”
“I made a few calls. They can set up within weeks of a final no.”
“I made a few calls, too. They’ve been sitting on their hands for eighteen months. And Grant implied the economic downturn has affected them as much as us.”
Kev looked hopeful. “You think they’re bluffing.”
“My instincts are pretty good about these things.”
He looked at her oddly.
“What?”
“Didn’t you say that about Dan?” This morning’s edition of the Chronicle lay unread on her desk. Kevinunfolded it and laid it flat. Jo’s eyes settled on the strip ad along the bottom of the front page. And widened.
Bridal nerves have settled. Wedding back on .
For a moment she gawked at it, then pushed to her feet and headed to the sales department. “Who accepted this?”
Delwyn’s gaze darted to the paper clenched in Jo’s fist, then around the room like a panicked swallow fluttering for an exit. Bingo. Jo dropped the paper on the sales rep’s desk.
“He paid the most expensive rate. And you told us to take anything in the current economy.” Seeing Jo wasn’t buying it, Delwyn whimpered. “Okay, I’m a sucker for romance.”
“This isn’t romance, it’s a declaration of war. And you’re on my side.” Her voice rose. “Hear that, people? My side. The only advertisement you accept from Dan Jansen is a retraction. Am. I. Clear?” Heads nodded vigorously. “Once and for all—we are not getting married.”
Delwyn waved for
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