Full Circle (14 page)

“What can I
say, kiddo? You’re growing up.”

Melissa
nodded. “So what’s our plan of attack?”

Carla glanced
at her watch. “I know you’re anxious to see how we’ve progressed so far, so
we’ll stop by the mill. Your grandfather will probably be there. Then I was
going to drop you off at his place. He has your mom’s old room all ready for
you. And then tomorrow morning, I thought we should meet the Economic
Development Officer. He’s your champion in all of this.” She gave a short
laugh. “Not that
Bella
really needs a champion. Everyone is talking
about how Willow Bend is coming alive again.”

“Who’s this
Economic Development Officer?”

“His name is
Jeffrey Lambert. I think you’ll like him.”

Melissa
frowned. “Lambert.” Is he any relation to the people who owned the mill?

“It’s his
family.”

“Wow.” They
were coming to the outskirts of Willow Bend. “This town must be very forgiving
to give him that sort of position. After all, the mill was the mainstay of the
town’s economy for all those years. Don’t people resent him?”

Carla’s face
showed her surprise. “Not at all. It wasn’t Jeffrey’s fault that the mill
closed. He was young when he was forced to take it over after his father had a
stroke. Textile mills were closing all over the east. Jeffrey went out of his
way to see that people got jobs. Unfortunately, most of them were out of town,
but he acquitted himself very well.”

“How old is
he? You talk as if you know him.”

“We’re the
same age.” Carla gave a tentative smile. “It’s a small town. We all knew each
other.”

“So Mom knows
him too?”

“Oh, yeah.”
Carla looked straight ahead. “It’ll be like old home week when she gets here.”

* * *

“Granddad,
I’m so happy to see you.” Melissa found herself being enveloped in a bear hug.
She stood back and admired the broad wooden walkway than ran along the front of
the old mill. Sturdy and wide, it was lined with square planters holding small
trees. Alternating with the trees, long, narrow flower boxes added a welcome
splash of color. She’d been involved from the beginning, and the finished
product was true to Rafael’s original sketches.

Melissa poked
her head into one of the retail spaces. “Mom says they’re almost all leased,
including the Bistro.” She paused and looked out across the newly paved parking
lot. “She said something about taking down an old, ugly fence. Where was that?”

Ronald
Thompson pointed to the trees. They looked like they’d been there forever.
“Your mother insisted that we plant mature trees. At first I questioned the
expense, but she was right. It fits in with the theme of this place.”

“Can I see
the production area?”

“Of course.
They’re installing the air handling system now, so be careful where you walk.
There are electrical cords and sections of ductwork everywhere.” He led her to
the rear of the building. “We had to install a false ceiling, so we could light
the place properly. It also helps to control the temperature.” He led her on
through to another space. “This is the shipping department.” He gave a low
chuckle. “I have to admit that I don’t understand all this new e-commerce
nonsense, but your mom says it’s important.”

Melissa
walked over to the loading dock. “It’s a growing component of our business. Mom
has entrusted me with looking after our web presence.” She pointed to a
walled-off area in a corner of the room. “Is that my office? I’ll be spending a
lot of time there in the next few weeks, making sure all the systems are up and
running.”

“That IT team
you sent?” Her grandfather spoke hesitantly, unsure of the terminology. “They
said everything was ready for you.”

“Good. I’ll
probably check it out tomorrow.” She stifled a yawn, checked her watch. “Sorry,
Granddad, I’ve had a long day, plus the time change. I’ll go find Carla and see
if she can take me back to the house.”

Ronald
Thompson looked at his granddaughter fondly. “You’ll find some cold meat and
salads in the fridge, if you’d like to eat something. I’ll be staying here
until the installers are finished for the day.”

“Thanks.” She
gave him a kiss on the cheek. “I might just eat something and fall asleep.
Carla and I have a lot to do tomorrow.”

*
* *

The Economic
Development Office was located off to the side of City Hall. “Here we go,”
murmured Carla as she swung the door open.

“Good morning
Jeffrey. I’ve brought Melissa Thompson to meet you.”

“Hello Mr.
Lambert.” Melissa extended her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Jeffrey rose
and came out from behind his desk. “Delighted,” he said graciously, shaking
hands.

Melissa’s
first impression was of a man saddened by life. His eyes appeared sunken, as
though he hadn’t slept properly in years, and premature strands of grey salted
his hair. If she looked carefully, she could see hints of the handsome young
man he’d once been. She instinctively felt sorry for him, and she didn’t even
know why.

Carla watched
the interaction with interest, and then stepped forward. “We just wanted to
touch base today, Jeff. Melissa has come out to help with the details of the
opening. Starting next week I’ll be busy with the final training of the production
staff while Melissa ensures that all the computer systems are operating
properly.”

“And we’ll
both be co-ordinating the opening party.” Melissa looked to Carla. “He knows
about that, right?”

“Yes.”
Jeffrey smiled, but his gaze remained fixed on Melissa. “It’s good of you to
invite the whole town.”

“People are
curious,” said Carla. “We thought this would be a great way to let them know
what we’re doing out there.”

“And it’s
great for our tenants,” added Melissa. “We’ve encouraged them all to have their
business licenses in place so they can be ready to sell.”

“It looks
like you’ve thought of everything.” Jeffrey seemed to shake himself free of his
fascination with Melissa. “But I hope you’ll stop by again if you need
anything.” He walked them to the door but before he could open it, it burst
open.

A young man
stood there, looking from Jeffrey to the two visitors. “Sorry Dad,” he said, a
broad smile on his face. He looked at Melissa as though he’d never seen a girl
his own age. “Hi,” he said. If he noticed his father’s frown, he was doing a
good job of ignoring it. “I’ll bet you’re from that new business out at the old
mill.”

Melissa stuck
out her hand. “I’m Melissa, and this is my aunt Carla.” Jeff raised an eyebrow.
“Well, she’s not really my aunt, but I’ve always called her that. Who are you?”

“Sorry.” He
stuck out his hand. “Todd Lambert.” He nodded toward his father. “This is my
Dad.”

Carla and
Jeffrey exchanged quick glances. “Nice to see you again, Todd, but we were just
off to the old mill. Melissa has to check out the computer systems.”

“Really?”
Todd managed to position himself between Carla and Melissa. “That’s my main
field of interest. I’m studying internet marketing. Do you mind if I stop by
and see your system some time?” He opened the door for Melissa and they walked
outside together, oblivious to the two adults left inside.

Jeffrey took
a step toward the window. Melissa and Todd seemed to be engaged in a lively
discussion. “Bella isn’t going to like this.”

Carla felt
the need to tread carefully. He’d been staring at Melissa in the oddest way,
but surely he couldn’t suspect already. “In what way?”

“Bella hates
me. You know that.” His shoulders fell.

In that
moment, Carla felt profoundly sorry for him. He’d given in to temptation twenty
years ago and had sex with a manipulative young girl. According to the gossip
around town, he’d been paying for it ever since.

“She doesn’t
hate you, Jeff.” She laid a hand on his arm. “She gave up hating you a long
time ago.”

“Really?” His
eyes lightened. “I’d like to believe that.”

Carla felt
like she was walking through a minefield. She kept reminding herself that he’d
never learned of Bella’s pregnancy. She wanted to get away before she ruined
everything, but the need to reassure Jeffrey was strong.

“Don’t get me
wrong. Bella was bitter for a while, but she replaced that with a desire to
prove herself. It’s almost become an obsession with her; the need to come back
as a success. It’s the driving passion in her life.” Now she was saying too
much.

“So that’s
what this is all about. She wants to show me up. Show up my family.”

“No!” Carla
was surprised at the vehemence of her own words. “Don’t think that, Jeff. Don’t
ever think that. This has nothing to do with your family.” She searched around
for the right words. “At first it was just the desire to succeed, but then she
came back when her mother was sick, and saw that the town was dying. That
wasn’t your fault; everyone in town knows how hard you worked to keep the mill
going and how much you sacrificed. It was around that time that she got the
idea that maybe she could help Willow Bend. It’s taken this many years to make
it a reality, but that’s what this is all about, not some sort of vendetta
against you.”

He stared out
the window. Melissa and Todd were still talking. “I know about the flowers, and
the park, and the swimming pool, but this is another level completely.” He gave
her a piercing look. “She doesn’t hate me, then?”

“No, Jeffrey.
To be honest, she doesn’t have the energy for that.” She gave a short little
laugh. “And don’t kid yourself. This is a business decision.
Bella
absolutely needs another production facility. They had to build it somewhere,
because she and Rafael are planning to open a bunch of new stores in the east
over the next few years. It makes sense to set up here, where there’s a work
force. Not to mention how much they’ll save on freight. Willow Bend was a
natural fit.”

Jeffrey
exhaled, and his features softened. “Thanks, Carla.” He glanced outside again
and shook his head. “I’ve never seen Todd react that way to a girl. Kinda
reminds me of myself at that age.” He smiled. “Seems like a lifetime ago.”

Todd looked up
as his father and Carla came out of the office, then turned his attention back
to Melissa. “So I’ll see you tonight?”

“Sure.
Granddad is working late almost every night anyway. Do you know where I’m
staying?”

He pulled out
his iPhone. “Put it in here for me. Pick you up around seven.”

“Where are we
going?” Melissa smoothed her skirt over her knees. She hadn’t known what to
wear, so had opted for something simple.

“Did you have
supper?” Todd pulled away from the curb.

“I ate a bit.
I still haven’t adjusted to the time change.”

He grinned.
“Good. I thought we’d grab a couple of ice cream sundaes and go to the park.
Not much of a date, but I’d like to learn more about you and I can’t do that if
we’re sitting in a movie.”

Melissa
relaxed. “That sounds perfect. I spent most of the day inside and my brain is
frazzled. Promise me we won’t talk about computers tonight.”

“That’s a
deal.”

They settled
down at a table in the park.

“Yum.”
Melissa scoured the bottom of the container for the last remaining chocolate
sauce. “That was just what I needed. Val and I used to get ice cream at the
market in Venice when we were kids. There’s something about eating ice cream
outside.” She toyed with the container. “I miss Val and Sofia. They can’t come
to the opening because Val is expecting a baby any day now and apparently it’s
been a tough pregnancy.” She gave him a startled look. “Imagine, having a baby
so young.”

He gave her a
lop-sided grin. “It happens.”

“I suppose
so, but I just wish she’d waited.” She frowned. “I only met him a couple of
times and the next thing I knew, they were getting married.”

“You were
good friends, I take it.”

“Yeah, the
best.” She gazed into the distance. “Mom rented an apartment from Sofia when
she first went to California. Sofia had recently been widowed and together they
started the business. In the beginning they made outfits for Val and I, then
started selling them three days a week at the market in Venice Beach. When I
look back now, it’s amazing what they’ve accomplished.”

Todd nodded. “I
read about that when I heard you guys were coming to town.”

“You did?”

“Sure. Dad
has a whole file on your mom’s business.”

“I guess
that’s his job.”

“Yeah.” Todd
was silent for a moment. “So how does this Rafael guy fit into the picture?
He’s your mom’s partner now, isn’t he? Dad has met him several times.”

Melissa
smiled at the mention of Rafael’s name. She’d only been gone a couple of days
and she missed him already. “He came on the scene fairly soon after Mom and
Sofia started selling at Venice Beach.” She paused, lost in thought for a
moment. “Come to think of it, his family is in textiles the way yours was. He’s
from Peru.” She gave a soft little sigh. “I love him the way I’d love my own
father.”

Todd watched
her eyes soften. He barely knew her, and he already wondered what it would be
like to have her look at him with that expression. “Is he married?”

Melissa’s
head came up. “Lord, no. I don’t know how he’d have the time for that.”

Todd smiled.
“Oh, he could find a way if he wanted to.” His expression changed with a sudden
thought. “Do you think he’s gay?”

“Todd!”
Melissa didn’t know whether to laugh or be angry.

“Think about
it. I saw him once with my dad. He’s really good looking. Dresses like some
kind of a male model. He’s in the fashion business, and he’s not married. So
excuse me for wondering.”

Melissa shook
her head. “No, he’s not gay. He’s gone out with women from time to time but
nothing serious ever seems to come of it.” She leaned forward. “To tell you the
truth, I’m kind of relieved each time it happens. I guess I’m possessive.”

Todd toyed
with the empty container in front of him. “What about your father? Or is that
getting too personal?”

Melissa drew
invisible lines on the table with her plastic spoon. “Nobody’s ever asked me
that before.” She lifted her head, looked directly into his eyes. “For the
longest time, when I was small, I assumed my father was dead.”

“Why?” Todd
leaned forward on his elbows, absorbing every word.

“Because
Val’s father was killed. He was a cop. We grew up together; just Val and I and
our two mothers, and I thought that’s the way it was...if a girl didn’t have a
father around it was because he was dead.” She blinked rapidly, fighting for
composure. “Funny how kids come to conclusions about things like that. Anyway,
as I got older, I started to probe a little bit. Nothing direct, just little
comments. But I could see that it upset my mom.” She gave him a sad smile. “You
have to understand, I love my mother unconditionally and I’d never do anything
to upset her. So I let it slide. By then, Rafael had become such a big part of
our lives that I didn’t feel the need to ask about my father. So I never have.”

“Do you think
you ever will?”

“No. It
doesn’t matter to me. I’m surrounded by people who love and support me. Mom,
Rafael, Sofia, Carla, Ethan, Granddad.”

“I see what
you mean.” He nodded, almost to himself. “You’re lucky.”

She watched
him pull into himself and gave him a few moments. “What about your family?” she
asked gently, “since this is a getting-to-know-you session.”

He raised his
eyes. “I can’t remember the last time we did anything normal in our house. My mom
stays in all the time. She doesn’t even go out to the doctor; he comes to the
house. Every time he prescribes a new pill dad’s enthusiastic for a couple of
weeks, but nothing ever seems to work. Dad and I never talk about the fact that
she’s seriously depressed, but it’s fairly clear to me.” He smiled, but it was
a sad smile. “You see, I’m adopted, but she doesn’t even acknowledge that. Dad
told me when I was about fourteen. I tried to bring it up with her once, but
she zoned out on me.” He took a deep breath. “I can’t remember the last time
she went to a school function.”

“I’m sorry
Todd. It wasn’t supposed to be a contest to see who has the better parents.”

He looked up,
startled. “Now I’m the one who’s sorry. I didn’t mean to whine.” He gave her a
tentative smile. “You made me spill my guts. I don’t think I’ve ever done that
before.” He picked up the empty ice cream containers and tossed them in a
nearby garbage bin. “Want to take a walk along the river?”

They walked
in silence for a while. As they came to the river, an older couple rose from a
bench and set off in the opposite direction. Todd and Melissa claimed the bench
and she turned to face him. “Thanks for tonight, Todd. I enjoyed it, even if we
did get a bit more personal than either of us intended.”

“Me, too.” He
picked up her hand. “Can I see you again?”

“Of course,
silly. You have to come out and see my new system.” She frowned. “Give me a
couple of days. I should have it up and running by then.”

“I will, but
what I meant was a real date.”

She didn’t
hesitate. “How about Thursday? That will be the fourteenth.”

“You’re on.”
They started walking back toward the car, and he took her hand.

She looked
down at their clasped hands, and then smiled into his eyes.

“Too soon? He
asked.”

“Nope.” She
squeezed his hand. “It feels just right.”

* * *

“On your
birthday?” Carla planted her hands on her hips. They were at the mill.

Melissa laughed.
“You look just like Mom. That’s what she does when she’s mad at me.”

“I’m not mad
at you sweetie, but is that fair to Todd? A girl’s birthday is supposed to be
special.”

“I don’t have
to tell him it’s my birthday.” Melissa drew back. “You didn’t have something
special planned, did you?”

Carla made a
guilty face. “I’d forgotten about it, actually.”

“There...you
see? And Granddad is busy setting things up at the mill. It’ll be fine.” Her
eyes took on a dreamy, faraway expression. “He’s really nice, Aunty Carla. I
like him.”

Prickles of
dread marched down Carla’s spine. “You’re not getting serious, are you?”

Melissa
laughed. “What do you mean by serious?” She looked at her aunt in that
unnerving, forthright manner. “If you’re talking about sex, no, that’s not on
the agenda. We barely know each other. But I’m not a child any more. This is my
nineteenth birthday, remember? And I know all about protection.”

Carla was
beginning to get a headache. Where was Bella when she was needed?

“Listen,
kiddo.” She tried to speak slowly, calmly. “It’s just that I promised your
mother I’d look out for you.”

“And you are...you
are. I’ve seen more of you since I got here than I see of Mom in a month. Why
are you so uptight about this anyway?”

Carla
bristled at being called uptight, but managed to control her temper. “I guess I
don’t want to see you get hurt. I mean, you’ll be going home in a few weeks.”

“That’s not
carved in stone. I’m beginning to like it here. I like the small town
atmosphere, and the way people look out for each other.”

Carla
couldn’t argue with that. She’d been feeling the same since coming back. She
and Ethan were thinking of buying a place in Willow Bend. But Melissa and Todd?
What could she say to dissuade this headstrong girl?

“I thought
your mother was being extremely fair to give you a year off. But she won’t like
this at all.” Carla rubbed her fingers against her pounding temple. “She’ll
flip out, to put it mildly.”

Melissa turned
pleading eyes on her aunt. “Please don’t tell her. She has enough on her mind
right now with this expansion. I mean, Todd and I might discover that we don’t
really like each other after all. Let’s not bother her with something that
hasn’t even happened yet.”

Carla wished
she’d had some children of her own, so she’d know what to do right now. She
looked into Melissa’s eyes. There was no doubt that the young woman in front of
her loved her mother. When she was growing up, there had been times when she
and Bella had wished that the child would do something wrong...something naughty,
to prove she was like other children. But she’d never put a foot wrong. Until
now...and she didn’t even know it.

“You’re
right. Your mom doesn’t need any distractions right now. I won’t mention this
to her.”

“Thank you.”
She gave her aunt a hug. “I love you, Aunty C.”

“I love you
too, Melissa.”

* * *

Melissa
dressed carefully for her date and Todd’s response was overwhelmingly positive.

“You look amazing,”
he said, tucking her carefully into the passenger seat. “I’m glad I made
reservations at a nice place.”

The young
couple tasted very little of the excellent food placed in front of them. The
fizzle and excitement of new romance left little room for anything other than
gazing into one another’s eyes.

After
clearing their table, the waiter approached with two dessert plates, each with
an elaborate cupcake. With a flourish, he lit a sparkler and stuck it in the
cupcake he’d placed in front of Melissa. “Happy Birthday,” he said, enjoying
the look on their faces. “It’s from your Aunt Carla” he said quickly,
anticipating their question. “She had the bakery send it over.”

“It’s your
birthday?” Todd’s expression was one of delight. “How old are you?”

“Nineteen
today.” Melissa watched the sparkler, thinking that it represented the way she
felt inside.

“This is incredible.
My birthday is in two weeks. I’ll be nineteen too.” His eyes reflected the last
of the sparkles.

Melissa
grinned. “Are you sure you don’t mind dating an older woman?”

He leaned
across the table and brushed his lips against hers. It was a gentle kiss, full
of promise. “I can’t think of anything I’d like better,” he said, then kissed
her again.

* * *

“That was a
sweet thing you did last night.” Melissa found Carla the next morning. The
older woman was taking a break from training the new employees.

“I wanted you
to have at least a small celebration.”

“It was
perfect, and guess what? Todd’s birthday is two weeks away. I had to tease him
about dating an older woman.”

“Two weeks?”
Carla frowned. “So he’s younger than you?” Something wasn’t adding up, but when
Angela Stanton was involved, all bets were off. “You had a good time, then?” She
didn’t know why she bothered to ask...Melissa had that dreamy expression in her
eyes.

“Yeah. I know
it’s awfully soon, Aunty Carla, but I think I could fall for Todd. We seem to
have so much in common.”

“If you only
knew,” said Carla to herself. The thought of Melissa and Todd together was
making her nauseous.

“Sorry, did
you say something?”

“No sweetie.
Just muttering. I’m glad you’ve found a friend.”

Melissa gave
her an odd look, but bit back any further comment. “Well, thanks again for the
surprise. By the way, I think I’ve found the perfect person to co-ordinate our online
orders. I’m going to work with her a bit more today.”

“Right. See
you later.”

Bella’s
secretary poked her head around the door. “Excuse me. I know you said you
shouldn’t be interrupted, but Carla’s on line two. She says it’s urgent.”

Bella looked
up. “Thanks Andrea.” She lifted the receiver. “Tell me some good news. I’m
having a terrible day. No, make that a terrible week.”

“What’s the
matter?” Carla’s voice was full of concern.

“It’s a whole
bunch of small things, really. We got a bad batch of fabric from that Taiwanese
supplier, and that union guy is bugging our employees again. I wish he’d just
go away. And to top it all off, Rafael has been in Dallas for the past several
days interviewing for a new store manager.” She let out a long sigh. “How is
everything there?”

“Everything
seems to be on schedule, or slightly ahead. Your Dad is terrific. You should
see him Bel; he seems ten years younger.”

“That’s
good.” She paused. “So what’s the problem?”

Carla
hesitated and Bella jumped in. “Is it Melissa? Is she okay?”