Home Free - Fern Michaels [44]
Maggie walked back inside and opened the envelope just as Jason Parker blew through the door. “Whatcha got there, Maggie?”
“None of your business,” Maggie shot back. She looked down at the handwritten note asking if Maggie would be available for a private lunch at one o’clock. Maggie took her time folding up the note and slipping it into her small backpack. “Tell the president I would be delighted.” A second later, the marine was gone, and Maggie was left standing next to Jason Parker.
Jason took what he considered Maggie’s bad attitude in stride and said, “Did you find my notebook?”
“You really take the cake, you know that, Jason? Why would I look for your notebook? You lost it. You look for it. There are other people staying here. Ask them. You know what else? You really should dry off those expensive shoes you’re wearing. You’re going to find salt marks on them. How’s that going to look when you get your picture taken with the president?”
Jason scurried out of the room, and Maggie left the building. Outside, she pulled up the collar of her jacket, pulled her wool cap down snugly over her ears, then pulled on a pair of bright red mittens that Myra had made for her two Christmases ago.
Maggie closed her eyes and waited for her escort to show up to lead her to Sycamore Cabin. It seemed to her that the temperature was dropping. Damn, she hated the cold. Why couldn’t the president have invited her to Camp David for the Fourth of July, when the weather was warm and balmy?
When one of the marines showed up, Maggie fought her way down the walkway that had been cleared of all the snow. She could see small crystals of ice beginning to form at the edges of the stones, which proved to her that the temperature was indeed falling. To her own great delight, she laughed out loud when she formed a mental picture of Jason Parker in his handmade Ballys, slipping and sliding and falling on his ass as he made his way to Hickory Lodge, where the pictures were to be taken. She was still laughing when she walked up to the door of Sycamore Cabin and knocked once.
Her hand was raised to knock a second time when the door was opened by Jim Matthews from CBS. “We’ve been waiting, Maggie. What took you so long?”
Maggie laughed. “A little of this and a little of that. I’m here now, so tell me. What’s going on?”
Chapter 12
The Sisters were like a bunch of ten-year-olds when they trooped down to the kitchen to get an early breakfast before heading back to the District to honor their promise to help Yoko at the nursery.
The boys were outside blowing snow, shoveling out their vehicles, and clearing the huge courtyard so that they could make it out to the highway. Except for Charles and Fergus, who were busy at Annie’s Wolf range. Annie and Myra exchanged smug expressions at how well the two men had hit it off.
As the Sisters bustled around the kitchen and dining room, Myra whispered in Annie’s ear, “How long do you think Fergus will stay on?”
Annie wiggled her eyebrows. Then she winked. “Until I wear him out would be my best guess.”
In spite of herself, Myra grinned. “That good, eh?”
“I have to say, Myra . . . that good.”
Myra gave her old friend’s arm a gentle squeeze. “I’m happy for you, Annie. I mean that sincerely.”
“I know, Myra, I know. By the way, I really think we should go with the girls to help Yoko. I’m sure there’s something we’ll be able to do. Just because we have arthritis in our hands doesn’t mean we can’t fetch and carry, stack and box . . . whatever. Four extra hands could mean a big difference to Yoko and her schedule.”
“Okay. I didn’t have anything planned for today. I don’t know about Nellie, though.”
“Did I hear my name mentioned?” Nellie asked, coming up behind the women.
“You did. Myra and I are going to go with the girls to help Yoko. You’re welcome to come along.”
Nellie held out her hands. “I don’t think so. And these new hips of mine are giving me trouble this morning. Change in weather is never good, but it is getting better, I have to say. I think Elias and I will head on home after