Perfect Fit - Brenda Jackson [53]
Sage heard her mother’s long sigh before she said, “All right, Sage, you’ve set matters straight regarding your relationship with Erol; now what about your father?”
Sage frowned. “What about Dad?”
“Will you make an effort to resolve what’s going on with the two of you as well? I’ve never seen him so down. You’re his daughter, Sage, his only child. He loves you, and there has always been that special bond between the two of you. I don’t want this thing with Erol to destroy that.”
Sage inhaled deeply upon hearing the worry in her mother’s voice. “Is Dad still working late?” she couldn’t help but ask.
“No, he gets home on time like clockwork every day in time for the evening news. He even goes to prayer meeting with me on Wednesday nights. We’re spending more time together than before. We’re both missing you like crazy, Sage. Other than the time you left for college, this is the first time you’ve lived away from Charlotte. It’s taking some getting used to.”
Sage nodded. “I’m fine, Mom, and I’ll call and talk to Dad real soon. I’m trying to accomplish some things here and move on with my life. It gets a little hectic at times, but I’m doing fine. I’m surviving this weather and doing what Denmark is paying me to do. The resort will be beautiful, and I’m happy about the part I’ll be playing in its success.”
“And we’re happy for you as well. We’re also proud of you. Both your dad and I are. Always remember that we love you, Sage.”
Sage wiped a tear from her eye. “And I love you and Dad, too, Mom.”
Malcolm looked up when a very bundled up Sage walked into the office. He smiled. “I thought you would probably work from home today. Anyone in his right mind definitely would have.”
Sage chuckled as she pulled off her coat, mittens and knitted cap. “Then, why are you here?”
Malcolm grinned. “Because I’m not in my right mind. You don’t know how hard it was to leave the warm coziness of my bed this morning, especially when Leanne was still sleeping in it.”
Sage shook her head and laughed. “Yeah, I can see how that would be hard. After yesterday, I plan on this being a fairly light workday for me. I’m not doing anything but staying in my office and concentrating on that list of recommendations I plan to give to Mr. Landmark by the end of the week.”
Malcolm tapped the pad he’d been writing on and gazed up at her thoughtfully before saying, “Leanne and I went to dinner last night. We saw you.”
Sage paused at her office door and tilted her head and met Malcolm’s gaze. Knowing more was coming, she said, “And?” She watched as a huge smile spread across his face.
“And it seems you were enjoying yourself. I had to rack my brain to remember that you were indeed dining with the same man you wanted to feed to the lions when I left you here yesterday afternoon.”
Sage gave him a small smile. “Yes, well, he stopped by right after you left and apologized for his behavior at lunch. And he even admitted the dinner theater was a good idea. We discussed it more rationally this time, and I even shared with him some of my other ideas and thoughts about Eden. He was very receptive to them.”
Malcolm mustered a huge smile. “So now he’s on our side?”
Sage chewed her bottom lip in concentration. “I wasn’t trying to win him over, since that’s not how I like doing things. I just wanted to present my ideas to him.”
“And did you?”
Sage blinked. “And did I what?”
“Did you present your ideas to him?”
“Yes.” Sage met Malcolm’s stare and noted his eyes shone with undisguised hope, not particularly for Eden but for her. The two of them had grown close since working together, and although she was his manager, she considered him as well as the other members of her staff as valued team players. But outside of work, she also considered Malcolm something of a big brother. She had confided in him about her breakup with Erol and the reason. She had needed another opinion, an unbiased one since both her and Erol’s families thought she had been too hard on Erol by calling off their wedding. Malcolm had agreed with her that what Erol had done was thoughtless