Viv hadn’t noticed the other night, but along with the broken left leg, he had what looked like a few fresh scars on the left side of his face. She tried not to stare at them but instead met his eyes. His eyes were happy. The light brown color matched the reddish hair. He had a little stubble that was most definitely gray. He had the abs of a younger man but was no spring chicken, she decided.
“I’m Larson Taggert.” He crutched over, hopped on one foot as he arranged his balance, and put out his right hand to shake.
“I’m trying to just be alone here, have lunch.”
“Sure, sure, but I crutched all the way over. That’s an effort. At least tell me your name?”
Viv decided it was best to comply with the man’s desire to be sociable. She did not feel like making new friends. She was knee-deep in trying to navigate her old friends on this strange trip. But maybe if she introduced herself, he’d be happy and go away.
“My name’s Vivian.”
“Nice to meet you! Now, I’ll know how to address you the next time you spy on me,” he winked with the eye that seemed like it escaped the cuts on his face, but just barely.
“I said I wasn’t—”
Just then, Jaden interrupted their burgeoning bickering. “Mr. Taggert, your staff is here.”
“I told you to call me Tag, and it’s my crew, not staff. They’ll revolt if they hear you call them that.”
“Sorry, Mr. Tag, uh, Tag. Your crew is here.”
Whoever they were, Viv was glad he had somewhere else to go.
“Catch you later, Vivian.” He rearranged himself on the crutches and mumbled a curse or two at the devices as he headed out, presumably to meet “the crew.”
Viv turned around to watch him crutch off toward the front of the hotel.
“I know you’re looking!” He turned rather quickly for a man on crutches and caught her again.
She whipped her head back around. What an infuriating person! She refocused on her lunch and tried to forget meeting Larson Taggert.
Back to the issue of the day: her daughter’s youthful optimism that now, of all times, was the right time to open up a boutique of Vivian Blackwood Designs.
They’d always sold to high-end department stores and direct to wealthy clients, but they’d never been in the retail store management business.
Viv sat a while.
The warm air and lake breeze called to her.
If she was here, she should take advantage of the place. She could mull over the way to handle Siena just as well outside as inside.
Viv walked out the porch screen door and out onto the grounds.
She remembered this place from her childhood. It was clearly fancy now and stunning. But back then, it was kind of hulking. It had been fitted and refitted many times over by the time Goldie got here. But Goldie had put her movie-star money and style into this renovation, and it showed. Gone was any mismatch or haphazard add-on.
Viv walked out to the lawn that faced the lake. Every blade of grass on this property now was intentional. That was the word. It wasn’t overly fussy or planted. It was landscaped with native plants that gave way to lake stones that provided a border out to the beach.
A huge dock proved space for boats and for sun bathers. A row of lounge chairs neatly lined up at the edge of the beach provided a place to sit and watch whatever lazy lake happenings were underway.
Viv spied a peddle-boat. She wondered if she had the lung capacity for that. That would be fun, peddling around the lake, not too far, but just a little exploration. Although…she could easily see herself stuck out in the lake, drifting endlessly as her weak-as-a-kitten body helplessly waited for rescue.
Ugh. She hated being like this.
Viv decided she needed a little rest. She’d dealt with a stranger, had breakfast, and taken a little stroll. That was enough. The lounges were the perfect place to sit, just for a bit. The small hill back up to the inn looked too big all of a sudden. She wasn’t expected anywhere. She sat down in the reclining chairs and felt her limbs grow heavy.
Just a little rest.
“Mom.”
