I smile. “I’m glad she liked them. I’ll have to remember to make some more and send them. How’s she doing?” Jackie’s father passed away recently, and according to my friend, her mother is taking his death pretty hard.
A sigh pushes through the phone. “The same. Still pretty down, but she’ll come around.”
My heart feels torn. Jackie needs to be in Williamsport, caring for her mother. But at the same time, her moving away was almost like losing another sister.
“I believe she will, too. Nothing like the holidays and cookies to liven up someone’s spirit.”
Jackie laughs. “You were always the chipper one,” she says.
“That’s my role. I’m the happy, glass-half-full friend, while you’re the worrywart always looking for the other shoe to drop.”
“And Deirdre was the …” She trails off.
“The funloving, raging one.” Maybe that’s what got her into trouble.
She and Deirdre were friends first, having met in college. I ended up following my big sister to the same state school, and we instantly became a trio.
“How’s work?” I ask, changing the subject.
“Busy. I’m stressed learning all of the ins and outs of a new company, and there’s a major project that has been thrown into my lap.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“It is. I’m so damn tired,” she says around a yawn. “I easily put in eighty hours this week and still don’t feel prepared to attend this meeting at Townsend Industries tomorrow.”
“Townsend, huh? They’re a big corporation, aren’t they?”
“Sure are. And the CEO wants to expand into healthcare, which is why his company has taken an interest in ours.”
“That’s a good thing, right?” I ask while taking the final bite of my cookie.
“It’s a great thingifit goes well. My bonus looks as if it hinges on this deal going through. But first, we have to get Aaron Townsend’s approval, and he is not the type you try to wing it with. He’s a stickler for every detail and about as tough as they come in business.”
“Sounds intimidating, but you’ve put in the work. You’ll be fine.”
Jackie lets out a sigh. “I guess so. Besides, working directly under Neil McKenna prepared me for occasions such as this one.”
My back goes straight at the mention of his name. My insides warm, and an unintentional smile crests on my lips.
“Neil’s not that bad.”
“Neil’s not that bad,”Jackie mimics before cracking up. “Ol’ sprung behind. Neil can be a slave driver, to be honest. It comes from the right place, though. He truly wants to do good, and he is. On top of that, he works as hard as he pushes his employees to work.”
I could hear the respect in Jackie’s voice. Before relocating, she worked at McKenna Rehab for seven years, moving up from addictions counselor to clinical director to the administrative liaison. Ultimately, by the time she left, it was her job to be the face of McKenna Rehab, informing the public and those seeking to help out its different services and how the facility could best serve them.
“That’s good to know,” I mumble, still thinking about Neil and feeling excited to be seeing him in only a few hours.
“Which is why I told you how much he loves your oatmeal raisin cookies.”
I lift my eyebrow, even though she can’t see me through the phone.
“I knew you two would hit it off.”
“What?”
“I said what I said.”
“Jackie, what are you talking about?”
