“Really?”
“Why did you ask me if you didn’t think I could come up with something?” Cal laughed. “Where’s the trust, man?”
“I didn’t expect you to have an immediate answer.”
“As it so happens, I’m heading to her office this afternoon. You can come with.”
“Why?” Mo asked.
“So you can work on her computer.” The implied duh rang through the phone loud and clear.
“I mean, why are you going to her office?”
“The desk. I want her to look at some prototypes. Eliza helped me yesterday. We made a couple of models for her to look at. Different wood, different stains. Eliza thinks she should have a waterfall in her office.”
“Please tell me you told her no.” The last time Cal and his brothers created a waterfall, Mo thought they would need to be in family counseling for an eternity.
“First, we’re more mature than we were then. Second, we know what we’re doing. And third—”
“Third, you don’t like to disappoint Eliza.”
Cal laughed again. “True, but no. Third, Bronwyn doesn’t want a waterfall. She wants the desktop to resemble the reception desk and the conference room table.”
“She has good taste.”
“The question is more about dimensions and cabinets—that kind of thing. We need to stand in her office and put tape down with the exact dimensions of the desk to be sure it’s what she wants. I want to do that before the crew starts working on the floor.”
“When do they start?”
“Hopefully on Friday. We need to sand that stain out. I may work on it tonight. Eliza thinks helping me with work is fun. That won’t last, but I’m going to enjoy it for as long as it does.”
“It might last. Meredith likes helping Dad on cars.”
“No she doesn’t. Meredith likes hanging out with Uncle Doug. She works on cars so she can do that.”
An astute observation.
“Has it occurred to you that maybe Eliza likes to hang out withherdad? Which is why she likes helping you work?” Mo had seen Eliza “help” Cal, and he was pretty sure he was dead-on about this.
Cal was quiet for a few seconds. “If that’s why, I’ll take it.” Cal cleared his throat. “Anyway, we’ll be there this afternoon. And Cassie promised dinner for all of us.”
“Does Bronwyn know about this?”
“Not yet. She’s still at her grandmother’s. Landry texted her, but I doubt she’s seen it. You could always tell her when she gets there.”
“I’m at her house. Not her office. You’ll see her before I do.”
“Fine. I’ll talk to her. Want me to call you when I get there?”
“That would be great.”
“Later.”
At 1:30, Mo walked into Bronwyn’s office carrying four to-go cups and a bag of treats. He found everyone in the conference room. Cal took a coffee and riffled through the bag until he found a blueberry scone. “Which ones are Bronwyn’s?”
“The mocha and the lemon doughnut.”
Cal took them to where Bronwyn sat, reverently holding one of several scale model desks.
