Treasured by Thursday

“I hope you have time for a liquid lunch,” Frank proposed.

Hunter agreed with a nod. “One martini. I told Gabi I’d be home for dinner.”

“Has you trained already, does she?”

“You’ve met my wife, Frank. It’s not a hardship.”

Frank patted him on the back as they left the lawyers and associates in the conference room.

“I’m surprised,” Frank said over his martini. “Minnie insisted you’d give a little more, and I was convinced you were stuck on the original offer.”

“I was stuck on the original offer,” Hunter admitted. “I even considered pulling the deal.”

“What stopped you?”

He’d asked himself that question a lot. The answer was simple. “Marriage.” And family . . . Hayden, a figure who had yet to make his way into his life. “I want to work smarter, Frank. This merger, if managed properly, is going to make us very wealthy men.”

“You’re already wealthy.”

Hunter offered half a smile. “Can you ever have enough?”

Frank sucked back his drink, waved to the bartender for another. “I don’t know. I’ll tell you when I get there.”

“We don’t have to make a decision now, but I’d like to open offices here. A location dedicated solely to this project.”

“You’re considering relocating?” Frank asked.

“No. I’ll oversee my operation from LA. I’d place a point man, one I trust, on this end. There’s going to be a lot of activity in the beginning . . . probably for the next five to ten years. Flying back and forth—”

“You don’t have to explain. I have a wife. Just wait until you and Gabi have a child. Complicates everything.”

“I’m sure it does.”

“I like the idea, Hunter. Let me know what I can do here.”

“I will.”

The entire living room was filled with the fresh scent of pine. Two guys hoisted the tree into the middle of the room and awaited Gabi’s instruction. She only had half a day to complete her task. Christmas was still two and a half weeks away, but Mrs. Claus was busy with a house full of elves.

A crew was unloading her selections for dining room, living room, two guest bedrooms, the remainder of the master suite, and the beginnings of a nursery. People scrambled in every direction. On top of the furniture, Gabi insisted that Christmas arrive early. She’d hired a professional decorator, one Samantha had used in the past. There had to be a dozen college-aged kids working like the crew at the White House.

“Mrs. Blackwell?”

Felicia ran the crew of decorators, and called for her attention. “Is this where you want the tree?”

The twenty-foot Douglas fir was still miles from scraping the ceiling. “Mind the fireplace. I don’t want to burn the place down before we have a chance to host our first party.”

Felicia directed those holding the tree to move the tree closer to the window.

Gabi turned to the sound of her name. “Yes, Andrew?”

“You need to sign off on the bedroom delivery.”

She followed him into the hall, while one of the many workers wiggled around her, lamp in hand. The first guest room was set, sans the final touches. Bags of delivered bedding sat in a heap in the corner. The bed was set, tables . . . the flat screen was fixed to the wall, and an attendant from the electronic department making sure it was operable.

Gabi ran her hand over the iron bed with a smile. “It’s perfect.” She signed the papers shoved in front of her and the delivery crew moved to the next room.

“I’m almost done here, Mrs. Blackwell. Where is the next one going?”

Gabi pointed toward the retreating crew. “Just follow them.”

The twentysomething kid winked and continued to wire the television.

Cooper caught her as she entered the dining room. Three smaller pine trees were in the corner, all in varied sizes. Two college kids were placing lights and giggling. “Neil is on the phone. He wants to speak with you.”

Gabi rolled her eyes but took her security guard’s phone from his hand. “Yes, Neil?”

“My last count was twenty-six breaches in security running around the house.”

“I have a crew of five more arriving any minute to climb on ladders and set up the outside lights, too.”

“Gabi. This isn’t a joke.”

“It’s one day, Neil. One day with so many people running around there is no possible way I’m going to be harmed. Cooper is right here, Solomon is outside watching everyone as they come and go.”

“Twenty-six to two.”

The lights on the smaller trees were plugged in. “Oh, those are lovely. Thanks, girls.”

“Gabi?”

“Mostly college kids, Neil. Happy for the temporary work. I’m fine.”

“Mrs. Blackwell?”

Gabi swiveled toward her name. “I gotta go.” She handed the phone back to Cooper and went back to the job at hand. “Andrew, can you be sure and bring out a tub of bottled water? Maybe we should have the deli send over some sandwiches.”

Andrew turned away, phone in hand.

Now that the tree was in the right position, the living room furniture was being bumped through the mess of people and set in place. “More to the right.”

The men shuffling the furniture didn’t argue, merely moved it and sat back, waiting for her direction.

“Mrs. Blackwell?” The heavy accent of one of the deliverymen called her name.

“Yes?” She looked up at him.