It was agreed that they would all meet at Sawyer's house before lunch the next day, and Ophelia was the only one there when Shay arrived.
"Where's Momma?" Shay asked as Phee let her into the house.
"She says she's running a little late but should be here in a bit," Phee responded as she led the way to the kitchen.
Ophelia had been Reyna Richard's personal assistant for over four years before she and her brother, Sullivan, had decided that they were madly in love with each other. There were times that Shay felt her mother was closer to Phee than herself, but she couldn't hold that against Phee because she had turned out to be a missing link that their family needed. She was a great secret keeper and mediator. Without her, their family might not be as close as they were.
"You missed dinner last week?" Phee asked as she poured them both a glass of iced tea.
"Yes, I was invited to my new friend, LouLou's house, for dinner." Shay smiled.
"Well, you missed a few things. Pops has begun a new movie. He is playing an undiagnosed autistic man in the 1950s who is ostracized by his community because no one understands him. Everyone agrees that it will be an Oscar-winning performance."
"But, I hear a but in there," Shay sat at the counter across from Phee.
"But, your brothers decided to test his dedication to his craft of method acting by working a crossword together." Phee grinned.
"Why would playing an autistic character keep Pops from working a crossword?"
"The character is non-verbal." Phee shook her head. "Pops looked as if he would burst when they kept getting the wrong answers. It lasted the entire evening."
Sawyer and Sullivan always made bets about which one could get their father to break character first, but now it sounded as if they were teaming up.
"They're teaming up now! That can't be fair to poor pops!" Shay shook her head. "What else did I miss?"
"Reyna has chosen the first site for the new hospital. It will be in Togo, West Africa."
Reyna and Pops had been in a sailing accident a few years before, and Reyna had suffered severe head trauma during the incident. Reyna and Pops had been off the coast of Florida, and the Coast Guard had flown in, saving the day by pulling them off the boat to safety. The entire event made a lasting impact on Reyna.
Reyna knew she was lucky that the accident had happened in a location where good healthcare was abundant. It made her wonder what would have happened to her if she had been in a place where access to hospitals and doctors wasn't readily available. The outcome of her musings was that during her year and a half of recovery, she founded a non-profit dedicated to making healthcare available to everyone no matter where they lived in the world.
Her first order of business had been to hire Phee as the director of the non-profit.
"That sounds exciting. When will the groundbreaking happen?" Shay sipped her tea, envious that Phee would get to lead such an exciting project.
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about-" The doorbell rang, cutting Phee off before she could get to the point.
"Your mother wouldn't ring the doorbell," Phee said as she moved through the hall to open the door with Shay on her heels.
The door opened to a lovely young woman in a business suit. She had strawberry blond hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail, and her face had a light dusting of freckles over an upturned nose. She looked wholesome and sweet.
"I'm here to meet Reyna Richards?" the woman said to Phee.
To Shay's surprise, Phee held open the door and invited her in. "You're Lieutenant Elyse Moore, aren't you?" Phee greeted.
"Yes," the woman said as she stepped past Phee and looked around the house, taking stock of her surroundings.
"Shay, this is the pilot that saved your mother. She's with the Coast Guard." Phee explained as she closed the door.
"Come in. We were having tea in the kitchen." Phee led the way to the back of the house.
"I don't mean to be rude," Elyse said, shaking her head at the offer of tea, "but why am I here?"
Phee looked at her watch. "I should really let Reyna explain. She should be here soon."
An uncomfortable silence descended as the three women stood looking at one another.
"Why is everyone always at my house?" Sawyer's voice said from behind the three women, who all turned at the same time to look at him.
"Because you have the best one," Phee said calmly.
Shay watched her brother's expression turn from annoyed, to shock, to shuttered as he took in the three of them.
"You remember Lieutenant Elyse Moore, don't you?" Phee asked, watching Sawyer carefully.
Shay got the impression that there was another conversation running just under the surface of the actual one.
"I do. Lieutenant Moore," Sawyer greeted. "I'm sure my sister Shay and Ophelia have introduced themselves?" Sawyer looked at Phee with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, no! We didn't. How rude of us." Phee said as he held out her hand to Elyse. "I'm Ophelia, but everyone calls me Phee, and this is Shayne Richards."
Elyse took Phee's hand and shook it. Shayne, who was always hesitant of strangers, simply nodded her greeting.
"What's this about?" Sawyer asked as he looked between the three women.
"Don't worry about that, Sawyer," Reyna said from the doorway as she took in the little scene.
"Let's move to the living room where we can talk in comfort." She suggested before she turned, expecting to be followed.
Reyna looked her best in a custom-made suit with a matching clutch and scarf. When Sawyer moved to join them in the living room, Reyna placed a hand on his arm, stopping him.
"Not you, dear." She placed a kiss on his cheek. "Please close the door behind you."
Sawyer looked at all four women once more before turning and leaving the room without a murmur of protest.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Reyna said as she motioned for them all to have a seat. "Thank you for coming all the way up from Florida, Elyse. I may call you Elyse?" She was really turning on the charm.
"Come to the point, Momma. I know you well enough to know that you want something from all of us." Shay leaned back in her seat, acting as if he was non-plussed by the events unfolding around her.
The truth was that she was intrigued about why she was there and the underlying vibe in the room.
"It's simple. I want you both to come and work for my non-profit. I want my daughters to run the company."
"I'm not your daughter yet," Phee smiled.
"I'm not your daughter at all," Elyse responded.
Shay looked at Elyse and then Phee, who rubbed her left ear, which meant she was in the circle of trust.
"Look, I'm obviously missing something here that everyone but me knows. Does anyone want to fill me in?" Shay looked at the women, but they all remained silent. "Fine, I'll play along for now."
Shay looked at her mother, who was smiling like the cat that got the crème. "What did you want us to do specifically?"
"Phee is already the Director, but I need a Chief Financial Officer and a Transportation Officer."
Shay felt her heart rate increase. Was Reyna really offering her a job? This could be the answer to everything.
"I'm sorry, I have a job," Elyse said, then moved like she was going to leave.
"Yes, I know, but I talked to that nice man. I believe you call him Commandant? He agreed to have you help me because it would be good press. So, all you have to do, dear, is say yes." Reyna smiled, pleased with herself.
"What if she doesn't want to do it, Momma?" Shay asked, feeling sorry for the poor railroaded Elyse.
"Why wouldn't she want to help set up hospitals for those who need them the most?" Reyna asked, all innocence.
Shay looked at Reyna and frowned. It wasn't like her to be so pushy. "This isn't like you, Momma. What's going on?"
"The truth?" Reyna asked.
"Yes, Momma." Shay was suddenly apprehensive.
"I'm ashamed that I have missed what was right in front of me for so long, and this is a chance to make it right, but I cannot do it without your help. Two years ago, I was coming out of a coma and realizing that I had so much more living to do, and part of living my best life is to help everyone I love live their best lives." Reyna had tears in her eyes.
"But what makes you so sure that this is what will give Elyse and me our best lives. Isn't that our choice?" Shay watched her mother closely.
"So, you're saying no?" Reyna's face fell, and Shay couldn't tell if it was an act or not.
"No, I'm definitely on board. This is the perfect time for me, or it will be in a few weeks. What I don't approve of is how you have railroaded poor Elyse into joining you. She can't say no." Shay shook her head. "You were never one to use your celebrity to get your way."
"It's fine," Elyse said, standing. "My job is to go where the government sends me."
"I want people I can trust, and I know I can trust you." Reyna stood and joined Elyse, taking her hands in her own. "You saved my husband's and my life. I want to return the favor and save yours. I'll move heaven and earth for the people I love."
Shay watched as a meaningful moment passed between Elyse and Reyna as they stood holding hands.
What did her mother mean, 'for the people she loved'? Did she love Elyse for having saved her life?"
Elyse broke contact with her mother and turned to leave. "I'll wait for my orders."
The other three women watched as Elyse left the room, closing the door behind her.
"I thought you were going to hire Wright Financial to handle all of the money?" Shay worried her bottom lip.
"I was, but Nathan suggested that I hire you instead. He said you were one of the best he had ever seen with numbers and was sure you could handle it all. I'm just ashamed that I never thought of it myself." Reyna turned to her daughter with a heartfelt smile. "Please don't be mad at me for needing Nathan to tell me that you were perfect for the job. I know that you are wonderful, but I never thought of you as a numbers person before."
Shay gave a sad smile as she stood and moved to hug her mother. "It's alright, Momma. I don't exactly wear my heart on my sleeve or keep you updated on what is going on in my life."
"Maybe we can change that?" Reyna asked hopefully.
"I think we can, and this will be the perfect start."
Shay couldn't blame any of her family for not knowing her. She had always held them at arms-length, but perhaps now was the time to make a change.