Caylee walked into the upscale South Beach restaurant, and stepped up to the podium to give her name to the hostess, then saw Jack waving to her from one of the tables. The man he was seated with stood up and turned around, and Caylee felt the smile break out on her face.
"Never mind," she said to the hostess. "I see my party now."
Moments later Jack's grandfather enveloped her in a big hug.
"JB! Jack didn't tell me you coming to town," she said as she greeted the original Jonathon Berrington, Sr. Jack was the third generation to carry that name.
"We wanted to surprise you," JB said. "So tell me, Caylee," he asked as all three took their seats, "how do you like it working with my boy Jack here?"
"Granddad, you're embarrassing her. Besides," Jack said with a laugh, "she's hardly going to tell you what she really thinks with me sitting right in front of her."
"Sure I am." Caylee smiled. "Because the truth is, I absolutely love it here."
JB leaned in closer. "You can tell me the truth later. We'll have lunch."
Caylee laughed. "Honest. I'm serious. Moving to Miami was the best decision I ever made."
"Well, that's a glowing recommendation, for the city and the new job. Are you sure there isn't something else making you so happy here? A young man, perhaps?"
"JB. Can't a woman just be happy about a great city and a great new job?"
"Sure she can," JB said, patting her hand. "Now tell about the young man you've been seeing."
She shot an accusing look at Jack. "What did you tell him?"
"I might of mentioned that Tito Martinez was joining us tonight. And you seem to be seeing quite a lot of him since you got here."
She narrowed her eyes at Jack, who was after all the person who specifically asked her to spend time with Tito and, in Jack's words, polish him up. Not that that was why she'd been spending time with him.
"I thought you were bringing him along tonight," Jack said.
"No, you suggested I invite Tito, but unfortunately he had a late meeting tonight. He's going to text me later and maybe meet us for a drink if it's not too late."
"Tito Martinez," JB said. "That's your partner Ritchie's brother-in-law, isn't it Jack?"
"That's right."
"I met Ritchie and Maria at the wedding, but I don't remember her brother being there."
"No," Caylee said, "he was out of town meeting with some task force set up by the ACLU."
"That's right," JB said. "He's the one with that program for juvenile offenders. The one Bailey got the job at."
"Yes."
"Well, I hope I get a chance to meet him. Might be past my bedtime tonight though by the time we finish dinner and get back to your place. Speak of weddings, where is your wife tonight? Thought she'd be joining us."
"Bailey's at the same meeting Tito is," Caylee said, and JB laughed.
"Here I thought it was the lawyers that work those long hours, and I've got the two of you right here."
"We're making an exception for you, Granddad," Jack said drily. "Otherwise I'd have Caylee chained to her desk in the office."
Jack looked up, then nodded and started to rise. "Speaking of law work, a client of mine just spotted me. I need to go over over and say hello. I'll just be a minute."
"You do that," JB said. "Caylee and I will take good care of these appetizers." Then he added in an exaggerated whisper before Jack was out of earshot, "Now you can tell me what you really think of that law firm."
Caylee laughed. "You always were my favorite. Ever since my mom married Jack's mother's third cousin and I became part of the family."
"You know you're like a granddaughter to me."
He picked up one of the fancy appetizers from the plate on the table, then set it back down and seemed to pale slightly.
"What is it, JB?" Caylee was instantly alert.
"No, no, it's nothing," he said, waving her down as she started to get up, then reaching into his breast pocket to pull out a small vial of pills, unscrewing the top, and taking one. He followed it with a long drink of water while Caylee watched carefully, wondering if she ought to go find Jack, but not wanting to leave JB alone.
"I'm better now," JB said. "Really."
"What's going on?"
"Can you keep it between us?"
"I don't know. That depends on what you tell me."
"I don't want to worry Jack. It's just a touch of angina, and I forgot to take my medicine earlier."
"How many medicines are you on?"
"Two. Three if you count the baby aspirin I take at bedtime. But just two prescription. One to lower my cholesterol and the other is a, what do they call it, a beta-blocker. That's the one that's supposed to prevent the angina pain."
"Let me guess. That's the one you forgot to take."
"It's not a big deal. Preventative only."
Caylee gave him a hard look. "Yeah, I imagine preventing a heart attack would be a good idea."
"Come on now, Caylee, don't make me sorry I told you, Besides, it's mostly just lifestyle changes. Watching what I eat. Getting a little exercise."
JB looked off to the side. "Here comes Jack. Keep quiet now. I don't want to worry him."
"More like you don't want him fussing over you," Caylee said under her breath, but she obliged and changed the subject.
"So how long are you staying in Miami, JB?"
The server showed up just then to deliver their meals, so JB waited.
Then he looked first at Caylee and then at Jack. "Well, now," he said, "to tell you the truth, I'm thinking of making this a permanent move."
Caylee got out of her chair and walked around the table to give him a hug. "I can't think of anything I'd like more than having you here in my new town."
"You're serious?" Jack said. "You'd relocate here permanently?"
"Now don't get all worried. I'm not going to move in with you and your wife."
"You'd be more than welcome. We've got plenty of space."
"Just what a pair of newlyweds need," JB commented. "One of their grandfathers to move in. No, Jack, I'm going to start looking round for a nice condo. One with a view of the water and the downtown. I don't expect they're too hard to find."
"You know," Jack said, leaning forward, you're not getting any younger, Granddad. I don't like the idea of you living alone. You really should consider moving in with Bailey and me."
"I appreciate it, but no." And he set his jaw in a stubborn line, one that Caylee recognized. She'd seen the same exact look on Jack's face and, for that matter, on his father's face as well.
"All right." Jack settled back in his chair, then speared one of the shrimp on his plate and chewed it thoughtfully. " If that's what you want, then I'll do a little research on some senior independent living communities where you can get a little help with-"
JB's expression went steely. "Don't you dare suggest I move into one of those assisted living facilities. I may be old, young man, but I'm not dead yet."
"Sorry," Jack deadpanned, "I'll just cancel that appointment with the cemetery. Although it was such a a lovely plot under a shade tree."
"Very funny," JB said, but Caylee could see his irritation was giving way to humor. "But I'm serious. No assisted living facility. And no senior living community. I want to be around young people. People of all ages. I didn't come down here to die, for heavens sakes. I'm moving here because two of my favorite people live here, and they're both sitting right at this table." He gestured at Jack with his fork. "Don't make me change that to one, young man."
"Sir, you can live anywhere you want. Just promise me you'll get some help in to do the cleaning and some cooking."
"Do I look like an idiot?" JB asked. "I've never cleaned a house in my life. Do you honestly think I'm going to start now? Of course I'll have somebody come in."
"Okay, then, it's settled. I'll call up a real estate agent I know, and take you out looking this weekend."
"Actually," Caylee said, "would you mind if I did that instead?"
They both stared at her.
"You don't know anything about real estate in Miami," Jack began.
"Exactly," Caylee said. "That's why I'll call a realtor. You can give me the name of the one you recommend." She turned to JB. "I need to find a place myself. I've been staying with Sam and Camilla and their family temporarily, but I need to get my own place. I'm thinking of renting a condo. With my new job, I don't have time to do any outside maintenance or gardening, so I know I don't want to live in a house. I want someplace with all the amenities. Health club, pool, that kind of thing." And damn good security, preferably with a doorman or someone else monitoring access to the building.
And if she was in the same building, she could keep an eye on JB without hurting his pride. Because the angina he'd described was troubling, and his refusal to talk to Jack about it even more so. He was probably afraid Jack would try to talk him out of buying a regular condo, and into a situation where there was more support.
And the fiercely independent JB would hate it.
"Well, that sounds great," JB was saying, "and it will give us a chance to catch up."
"Now," he said, "lets talk about what we're going to order for dessert," leaving Caylee to wonder whether his doctor might have to have another word with him about those lifestyle changes.
Before they left, Caylee firmed up plans to meet up with JB on Saturday for a healthy breakfast at one of the cafés on Ocean Drive, followed by a day of condo-hunting.
She was liking the idea of finding space for herself in the same building more and more. Then a crazy idea hit her that make her laugh out loud as soon as go back to the pool house. Should she do it? It would solve several problems. But was it too crazy?
She tossed her purse on the chair and slipped off her shoes as a text came in from Tito. Just finished my meeting. You still out?
Nope, just got back, she texted.
Seconds later her phone rang.
"Hey Tito. How'd the meeting go?"
"Really well. But really long. I wish I could delegate these to Bailey, but she says my real life experience in the juvenile justice system and then being tried as an adult and put in prison while I was still a teenager, is what closes the deal."
"She's probably right."
"Yeah. Sorry I missed the dinner. Who was Jack was picking up at the airport, anyway?"
"His grandfather."
"That's nice." There was a long pause. "I made a decision about Eleanor."
"Speaking of grandparents," Caylee said, taking the phone into the bedroom so she could stretch out on the bed while she talked to him. It had been a long day.
"I'm not ready to think of her as family, by any means. But I've decided to take her up on her offer to move in for three months and get to know each other."
"I think that's the right decision. Did you talk to Maria?"
Tito made a low laugh. "Yeah, that didn't go particularly well."
"He hurt her," she said, and they both know who she was referring to.
"Yeah. But I can't let let worrying about her feelings keep me from doing what I know is right. She'll come around. I'm moving this weekend. That way it's done, but I get a little break a week later when we do the sailing thing with the OFC kids."
"Seriously? You're moving in with her, that fast?"
"Yes, seriously. If I'm going to do it I might as well just dive in."
"That's interesting." Caylee felt her lips curve in a smile. "Because I'm actually thinking of having an octogenarian roommate of my own."
Author's Note: Is Caylee seriously thinking about actually sharing a condo with JB? Why would she want to do that?