Crazy Ever After Read Online Free PDF

in San Francisco, Parker had traveled down there to help her find a place and get settled. He’d been thrilled when she’d wanted to work at Cedar Mill Coffee Company after college, although frustrated when she’d insisted on working her way up on her own. Travis knew Parker hoped she’d come home to Portland and work there with him, maybe move into the executive ranks some day when she had more experience.
    He couldn’t help but watch her as she smoothed the napkin over her bare knees, and he deliberately took the seat adjacent to her so he didn’t have to look directly at her. Dayna sat in her usual spot.
    “Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Dayna asked her daughter, reaching for a platter.
    Travis’s stomach growled at the scent of the food. There’d been no time for lunch. After hastily rearranging his schedule and cancelling meetings, he’d flown from L. A. to Portland and had gone straight to the office there to make sure staff was all told what had happened and everything was okay. Many of them were in shock, especially Parker’s assistant, Paulette, who’d worked for him for fifteen years. Travis had sent her home.
    Then he’d come here to see Dayna, knowing she would be devastated by the news, and waited for Samara to arrive, annoyed at how hungry he was to see her, how just hearing her voice on the phone that morning had aroused all kinds of memories.
    “I’m not that hungry,” Samara said. “But it smells awesome.”
    “Ava makes the best roast chicken,” Dayna said.
    She helped herself to some of the meat from the platter and passed it to Travis. He piled his plate up and passed it to Samara, who took it without even looking at him. They all scooped up servings of the yellow beans and carrots, the tiny little potatoes dotted with parsley and gleaming with butter, and the golden lemony gravy that accompanied the chicken. Travis dug in hungrily but after a few minutes he realized the two women were just playing with their food, pushing it around, cutting it up and eating tiny bites.
    He watched Dayna glance repeatedly at Samara, as if she still couldn’t believe she was there. “Tell me about your life, Samara,” Dayna invited softly. “Do you like living in San Francisco?”
    “I love it,” she answered, pushing a piece of chicken around her plate. “It’s a wonderful city. There’s so much to do.”
    “Well, it’s much bigger than Portland.” Dayna rolled her lips in briefly, looked down at her plate. “And your job? Are you enjoying it? Dad said you’re doing so well.”
    Travis knew that. He, sadly, had followed every step of her career with Cedar Mill, from the days when she’d been a barista at the store on Northwest Broadway when she was still in high school. During college, she’d been a shift supervisor at one of their San Francisco stores, allowing her to work part time while going to school but still get to know the business from the retail ground up. After college, she’d started in the San Francisco regional office and had already been promoted a couple of times.
    “It’s going great. I love working there.” Samara looked down at her own plate, her fork still.
    “You always did have an interest in the business,” Dayna said. “And a passion for coffee. I’m glad it’s working for you.” She lowered her gaze to the table. “Your father was so proud of you. And I am too.”
    Samara stared down at her plate mutely. Travis repressed a sigh.
    Dayna changed the subject. “I guess tomorrow we’ll go the funeral home and make the arrangements.”
    Samara nodded. “Do you know what kind of funeral Dad wanted?”
    “No. He was only fifty-two years old. Who would have thought he was going to die?” Dayna’s voice choked a little bit. She paused, her fingers tightening on her fork. “I know he hates...I mean, he hated organ music. And he said once that he wanted a big party.”
    Samara’s mouth dropped open, and she snapped it shut. “A party?”
    Dayna nodded.