Moonlight on Monterey Bay Read Online Free PDF Page B

determination that sent Eeyore scurrying for a safe haven in the bedroom, she sat down at her dining-room table with a pencil and pad and began to work. Before she got up to stretch for the first time, the sky was lightening over the hills—and all her pads of paper were filled.
    Maddie was on a roll.
    A week later, and a full week ahead of schedule, she express-mailed a thick packet of plans to Eastland Enterprises, care of Eleanor, took a deep breath, and said to Joseph, “Okay, cross your fingers, your toes, and get out the statue of St. Anthony.”
    “Patron saint of lost causes?”
    “
Difficult
causes, not lost. We’re going to get this one, Joseph, or go down fighting.”
    Sam Eastland stood with his palms flat on the shiny surface of his conference table, looking at the neat drawings spread out in front of him.
    “What do you think?” Eleanor asked, coming up behind him.
    Sam flexed his shoulders. “Why did Oceanic send two sets?” He pointed to the folder not yet opened.
    “They didn’t. The second is from Madeline Ames at Ocean Interiors.” She threatened him into silence with her scowl. “Don’t say a single word until you’ve looked at them. This woman is a breath of fresh air, Sam, and that’s exactly what that place needs. Come here, look at this.”
    Sam shoved his hands into his suit pants and glowered at Eleanor. She was the one person on earth he couldn’t silence, and her stubborn streak was as strong as his own. He could tell from the tone of her voice that he was in for a fight. He glanced at his watch and thought about the meeting with the mayor in an hour. “Ten minutes, Eleanor, that’s it.”
    “Good. Now, here, these are the rough ideas from Oceanic.”
    Sam glanced down at the architectural drawings of the rooms of his house, filled with neat pieces of furniture, then over to the details of the furnishings. It all looked familiar, the flowered upholstered sofa and matching high-backed chairs in navy and plums, the beautiful ornately framed paintings, the heavy master-bedroom set. Formal, expensive, and beautiful. Exactly the way Elizabeth had decorated every room they had ever spent three minutes in.
    “Okay. This is fine, Eleanor.”
    Eleanor nodded. She scooped up all the papers and placed them neatly into a folder, then quicklyspread out the next set. This time each room was a painting and outlines of furniture were brushed in. Plants, dozens of them, were there as well. It was impressionistic, but a feeling rose up from the papers.
    Eleanor watched him scan the collection, room by room, then go back to the painting in the center. It was a young girl’s bedroom, more defined than the others, and bright and fresh and practically smelling of sunshine. A wicker bed with puffy pillows in rainbow colors took center stage and in one corner was a rocking chair stuffed full of dolls. Built-in bookshelves were filled with books, toy sailboats, softballs and soccer balls, and a miniature fishing pole. “What the—” Sam’s voice was ragged, caught in the fantasy of the room and the emotion of the moment. It was a five-year-old girl’s dream room.
    “I think it’s lovely,” Eleanor said behind him.
    Sam clenched his jaw, forced his attention to the other sketches. “It’s a damn jungle. There’re plants everywhere.”
    Maddie heard the tail end of his sentence, but it was the tone of voice that pulled her through the half-open door. “Ahem,” she said, clearing her throat.
    Eleanor smiled warmly at her. “Hello, Maddie.”
    Maddie looked over at Sam. He was still standing at the conference table, but his eyes were on her. She took a deep breath and plunged in. “Those are only ideas, of course. We’ll work from there.” Barging in like this was not the way she usually did business atall. But it was so important to Joseph to get this job that she decided to take the chance. And somehow she knew that being in Sam’s presence would help her cause. There was a powerful