An Invincible Summer (Wyndham Beach), Mariah Stewart [best classic novels TXT] 📗

involved in most issues. The accountants will give you a year-end report, and if you have any questions, they or Alvin can answer them. George will oversee the work product, hiring and firing, but I’m leaving the firm in your hands. If you ever decide to sell it, get an appraisal of what it’s worth, then give George first right of refusal and give him a ten percent discount off the appraised price. You could also decide to simply dissolve it—though that might not be as easy as it sounds. There are steps that would have to be taken. I’m hoping you keep it going as it is, but as we’ve learned over the past few months, you never know what’s around the next corner. Eventually, I’d like to see Gracie become the face of Flynn Law, but she’s not ready to take over. And if you ever, for any reason, feel the need to pull the plug, do it and don’t worry that somehow you’ve let me down. You’re the one who has to live with this from now on. Don’t be afraid to move on, Maggie. You’ll know when—and if—something needs to be done, and you’ll do the right thing.”

She’d done the right thing by effectively doing very little. She looked over the reports Alvin and George sent her quarterly, asked the occasional question, and went into the office on the first Monday of every month mostly to remind the firm’s employees that there was still a Flynn at the helm.

It drove her crazy that Zach was still there after he’d left her daughter so suddenly. He always managed to be out of the office on the days Maggie would be in, or he’d make himself very scarce so at least she didn’t have to look at him. She still had no clue as to why he’d dumped Grace the way he had, how he could have fallen out of love with her, as he claimed, so soon after Art’s death. Had he been banking on Art leaving the firm outright to Grace—and therefore through marriage to him? Had he been so disappointed in Art’s decision to leave the firm to Maggie that he’d taken it out on Grace? She might not ever know.

Maggie accomplished what she’d set out to do that morning, meeting with Alvin and George to arrange for the firm to underwrite several scholarships for students who excelled in their work at the local community college.

“I’d like the money from the stipend the firm pays me as CEO to be used for tuition and books for the two-year college, and if the recipients maintained an A average, tuition, books, and room and board for the final two years at a four-year college,” she told them.

“That’s very generous of you,” Alvin said. “I know Art mentioned several times he wanted to do something along these lines, but are you sure . . . ?”

“Positive. Art left me more than enough to live comfortably,” she told them. “I believe he would have wanted me to do this.”

The two men looked at each other and nodded.

“Consider it done,” George said.

Pleased, Maggie returned to Art’s old office, where she watered the large snake plant in the corner and the fern on the table next to the sofa. She’d stopped in to see Grace but found she was in court, so with one last glance around the office, Maggie gathered her coat and her bag and locked the door behind her. After she and Lois shared their customary lunch at one of Art’s favorite restaurants, Maggie headed for the afternoon train.

The minute she situated herself in her seat, she called Natalie.

“Mission accomplished,” Maggie said after Natalie answered the phone.

“Mom, that’s incredibly generous. I can’t even begin to tell you what this will mean for Ava.” Natalie had all but wept when Maggie told her what had been agreed to.

“Well, keep in mind we’re awarding two scholarships each year, so if you don’t have another worthy student in mind, you might want to confer with your colleagues.”

“Oh, no, I could recommend any one of a dozen students,” Natalie had said, “but I do have another kid in mind. Thanks a million, Mom.”

“You think on that second recipient, and I’ll contact the college. We should go through them to set this up, though I’m sure there won’t be a problem. A prestigious law firm wants to reward your students with some healthy financial aid, you don’t turn it down. I’ll make the calls in the morning.”

“Dad would have been really happy.”

“Somehow, I think he knows, and he is happy. And he’d have been proud that you made sure this happened. Thanks so much for the reminder, Nat. A scholarship in his name was a dream of his. It’s exactly the sort of thing that became more important to him toward the end of his life.” Maggie cleared her throat, which had tightened at the thought that her late husband might still be taking a peek at the goings-on he’d left behind.

She didn’t know what happened once you left this plane—this dimension, as a self-proclaimed psychic had once referred to life on earth as we knew it—but she hoped wherever Art was, he knew she was doing the best she could, and that he approved. “Now, you remember I’m driving up to Wyndham Beach on Tuesday for the opening of the showing of Jessie Bryant’s paintings at Emma’s art center?”

“And that you asked me to water the plants in the sunroom on Friday? Yes, of course I remembered. Daisy is ready with that little watering can you gave her for Christmas.”

“Bless her little heart,” Maggie murmured.

“So you’re just going to spend like, what, a week up there with Liddy and Emma?”

“More or less a week. I haven’t decided how long yet. I want to see how Liddy feels after the exhibit.” Maggie fell silent. “She’ll need someone to be there for her emotionally. It still eats at her that Jessie died the way she did. Not