He nods. “I think Anna and I both can speak to her if Anna comes with me to my company holiday party. Fiona is very approachable, and she’s an amazing public relations expert.”
“And she’s married to one of the partners at Clear?” Mom asks.
“Yes,” he confirms. “And they’re a great couple. We’re a tight group, so there are lots of partnerships in our ranks. In fact, last Christmas, the other partner, Gage Easton, married his long-time girlfriend, Stella, who’s our office manager.”
As we enter the San Fernando Valley and get closer to Los Angeles, the traffic becomes thicker. I look back at Mom, and she’s staring out the window. “It’s so different from the Bay Area,” I point out.
Mom nods. “I’ve always preferred the weather down here. Your father and I looked at setting up the company here when we first started, but in the end, we decided LA was too big. San Francisco is more compact, and the Bay Area was growing with technology.”
This is news to me. “How did I not know that?”
Mom just shakes her head.
We follow the map app and enjoy a pleasant lunch with another one of my mother’s friends. She’ll be coming to the desert in a few weeks, and they make plans to see one another.
After lunch, we finally begin our approach to Palm Springs. As we exit the interstate, Clay contacts his father’s property management company, and they tell him someone will be there to meet us.
Downtown Palm Springs is lively, and it’s easy to forget that every tree—palm or not—and every piece of greenery is here because it was deliberately planted. You’d never guess there was a water shortage. Finally, we pull up in front of Clay’s father’s townhouse. It’s white stucco with a terra cotta tile roof. The minimalist front yard is centered on a saguaro cactus standing as tall as Clay, which is surrounded by beautiful flowering cacti and other native plants. Beyond that there’s a seating area under a covered porch.
Clay walks up and rings the bell. The door swings open, and a man grins. “Welcome to Palm Springs!”
“Dad,” Clay sputters. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought it would be fun to surprise you. There’s plenty of room for all of us, and I can show your guests around.”
If I had to guess, based on his face, Clay would prefer to tell us to get back in the car, but instead, he opens his arms to Mom and me, gesturing for us to enter.
“Dad, this is Felicity Standing and her daughter, Anna.” He turns to us. “Ladies, this is my father, Hamish McGrath.”
I can see a strong resemblance between Clay and his father. Hamish’s blond hair is partially gray at the temples, and he has a lot of laugh lines. I’m sure he’s enjoyed life to its fullest.
Mom extends her hand. “Thank you so much for welcoming us to your lovely home.”
“Come on in and take a load off,” Clay’s father says. “I had some groceries delivered, so we can have a nice drink and a nibble by the pool out back.”
“Thank you. A drink by the pool would be lovely,” Felicity says.
Clay looks at me and mouths, “Sorry.”
I smile at him. This may be a bit unexpected, but I’m not going to complain.
“Let me take you to your rooms.” Hamish picks up mom’s suitcase and huffs it up the stairs without any struggle.
Clay grabs my bag, and we follow.
Hamish sets down Mom’s suitcase. “This here is the room with the best view. It has its own full bathroom.”
Mom steps into the beautiful room, designed in natural colors and rich wood accents. On the dresser is a lovely succulent garden.
“It still may be a bit warm,” Hamish warns. “I only got here this morning to get the air going.”
Mom smiles. “It’s just fine.”
Hamish waves to us. “How about you two in the guest rooms with the adjoining bath?” He leans in close to me as we walk down the hall. “What you do behind closed doors is up to you.”
“Dad,” Clay warns.
“What? I walked in on you with a girl when you were fourteen and she was practically eighteen. I’m not stupid.” He shrugs. “You’re an adult. You can do what you want.”