The Reunion by Meghan Quinn
PROLOGUE
TO: Family and Friends
FROM: Cooper Chance
SUBJECT: 50th Wedding Anniversary You’re invited to celebrate the 50th wedding Anniversary of Peggy and Martin.
Food and drinks.
Music.
Fun.
Party is at the original Watchful Wanderers store.
Sunday, June 2nd.
RSVP to Cooper Chance—just reply to this email No presents.
TO: Cooper Chance, Ford Chance FROM: Palmer Chance
SUBJECT: Re: 50th Wedding Anniversary Bro,
Please do not tell me you just sent a wedding anniversary invite through an email? Did that just happen?
Palmer—your not-so-happy sister
TO: Palmer Chance, Ford Chance FROM: Cooper Chance
SUBJECT: I Did
TO: Cooper Chance, Ford Chance FROM: Palmer Chance
SUBJECT: Re: I Did
You know I hate it when you respond in the subject line. It’s more work to delete the subject line and type in your response, than to just reply in the body of the email.
But ignoring that, what happened to the beautiful linen invites I picked out? You can’t just send an email for Mom and Dad’s 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. We look so . . . uncultured.
TO: Palmer Chance, Ford Chance FROM: Cooper Chance
SUBJECT: Re: I Did
The invites you wanted to purchase were going to be twelve dollars a pop. TWELVE dollars, Palmer. That’s a waste of money, a waste of resources, and just a useless way to kill more trees. Also, while you’re out galivanting around the world, who do you think was going to have to address all of those?
Me.
So, I did what was easiest. Sent an email. If you don’t like it, too bad.
TO: Cooper Chance, Ford Chance FROM: Palmer Chance
SUBJECT: Re: I Did
You realize the family owns a multi-billion dollar, franchised, outdoors store, right? Twelve dollars an invite is a blip in the pool of gold Mom and Dad are sitting in. Now we look like cheap asses who send out a wedding anniversary invitation through email. You’re an editor, but you didn’t even beef up the text. You made bullet points.
Food.
Drinks.
Music.
Fun.
^^^ Yup, screams fun, Coop.
TO: Palmer Chance, Ford Chance FROM: Cooper Chance
SUBJECT: Re: I Did
Once again, if you’re not here, you can’t have an opinion.
TO: Cooper Chance, Palmer Chance FROM: Ford Chance
SUBJECT: Re: I did
Just catching up.
The invitation is less than ideal, especially for such a large and monumental event in our parents’ lives, parents who have given us every opportunity to succeed in life. I think we need to treat this anniversary with a little more appreciation and a little less complaining about the time and effort we have to put forth in order to make it happen.
I just spoke with Larkin and she is ordering the linen invites, having them shipped overnight, and we will have them sent out ASAP. We will treat the email as a funny save the date. I will reply all and tell everyone to expect a formal invitation in the mail.
Larkin and I will be flying out to Washington on Tuesday. We will be working up until the anniversary party on some very time-consuming tasks. Please be conscious of our time and energy.
I’ll be sure to have Larkin schedule in some meetings to go over all party arrangements as well as time with the family, but we won’t be staying with Mom and Dad. We booked two rooms at the Marina Island Bed and Breakfast, one being the attic suite so we can conduct business in private.
Please send your itineraries to Larkin and any requests so she can schedule them in.
Thank you.
Ford
CHAPTER ONE
FORD
“Larkin, did you get the invitations sent out?” I call from my desk as I type out a quick email to our head of marketing. I was supposed to receive mock-ups for our rebranding by end of day. It’s end of day, and there are no mock-ups.
“I did.” Larkin sweeps into my office, tablet in hand and blue light–blocking glasses perched on her nose. “They were sent out at lunchtime. The calligraphist did an impeccable job on the addresses. And as an added touch, I took one of the pictures from your parents’ recent photo shoot and made it into a stamp.”
I smile. “Did you make sure to send them one?” Larkin nods with a knowing glint in her eye. “They’ll get a kick out of that.”
“I also got word from your housekeeper that your bags are all packed, your suits are freshly pressed, and the remaining food in your fridge has been taken care of so nothing goes bad while you’re gone for the next month.”
“Great. And have you heard from marketing about the mock-ups? I drafted an email to ask where they are but thought I would check with you first.”
She clutches her tablet to her chest. “Yes, they brought them to me early this afternoon, but they were missing color swatches and a few other things I knew you would ask for, so I asked them for a redo. I told them I’d stay late to grab them so we can bring them with us on the trip tomorrow.”
“I can stay late—you don’t have to. I’m sure you have to go home and pack.”
“I woke up this morning and packed in preparation for late mock-ups.” She smiles, and I can’t help but shake my head.