The very enterprising Edie encountered her at the portal. "Sorry, nothing new." She paused, unsure of how to proceed. Not wanting to add to her burden.
Seeing her quandary. "What is it, Edie?" Kendall inquired soothingly.
"The papers for the casino, our returns, the like. Do you want to handle the signatures?" The former Ms. Hart smiled cordially.
"Yes, I would. No mater how I may forget the world doesn't revolve around Zach and Will." Edie laughed with her. "Besides, we can't let the Slater empire crumble like Rome, can we?"
"No, we can't." The eminent woman agreed with a soft giggle.
"Oh, I almost forgot."
"Yes, Kendall?" The assistant taunt for action.
Mrs. Slater grinned at her readiness. "If you like, feel free to use the executive suite. I'm sure you want to be at the hub of things with Zach gone..." She could barely get the word out. "Indefinitely. Edie, I know, my husband is more than a boss to you, he's a friend. You'll want to be close to the source of new information."
A look of pure gratitude flooded her sharp features. "Thank you, Kendall. I do."
"Edie, you've more than earned the right to call Zach a friend." She laid a friendly hand on the other's arm.
"You don't know what this means to me." Edie stated tearfully.
"And you don't know how valuable you are to him...to us." She gave that arm a squeeze. "Thank you." She replied and she was gone.
Kendall made her way to a very harried Ethan, who smiled warmly at her.
"How's the little guy?"
She smiled at the thought of her son. "Blissfully ignorant which is what I want to be right now." He nodded his wholehearted agreement. "Oh, before I forget I offered the executive suite to Edie. Thought..."
"She want to be adjacent to this?" He finished for her as he pointed around the bustling room.
"Yeah."
"The way she works for Dad and ...of course, you, she does deserve this." He admitted. "I'm sure she brought you up to speed."
Kendall inclined her head . "Yeah, no news." She answered forlornly. "I've been calling some of my business contacts in hopes they could point us in the right
direction. All the correct people are currently on their way to search for him and that bloody plane. When they get there they'll start their examination. I've been calling them to make sodding sure that they'll do all they bloody well can to find him."
"I'm sure you are doing everything you can. Thank you!"
"You don't have to thank me, Kendall. He's my father!" He proclaimed shocked as turns to her.
"Come on, Ethan. The Ethan Ramsey of three years ago would not have lifted his finger to look for his father." She placed a calming hand on his arm.
"That Ethan didn't know his father."
"True, nor would he have cared to." She countered matter of fact.
And he nearly missed out on a full life." Ethan answered wistfully as he pushed his long fingers through his hair. "You pleaded with me when we were together and I wouldn't listen."
"You're here now. That's all that matters." She alleviated. He smiled gratefully at her.
"You're different now." He exclaimed appreciatively.
She nodded. "I'm a better person now."
"I wouldn't say..."
"I would. Come on, Ethan, it's true. I know it. I'll be the first to tell anyone how being loved the way Zach loves me frees a person."
"Yes, my father's love has done wonders for the both of us." He mused.
"It has." She laughed bitterly. "It's only been a few hours and I thought more than once 'I need to call Zach and he'll take care of it all.' But he can't." She hiccupped a sob. "He's the one in need of help."
"We're going to find him, Kendall." He pledged
"I know." She nodded. "I do. But until then I'm going to be on the edge."
"So am I. So am I."
"Nice to have someone there with me on the edge." She said with a small mischievous grin.
He gathered her slight frame into his protective embrace. "Glad to be of service." He joked.
"For once."
"Ouch." He spoke with faux hurt. Stepping back.
"Poor baby." She jested . It was good to be able to joke with a man she once loved, again. Without any awkwardness, or acrimonious and fear. To be able to relate to him in a contemporary way, as a friend and as family.
"You, Mrs. Slater, are not a nice woman." He mockingly poked his long finger in the air at her.
"Never claimed to be, sir." She stated impetuously, shaking her head.
"At least you know it."
"And enjoy it too!" She giggled shamelessly.
"I bet you do!" He uttered with a hearty laugh. It was nice not to dwell on the horrible fact that the man they both love was missing in action. For Kendall was near her breaking point. Dark thoughts plagued her, thoughts of widowhood, single motherhood, life without the man she adored. Maybe this was the other proverbially shoe to drop. Perhaps what she had thought before consenting to Zach's 'business deal', she was destined to live without live life without love. It was Zach who made her believe in love again. The fairy tale type of love. "Well, now at least I can officially dub you the 'evil' stepmother." He announced.
"I was wondering when you were going to get around to that, Brit-boy!" She responded jokingly. "I guess you're still hoping for a fairy godmother?"
"Yeah, well you know. My order is on back order!"
"I see!" She replied twittering. "Let's hope she gets here very soon! 'Cause I don't know where your father keeps his magic wand."
"What?"
She wagged her head side to side. "Oh, never mind" She paused. "Well, it's just after Thanksgiving from Hell when your Dad and I got divorced."
Ethan expressed his mirth. "How could I bury that Kane-Montgomery family gathering? I don't think the Cambias' could out do Greenlee's function. I'm sure the sodding old man could pull off a doozey too."
"Well, your ever charming father offered to sweep me away to somewhere quiet and tropical. Away from the ills in Pine Valley." She waves away the imaginary bad things.
"For a divorce?"
"It felt more like a honeymoon." She explained. "He asked me if I wanted to get away, to say the word and he would make it happen. I asked him if he had a magic wand..."
"We're going to return the bloody favor, Kendall. Take care of him. It's taken me a long time to see that all he's ever done was take care of me. Even when I didn't want it, he did it anyway. That's why he denied me at first. It's not that he didn't want me around or love me it's the opposite. He was afraid of his bloody father's legacy, he so desperately wanted to be. A good father. Maybe I should be jealous of the wee one, but I'm not. Sure, he'll have all of the father and son moments I never got to experience, but I've learned to be secure in my father's love."
"He does love you, Ethan." His stepmother confirmed.
"I know he does. Honestly I do!"
"Sorry to interrupt, you guys, but..."
"No, Edie please, what is it?" Ethan responded eagerly. Both looked at her expectantly.
"I have good news." She paused for she was overwhelmed herself. "It's not what we wanted to hear but it's a step toward that goal. They finally found the plane." She finished with an elated smile.
"No Zach?" Kendall questioned unsure she wanted the answer.
"There were no bodies in the plane. The plane seemed to be somewhat intact. To be sure from what the on-ground rescue personnel have indicated it would have been a profoundly difficult landing. But they surmise that Zach and the crew could have survived such a crash." Hope blossomed inside of Kendall's chest. "They don't think they could have gone too far, they're probably pretty banged up. So they're fanning out to do a thorough search. Don't know how long it will take the unit, you guys. Sorry!"
"No, you've given us some very good news." Ethan replied happily. "Thank you!"
She smiled at the pair. "Of course." She left them to ingest all she just presented to them.
"Well, that's good news." Ethan sighed.
"Yes it is." exhales Kendall. Her dark visions of dowager-hood began to fade. Visions of a joyful reunion replaced it. "Oh, thank God!" She prayed.
"Kendall, Ethan, I just got word from Marco...the foreman." That another crew is on the premise to discover more from the wreckage. The more the plane tells them, the easier to locate Zach and the others."
"Great." Her boss' son acknowledged stolidly.
"I'll be in his office doing some casino business if you need me..."
"We'll give you a shout." Her pretty boss promised sweetly.
"While I'm gone, May is overseeing everything." She was indicated the busy room.
"Thank you, Edie. You've been absolutely wonderful."
"Thank you. Oh before I forget I put Tom's wife Linda in Suite 1023 with your compliments."
"Wonderful idea. I should have thought of that, the poor woman!" The brunette berated herself.
"You had your own husband to be concerned about. And a young son to take care of. No one blames for not having the presence of mind to be the perfect hostess." She mollified.
"What would we do without you, Edie?" Kendall posed.
"You'll never have to find out, Kendall." She promised with a warm smile. She turned on her heels and trekked towards the corporate elevators, the twosome watched her disappear before turning back toward each other.
"I better go and see about your brother."
"Give the little twirp a peck from his favorite Big Brother and my lovely bride my love!"
His companion smirked. "Will do." She assured before heading toward the patrons elevators. She was grateful for the solitude the ride up to the penthouse provided her. The carefree voice of the Will Slater could be heard from the hallway. "So, My little man is finally awake?" She quipped from the doorway. The toddler's toys were all forgotten, leaping to his feet and running to her.
In the fragrant embrace of pretty Mommy, Will squealed. "Mommy! I missed you!"
"And I missed you, big guy!"
"You did?"
"Of course, I did, you silly!" She said with a laugh. "Did you sleep well?"
"Uh-huh!" He confirmed with an earnest nod.
"Good. Ethan says hi. " A wide grin spread across his tiny handsome face.
"Cool." He replied happily. He loves his older brother. Once a week they do something fun just the two of them. Kendall released her son who bounded joyfully back to his loot. She followed him, joining Myrtle and Simone on the couch.
"Your husband sends his love and adoration." Kendall relayed to her best friend as she laid a comforting hand on the other woman's leg. Who inclined her head.
"Thanks for being the messenger"
"We hear a lot has been occurring down there." The elderly redhead informed her from the other side of the newcomer.
"Who told you?"
"Edie." Babe exclaimed from the floor with the boys.
"I should have known. Sounds like her." Mrs. Slater quipped with a thankful smile.
"Next time we need to hire anyone, Zach is definitely sitting in." Dani proclaimed from her perch on the overstuffed chair.
"Here, here." Agreed Simone and Babe.
"He knows how to pick them, doesn't he?" Babe stated with admiration in her voice.
"Wives too!" Simone added amusingly. Every woman chortled.
"Yes, I'm the perfect wife." Her closest friend responded in kind.
"Oh please." Simone drawled funnily with a dramatic roll of her eyes "You Kendall wouldn't know a perfect wife if she bit you in your tight ass."
"You think my behind is tight? When have you been looking at it?" Kendall asked, trying not to guffaw.
"Well, I was wondering what that father in law of mine was staring at. So I looked. It turns out to be your butt." She claimed.
"Ok, Ramsey. Too much info." Frye inserted attempting not to laugh. The petite shareholder's only answer is sticking her pink tongue out.
"Cute ." The youthful African-American woman retorted sarcastically.
"I thought so." Her friend replied defiantly. The mother hen of the bunch shook het head in utter disbelief.
"You are impossible, you know that!" Dani persisted.
"And you love it!" Simone challenged.
"Can you believe the ego on this woman?" The youngest shareholder jested.
"It's a healthy self-importance, thank you very much." She defended. Everyone else roared. "What?" She requested, aspiring to sound innocent.
"If that's healthy, then I'm feeble." The curly headed woman next to her expressed to her.
"You feeble? Yeah right, sista. Oh, that's a good one, sweetie."