He took a drink of his coffee. “I don’t fear dying, but what I hate is missing out on my children. I got to be with Cait until she grew up but I missed a lot about Michaela. She’s an adult now and she’ll get married and give me grandchildren! Is it too much to want them so much that I’m like a drug addict needing a fix? I want to spend time with Cait and Michaela and some grandbabies. Michaela’s children will probably look like Vera and...”

He stopped talking and looked down at his plate. “Sorry for dumping this on you. You said you need a suit for the wedding.”

“Mike turned down my job offer,” Griff said softly.

Miguel looked up. “What job?”

Griff told him about the offer in detail, even admitting that he’d volunteered Mike before asking her. “To be fair to myself, I thought she’d love the idea. But she laughed at me. She said all of you will be here and everyone needs her. She said she can’t leave.”

“That’s true. Even if Vera and I go away, we’ll need her. All our writings and photos are sent to her. She’s a whiz with Photoshop and she makes Vera’s scribbled notes into comprehensible stories.”

Griff sighed. “Mike’s problem is that she’s too good at everything. Even archery. I hoped that would turn off her arrogant boyfriend, but it didn’t. He asked her to marry him.”

Miguel showed his surprise. “Are you sure of that?”

“Not exactly, but I know they talked of marriage. Last night she was upset about it, but all I could think about was the job offer. I think she plans to stay here and marry him.” Griff leaned forward. “I really don’t like him.”

“Neither does Forey. She called me last night and said Mike and Brookside Boy had an argument. Something about a piece of jewelry.”

“Yeah, an engagement necklace.”

“Have I been out of the country so long that that’s changed? It’s no longer a ring?”

Griff fell back against the seat. “What do I know?”

“I think you should find out,” Miguel said. “You can’t give up after a single day, can you?”

“But she—” he began, then blinked for a few moments. Was there hope? “Where can I buy a suit? What does Mike like?”

“Black, conservative, but with a flashy vest.”

“You want her to take the job, don’t you?”

“My daughter is much more like Vera than she knows. I don’t want her to lock herself into a life because other people need her.” He paused. “She’d be good at your job and I think she’d come to love it.”

“So do I,” Griff said.