The next leg of the journey by Grandpa

Six months since Margaret joined us. We have grown from 14 to 20 operating motels. She is doing an excellent job and has developed into more of an assistant than a secretary. She is basically running my office when I am gone, which is at least half the time. I always thought that Bill's wife Frances was very sharp. I now knew she had serious competition.
We were hiring manager couples so that we could have two to three couples being trained. This gave us some backup in case they were needed as temporary replacement managers in case of death in the family, illness or multiple reasons. All interview usually consisted of two hours plus. I had an image of the manager I wanted, but at this time the unemployment figure was 2.4% - poor quality and only about 50% made it through training (usually four weeks). Our better managers did the training and it gave them extra help for a while.
I had developed a sense of appreciation for Margaret in her work and her being a nice person. This is what I thought, until one day, late November or early December, she brought over something to check if it was right. I looked it over and answered "Yes Dear". I sat at my desk dumbfounded. What am I doing? I say yes dear to Sue, not Margaret. I tried to put it out of my mind. Shortly after that, a problem arose with our coverage of our motels with managers. We had only one couple trained and available. My assistant Ralph Playle was tied up and unavailable. We had one set of managers walk out on us. This used up our trainees. Then the Monterey managers advised us that one of their parents had died and they had to go out of town for a funeral and would be gone four or five days. There was no one but me or Margaret. I chose her and called John who was doing a job in Sacramento for us, to meet her at the motel and help her so she wouldn't be there 24 hours/day with no other help except the maids. Since John had a company vehicle and was driving to Monterey, that gave them transportation. The company flew her there and I offered to take her to the airport so she wouldn't have to leave her car out there. At the gate, I told her goodbye and 'call if you need any help'. I stayed at the gate, watched her board, watched the plane taxi to the runway and I watched it take off and fly away. I stood there and felt a heatache like as if my wife had left!!
Margaret and John completed that job and after a few days in the office when I was away on business, they went to Canada to be with his family for the holidays. Sue and I spent Christmas in Fresno with our families. Margaret and John returned after New Years.
I don't know about Margaret but I was living with a troubled heart, not knowing what to think, or what to do. I knew I had lots of problems. At this time I had no idea what her feelings were. I had not knowingly indicated my thoughts or feelings.
We worked closely together and showed no signs of anything.
The first week in February, a problem arose at the Palm Desert location. We were operating the motel/bar/dinner house for the lenders and the managers had major bookkeeping problems. I was going down to take care of this over the weekend. John's company car was in the repairs and had driven to Long Beach on a job with my assistant Ralph. I needed to get a car to him so Ralph could leave him. I was juggling these issues and invited Margaret and John to spend the weekend in Palm Desert. This way I could drive a vehicle to John and he and I could drive to Palm Desert. He would then have transportation for his work. Sue, Katrina and
Margaret drove down after work on Friday. This gave me her help on the books, which we did on the Saturday morning and part of the afternoon. That evening all five of us went out for a fancy dinner. We came back around midnight and both couples spent about an hour in the heated Jacuzzi. Sunday afternoon, John returned to Long Beach and I drove Sue, Katrina and Margaret back to Santa Barbara.
After spending that weekend with Margaret away from the office, I knew where my love was and who I wanted to live the rest of my life with. This was the biggest problem I had ever faced and I was severely torn up. After work Monday, Margaret and I met and acknowledged our feelings and problems. Margaret told me she had already asked John to come home, she needed to talk with him. She had done this before knowing my thoughts or decision.
The next morning I drove to L.A., flew to Phoenix where we were operating a motel. I went to my room, was torn up and was beside myself. I couldn't stay and work. So I flew back to L.A., got my vehicle and drove back to Santa Barbara. During this return trip, at almost every roadside barrier and embankment, I fought a strong urge to solve my problems all at once. But I realized what that would do to Sue, Katrina and Margaret. I couldn't take the easy way out.
I saw Margaret and she had already advised John, I went home and advised Sue. Margaret left her position with me and went to Las Vegas to become a resident for her divorce. I moved into Margaret's house and shared it with my food and beverage Manager, Ron.
Margaret was granted her divorce early spring of 1966. I was to receive my divorce mid summer as agreed upon with Sue.