Chapter 12
TWELVE
SADIE
I was starting to look forward to Sunday family lunch. Both my parents were only children and they weren’t close with their own parents, so I’d never had any cousins or grandparents around. As the family outcast, it had been a lonely upbringing. Gideon’s family was loud, overwhelming, and warm.
Lola grabbed me as soon as I walked in, and we went over her design. She bounced on her seat and changed her mind a million times, making me laugh.
“So, no straps?”
“No. Strapless. But this dress looks so good with the sleeves.”
I sketched on some sleeves and glanced at her.
She hummed. “No,” she finally said. “Definitely strapless.”
I couldn’t help my smile. It was worse than working for a bridezilla, but I was enjoying myself. Then I glanced up and met Gideon’s gaze across the room. He stood in a knot of people, silent, his left side turned to the wall the way it always was. Even in his family, he hid himself.
My heart ached for him.
“Sadie.”
I turned at the sound of Etta’s voice, straightening. “Grandma Mars,” I greeted. “Hi.”
“I’d like to speak to you for a moment,” she said with a smile, gesturing toward the door leading to the hallway. I handed Lola my sketchbook and followed the older woman out. When I stepped into the hallway, I turned back and saw Gideon frowning at me.
Etta and I walked down the hall and around the corner to another wing of the house. She brought me to a study lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that were filled with leather-bound books. The floor was covered in a plush rug, and a gigantic desk faced the window.
Etta sat down in one of the visitor’s chairs and gestured to the other. “My property manager told me you were inquiring about a shop in town,” she said without preamble, her blue eyes sharp.
I gaped at her. Life’s a Stitch belonged to Etta Mars? After thinking about it for a second, I felt like a dolt for even being surprised. I recovered and said, “I was curious about the rent.”
“Are you thinking of opening a business in Marswood Harbor?”
The question was posed as if she were genuinely curious, but her eyes told another story. This woman was as shrewd as anything, and she was sniffing for information. I relaxed my grip on the arms of my chair and nodded. “I’m considering my options,” I hedged.
Her smile was small, but I saw it. “I’ll speak to Melinda,” she said, naming the property manager with the sing-song voice. “I’m sure there’s wiggle room on the rent price.”
My brows jumped.
“You ran a business in Manhattan,” she said. “Wedding dresses.”
I nodded. “I did.”
“There will be lots of weddings in this town in the coming months. Seems like a good time to open up shop in Marswood Harbor. A clever woman might even consider investing in such a business, if the opportunity were to present itself.” She leaned her elbows on the arms of her chair and touched one of the rings on her fingers with the opposite hand. Watching me.
I was not mentally prepared for this conversation. “Are you offering me a deal, Etta?”
The small smile hiding at the corners of her mouth spread.
“You closed up your business and sold all your assets. You haven’t worked on a wedding dress since you’ve been here, and your company doesn’t seem to be doing any active advertising.
I’m thinking you’re short on capital, but your inquiry about the shop tells me you haven’t given up.
I admire tenacity in a woman. It’s a necessary quality if she’s to make anything of herself. ”
This woman was dangerous. I thought of Gideon being beholden to his grandmother, getting married under duress. This business deal would come with a whole lot of strings.
But. But it would be a way to start over. Right now, I didn’t see any other way. It wasn’t like Marswood Harbor was awash with employment opportunities. I had to consider it.
“I’m interested,” I finally said.
“But, of course,” the older lady continued, “we would have to wait four more weeks before signing anything official.”
I exhaled. There it was: the catch. In four weeks, Gideon and I would either file our wedding certificate or go our separate ways.
Etta would give me cheap rent and invest in my business…
as long as I remained married to Gideon.
If I didn’t stay married to him, there would be no future for me in this town.
I couldn’t help the humorless smile that curved my lips, and Etta arched a brow, smiling serenely. A woman in complete control.
I inhaled. Exhaled. Met her gaze. “That makes sense,” I said.
“But maybe we could come to an agreement for the next four weeks. I’d like use of the space to work on your granddaughter’s homecoming dress.
I wouldn’t do any trade from the shop; I’d only use it as a workspace for the project.
And I’d gift Lola a custom dress in return. ”
Etta gave me the first genuine smile I’d ever seen on her face. She laughed, then extended a hand toward me. “Deal. I’ll get Melinda to give you the keys this week.” She gestured to the door. “Send Gideon in next.”
I frowned. “Gideon?” I asked, but when I opened the door, he was pacing the hallway outside the study.
His head snapped up when I appeared. He searched my face, looking a little frantic. “Is everything okay?”
I couldn’t help the smile. “Everything’s great, actually. She’s waiting to speak to you.”
Gideon’s gaze lingered on me, but he finally nodded and stepped into the study. I listened to the door click shut, then padded down the hall to see what Lola had decided about the sleeves.
I had a space. I had an investment opportunity. I had a chance…
As long as Gideon and I filed that wedding certificate and stayed married in four weeks’ time.
GIDEON
I loomed over my grandmother where she sat. “What was that about?”
“That’s between me and your wife,” Grandma Mars replied.
Had Sadie come in here to talk about the wedding certificate? She wanted out already, after only two weeks?
Frustration made my blood simmer. Was that why Sadie had seemed so happy when she walked out of the study? I gulped back my retort and asked, “You wanted to speak to me?”
“Take a seat, Gideon, and tell me how things are going with your wife.”
I knew that calm, unruffled tone. My grandmother would get her way. I sighed, considered storming out and chasing after Sadie, and finally gave up and took a seat.