Chapter 6
W ith a pounding heart, Shona knocked on the back door of The Starlight Café and walked into the kitchen. The last week had gone by in a blur. Between working with Shelley at The Connect Church and sewing quilts, she shouldn’t have had time to think about the loan application. But it had been there, lurking in the back of her mind. Each day brought a fresh wave of self-doubt—another reason why the bank would see her as too much of a risk.
The sound of laughter drifted into the room. Her friends would be as devastated as she was about the phone call she’d received.
Each Thursday, without fail, Andrea and Paris had dinner together after the café closed. It was a way for them to unwind, forget about life’s trials and tribulations, and enjoy each other’s company.
While they’d worked together on her application form, they’d become good friends. It was nice spending time with them and laughing at the crazy ups and downs of living in a small town.
Closing her eyes, Shona repeated the words that had brought her here. Just because the bank wouldn’t lend her any money, it wasn't the end of the world. She could brainstorm and find another way to make her dreams a reality. Even if it took another year, she could do it.
She forced a smile when she saw her friends. “Someone’s had a good day.”
Andrea grinned and pulled out a chair. “Come and have a seat. Paris was telling me about her wedding cake. It will be amazing.”
Paris handed Shona her cell phone. “I asked Megan if she could make a cake that’s covered in roses. These are some of the options she came back with.”
The photos were lovely. Each cake had two or three layers of deliciousness wrapped in white frosting and gorgeous flowers. “Which one’s your favorite?”
“The first one. I like how the roses cascade down the cake, and it only has two layers. We're not having a big wedding, so it should be perfect.”
“You won't be disappointed. Megan’s cakes are wonderful.”
“So are her cookies.” Andrea placed a cup of coffee in front of Shona. “She's making dozens of chocolate chip cookies for the table favors. I've already offered to help wrap them.”
Paris laughed. “You'll need us there to make sure you don't eat most of them.”
“I'll have to be on my best behavior.” Andrea searched Shona’s face. “Something’s wrong. What's happened?”
Taking a deep breath, Shona gathered what was left of her courage and told her friends the news she didn't want to share. “The loan officer called me an hour ago. They’re worried about my projected income. At the moment, the bank isn’t prepared to lend me any money.”
Paris’ eyes widened. “That's silly. You had a solid business plan and the potential to grow your business.”
Shona was just as confused. “They're worried that once I resign from my job at the church, I won’t have enough income to cover the repayments. The loan officer suggested I reapply in twelve months.”
“The cottage won't be available next year.” Andrea reached for Shona’s hand. “I can't believe they’re not lending you the money. Especially when they were happy to give Paris and me a start-up loan.”
Tears gathered in Shona’s eyes. She wiped them away, determined to think only positive thoughts. Drowning in self-pity wouldn’t make any difference to what they’d said. “I can't do anything about their decision, but I'm hoping I can open the store without their help.”
Paris hugged her. “I'm sorry they didn't approve the loan, but we’re here for you. How can we help?”
“I'm not sure yet. I need a few days to think about my options, but I appreciate your support.”
Andrea sent her a reassuring smile. “While you're doing that, we'll do the same. Between the three of us, we'll find a solution.”
“I hope so. After my first meeting with the bank, I was sure they’d lend me the money. I'll have to talk to Penny. She’ll want to know what they said.”
“Don't call her too soon. If we can find a way to open your store without the bank’s help, you'll still be able to take over the lease.”
“At some point, I need to let her know what's happened. But I guess you’re right. Another couple of days won't make any difference.”
“It will be okay,” Paris told her. “You already have a great business. All we need to do is find a way for you to open a store on Anchor Lane.”
Shona appreciated the sincerity in her friends’ eyes. She felt so much better than she had an hour ago, but there was a lot of hard work ahead of her. It would take a miracle to open the quilting store. But, as Pastor John often said, miracles were closer than you thought.
Joseph was washing the last of the dinner dishes when the front doorbell rang.
“I'll get it,” Adele yelled from the living room.
“Look through the window before you open the door.” He didn't have to see his daughter’s face to know she was rolling her eyes. After they moved to Sapphire Bay, it had only taken her a few days to forget the safety instructions he'd given her in Los Angeles.
“It's Shona!”
Joseph's heart skipped a beat at the excitement in his daughter's voice. Or maybe that was his reaction to Shona being here. Wiping his hands on a dishtowel, he headed into the hallway.
He enjoyed spending time with Shona. She had a great sense of humor, the ability to see the good in people, and dreams as ambitious as his used to be. And a smile that could disarm him in the blink of an eye.
He studied her face. Today, her smile was nowhere in sight. If anything, she looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“I hope it’s okay to stop by without calling first?”
“It’s no problem. Come in.” Holding open the door, he nodded toward the kitchen. “We were just tidying up. I'll make you a cup of coffee.”
“That would be nice. Thanks.”
“We made meatballs for dinner,” Adele said proudly as they walked down the hallway. “There are lots of leftovers if you're hungry.”
Shona shook her head. “That's nice of you, but I had dinner with my friends.”
“What did you eat?”
“Andrea made a pasta dish. It was delicious.”
“We make pasta sometimes. Dad likes to have lots of cheese on his, but I don’t.”
Before Adele gave away too many of their secrets, Joseph handed his daughter the dishtowel. “Can you dry the rest of the dishes while I make everyone a drink?”
“Sure. Can I have a glass of lemonade?”
Joseph smiled. “Coming right up. Do you take cream and sugar in your coffee, Shona?”
“Yes, please. Before you make our drinks, I have some news from the bank.”
He turned away from the cupboards. Hopefully, the sad look in her eyes didn’t have anything to do with the loan. “That was quick.”
“Will they give you the money you need?” Adele asked.
Shona shook her head. “The loan officer was worried I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills.”
Joseph’s heart went out to her. “I’m sorry. I know how much you were counting on their support.”
Adele frowned. “Does that mean you can’t sell your quilts in town?”
“It does, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep making them. I’ll just have to rearrange my sewing room to create more space.”
Shona looked so upset that Joseph wanted to wrap her in a hug. But that would cross the boundary of their new friendship and create issues he wasn’t ready to deal with. “What about looking for a grant from another organization? The church applies for funding all the time.”
“I’ll talk to John and Shelley tomorrow, but I’ll probably miss out on the cottage on Anchor Lane. Penny needs to lease it as quickly as possible.”
He couldn’t believe the bank had been so short-sighted. Anyone with half a brain could see how much better her sales would be if she had somewhere to display and sell her quilts.
There was another way Shona could still open her store, but he wasn’t sure she’d want to do it. “What if you found a private investor?”
“If the bank won’t lend me money, no one else will want to invest in my business.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” He poured Shona’s coffee. “A lot of people are looking for small mom-and-pop businesses to support. What you have is unique. You already have a solid customer base and a great reputation.”
“It will take a lot more than that to make people want to invest in my business.”
Joseph handed Adele a glass of lemonade. “Maybe, but you’ll never know until you try.”
“Granddad said Dad knows lots about money,” Adele said innocently. “He helped him?—”
He interrupted Adele before she said too much. “My dad started a business in Los Angeles. I helped him with his accounts.” It wasn't exactly true, but close enough that it couldn't be called a lie. He’d helped his dad refinance his company and made sure it had all the capital it needed to grow into a successful business.
Shona frowned. “I thought you were a builder when you lived in Los Angeles.”
“I worked in finance. It wasn’t until after my divorce that I turned an old hobby into a new career.” He glanced at Adele. She was very young when he managed the investment company. If she remembered anything, it should only be that he was never home. But he wasn’t taking any chances.
After Adele finished her drink, she picked up the dishtowel. “When I was at choir practice yesterday, Mrs. Terry talked about the quilt you gave her daughters. She said It's fantastic, and Sapphire Bay is lucky to have you living here.”
Some of the tension left Shona’s face. “That was nice of her.”
“Did you know Dad made Mrs. Terry a swing for her front porch?”
Shona looked at Joseph. “No, I didn’t. Do you make lots of furniture?”
“Only when I have the time. Allan asked me to make the swing for Mabel’s birthday.”
“Dad makes things in our garage. We can’t put his truck in there ’cos it’s too small for everything.”
Joseph picked up the dishes Adele was drying and opened a cupboard. “It’s one of the downsides of buying an older home. The location is perfect, but the garage is too small.”
Shona sat on one of the kitchen stools. “A friend rents some space in the old steamboat museum for his woodworking business. Maybe there’s another empty area you could use?”
Joseph shook his head. “I wish there were, but we’re using every square inch of the building for the tiny homes. The workbench in my garage is okay. One day, I'd like to have a purpose-built workshop. But, until I find the perfect property, this one will have to do.”
“Dad makes lots of cool things.” Adele dropped the dishtowel and hurried into the living room. When she came back, she was carrying a small chair. “He made this for me when I was little.”
Shona ran her hand along the carved wooden back. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Adele wanted a princess chair, so I looked through every fairy tale book we owned to find inspiration.”
“I like the sparkly jewels around the edges.” Shona glanced at Adele. “You’re very lucky.”
Adele looked wistfully at the chair. “I know. When I was little, I thought I was a real princess.”
Joseph checked his watch, then took an apple pie out of the oven. “That’s because Granddad calls you his little princess. Can I tempt you into joining us for dessert, Shona?”
Her gaze dropped to the pie. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I have a lot of things to do before I go to work tomorrow.”
“Remember what I said about private investors. Pastor John might have some ideas about who you could approach. If not, come and see me. Between the two of us, we should be able to find someone.”
“You sound just like Andrea and Paris. Right now, all I’m worried about is Nate. I haven’t told him what the bank said.”
Joseph placed a slice of pie on a plate. “He’ll be disappointed for you, but he’s a good kid. Before you know it, he’ll have emailed you a list of funding ideas.” He handed her the plate. “If you need a little sugar after you’ve spoken to him, try this pie. I didn’t make it, but Mabel said it’s the most popular one she sells.”
Shona’s eyes glistened under the pendant lights.
He hoped she wasn’t going to cry.
“Thank you for the apple pie, and thanks for listening to me. If you need more space for when you do your woodworking, you could use my barn while Nate’s at college. He set everything up for his projects.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. I don't think he’ll want me using his equipment.”
Shona slid off the stool. “He won’t mind, but that’s okay. If you change your mind, let me know.” She smiled at Adele. “It was lovely seeing you again.”
“It was nice seeing you, too. I hope you can still open your quilting shop.”
“So do I.”
Joseph walked to the front door with Shona. “I really am sorry about the bank’s decision.”
“They did what they thought was for the best. The worst thing I could do is start a business and not be able to pay back the loan.”
That would be extremely unlikely. Shona would always have a backup plan to see her through the tough times. “Good luck with your phone call to Nate.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Am I a bad parent if I admit I’m tempted not to tell him? I want him to focus on his studies, not worry about me.”
“You know him better than anyone, but he isn’t the only child who worries about their parents.”
“You’re right.” Shona looked at him and smiled. “Maybe I worry about him too much, too.”
Just like that, he knew why he liked her so much. She could still smile, even when she was disappointed. “From what I’ve seen, Nate is incredibly resilient. If you talk to John about finding a private investor, let me know what he says.”
“I will. See you later.”
And, with the slice of apple pie in her hands, she walked back to her truck.
He didn’t know why the bank was so worried about lending her the money for the cottage. What she wanted to do made more sense than most of the small businesses popping up across Montana. Making quilts was what she loved doing, and people were lining up to buy them.
All she needed was an investor who saw the potential in what she could achieve. Someone who’d already helped a dozen small businesses thrive.
A person like him.