Chapter 19
P aris handed Jackie, Shona, and Andrea a T-shirt each. “They’re not the most creative gifts, but we didn’t have much room in our luggage.”
Shona grinned when she saw her “I Love Hawaii” T-shirt. “It’s perfect. I like the rainbow over the islands.”
“I hope they fit.”
Andrea held hers against her chest. “Mine’s perfect. Tell us about your honeymoon. Did you spend all your time on the main island or did you visit the others as well?”
“We stayed in O’ahu for the first two nights, then in a resort in Waikiki for the last four days. It was wonderful. Richard and I walked for miles along the beach. When we were tired of the beach, we headed inland to see the waterfalls.”
“It sounds like a busy honeymoon.”
Paris’ smile softened. “We weren’t busy all the time. It was a perfect mix of quiet times, exhilarating adventure, and communing with nature.”
Shona had never been to Hawaii, but it sounded amazing. “It would’ve been a lot warmer than Sapphire Bay.”
“We were walking around in shorts and T-shirts most days. What did I miss while I was away?”
Everyone turned to Shona.
Her eyebrows rose. “Lots of other things have happened in Sapphire Bay over the last week.”
Paris scooped a handful of peanuts out of a bowl. “Like what?”
“Another two tiny homes left the old steamboat museum. Mabel was on the local radio station talking about the issues we’re having with feral cats, and Brooke launched a Thanksgiving Day fundraiser for the summer camp BioTech Industries are building.” She looked at each of her friends. “What else has happened?”
“You won the International Quilting Magazine’s Supreme Award,” Jackie said helpfully.
“Congratulations!” Paris rushed around the table and hugged Shona. “That’s amazing.”
Andrea picked up her phone and swiped through a few screens. “Here it is. I knew I’d saved the magazine article.” She handed her phone to Paris. “It’s great advertising for Shona’s store.”
“The photos aren’t bad either. Have you had lots of people ask about other quilts you’re selling?”
Shona nodded. “The store’s been busy. I had to ask Jackie to work at The Cozy Quilt Shop in the afternoons after she’d finished at The Flower Cottage.”
“It’s been fun,” Jackie added. “Tell Paris about the junior quilting workshops you’ve started.”
Shona didn’t dare look at Andrea. Her friend knew better than anyone how much she was struggling with not seeing Joseph. Spending time with Adele last week had made her even more aware of what she was missing. “Four students have enrolled in the classes. They made pincushions for their first project.”
Paris smiled. “I would’ve loved to do something like that when I was younger, especially in a quilting store. Just being around all the colorful fabrics and gorgeous designs makes me want to do something creative."
“I’m starting adult classes soon. You can always join one of those.”
“I’d love to, but it will have to wait until I’m working a few less hours at The Flower Cottage.”
“Talking about working fewer hours,” Andrea said excitedly. “I have news, too.”
Paris nibbled on a chicken wing. “Have you decided to close on Mondays?”
“Not yet. Even though it’s our quietest day, I can’t afford to lose the income it generates. The news I have to share is much better. David and I have set a date for our wedding. We’re getting married in six weeks.”
Paris’ mouth dropped open. “That’s fantastic, but do you know how much time it takes to organize a wedding?”
“I know it’ll be difficult, but it was the only time everyone could be together.”
Shona looked at each of her friends. “We’ve worked with tighter timeframes before. Look at what we achieved with my store. If it weren’t for everyone’s help, it never would have opened.”
Andrea cleared her throat. “It wasn’t only our help that made a difference.”
Shona sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I know you don’t, but sometimes you need to get it off your chest. You miss him and it’s eating you up inside.” Andrea wrapped her arm around Shona’s shoulders. “We love you, you know that. All we want is for you to be happy. But each time I’ve seen you over the last week, you’ve been on the verge of tears.”
“You make me sound like a damsel in distress who needs a man to make her happy.”
“You’ll never be a damsel in distress,” Andrea said with a gentle smile. “You’re too stubborn.”
Paris frowned. “What’s happened?”
“It’s Joseph,” Shona said sadly. “He owns the trust that gave me the twenty-thousand-dollar loan.”
“That’s great, isn’t it ?”
Shona shook her head. “He should’ve told me.”
“But if he had, would you have accepted the money?”
“No.”
Paris’ frown deepened. “Did Joseph know you wouldn’t have accepted his money?”
Shona knew where her friend was going with her logical argument, but it didn’t make it any easier to accept. “He knew.”
“So what’s the problem? If I had lots of spare money, I would’ve done the same thing.”
Jackie cleared her throat. “I haven’t known you for long, Shona, but I admire what you’ve done. For what it’s worth, I agree with Paris and Andrea. Sometimes, you have to accept help from other people. Otherwise, nothing changes. We can’t do everything on our own all the time.”
Paris rubbed Jackie’s arm. “And sometimes it’s easier accepting help from strangers than from the people who care about you. I imagine Joseph thought he was doing the right thing.”
Shona’s eyes filled with tears. “How do I trust someone who lied to me?”
“He didn’t exactly lie.” Andrea handed her a tissue. “He just didn’t tell you the whole truth. It’s obvious he cares deeply about you. Adele thinks you’re incredible, and you miss them. I don’t see what the problem is.”
Paris leaned forward. “If the same thing happened to me, and Richard was the person who loaned me the money to open The Flower Cottage, what advice would you give me?”
Shona wiped her eyes and smiled. “I’d tell you to thank him very much and give him a big discount on any flowers he buys.”
Andrea leaned sideways and nudged her arm. “See. It isn’t hard when it’s someone else’s life.”
“I guess not.”
“You could give him a discount on any quilts he purchases,” Jackie said. “He might become your best customer.”
Shona had to do something. She wasn’t sleeping and her diet consisted of as many varieties of takeout as she could consume. At the rate she was going, she’d be fifteen pounds heavier by Christmas.
Paris handed her the bowl of chicken wings. “What are you going to do?”
Dipping her hand into the bowl she pulled out a juicy wing. “I’m going to enjoy a wonderful evening with my friends, eat chicken wings and pizza, and call Joseph tomorrow.”
“Good for you,” Andrea said. “If you need something to sweeten whatever you’re telling him, he loves my chocolate chip muffins. I’ll whip up a batch in the morning and you can take some with you.”
“What would I do without you?”
“Wallow in self-pity while the man of your dreams rides off into the sunset.”
Paris raised her glass in the air. “Here’s to Shona’s bravery and Andrea’s muffins. If Joseph doesn’t listen to what she has to say, he’s not half the man we think he is.”
Jackie, Paris, and Andrea clinked their glasses. “To Shona,” they said in unison.
Shona sighed. Her friends had high expectations about what would happen. Unfortunately, she didn’t share their enthusiasm.
Joseph wasn't the type of person to panic. He’d worked with some of the most ruthless people in the finance sector and he knew how to make the most of any situation. But Shona’s phone call had thrown his entire day into chaos.
The first person he called after he'd spoken to her was John. “Shona’s coming to see me. We’ll have to bring forward what's happening on Wednesday to tonight.”
“We can't,” John whispered. “Shelley’s working at The Welcome Center tonight. If she even thinks I'm breaking any rules, she’ll throw us out.”
“We're not part of the FBI,” Joseph told him. “And it’s not like we're broadcasting who receives Christmas wishes over the Internet. You have a small church in a small town in Montana. Apart from Shona and your team of helpers, no one will know what we tell her.”
“If I thought your idea was foolproof, I wouldn’t be worried. But there are more holes in your plan than in a block of Swiss cheese.”
“Are you saying you won’t help me?”
John didn't reply for a few seconds. “I'm saying we have to triple-check everything before we make any moves. Shelley won't forgive me if someone gets upset.”
“Then we'll have to be extra careful. Shona’s meeting me at my house at six o’clock.”
“What about Adele?”
“She has choir practice until seven-thirty.”
John sighed. “That should be more than enough time. Text me when you’re leaving your house.”
“I will. Good luck with smuggling everything past Shelley.” Joseph ended the call. Regardless of how much he wanted to tell Shona about what his trust had been doing in Sapphire Bay, he had to be careful. A lot of people’s pride was at stake.
He’d already let Shona down and he didn’t want to do that to anyone else.