Chapter Thirty
Jacob
“That was Amariah?” Koby asked as I slid my cell phone back into my pocket and nodded. He smiled. “So, she’s coming over so you all can talk.”
His tone was teasing because I’d spent the last thirty minutes recapping the events that happened from my fallout with Amariah until we fell back in with each other and Aaron’s welcomed departure.
The humane Christian in me felt a tinge of sorrow for the man.
He’d lost his fiancée and found out that she had deep-rooted feelings for another man all in one visit, but the side of me that had been the victim of his unsolicited attacks was happy to see the door hit him where the good Lord split him.
On the bright side, after his disastrous time in Skye Ridge, I figured I never had to worry about seeing him again, which did not hurt my feelings at all.
I could live a lifetime without having to deal with the likes of Aaron Baker.
The cherry on top of my pie was knowing Amariah felt the same way.
Koby had been praising and congratulating me for sealing the deal with her when I explained that we hadn’t actually had a chance to make anything official because her father had fallen ill.
Not that I was complaining. Her father came first. After all, he was the entire reason she was back in Skye Ridge to begin with.
However, I did want to figure out exactly where we went from here because now that I knew she could be mine, that’s exactly what I intended to make her—mine.
All mine. But it seemed the conversation would have to wait again because whatever Amariah was coming to discuss was assuredly business, not personal.
When Koby saw the expression on my face, he dialed the playful banter back. “My bad, man. Everything all right?” His voice was laced with concern now.
Shaking my head, I slid my hand down my face, trying to quell the stress that was building up. “I don’t know, bro. Amariah is on her way here. She says we need to discuss the store. It sounded urgent.”
Koby seemed to turn pale white, and I internally cursed myself for blabbing that information out to him without consideration for his employment and the Lukes’ privacy. “My bad, bro. I shouldn’t have said anything without knowing for sure.”
“Should I be worried?” Koby exhaled, leaning on the counter and bracing himself for the answer to his question.
“No.” My answer was short and final. “At least not at this minute. Trust me, I got you, no matter what. Let’s get through this holiday season, and if there comes a time we have to discuss things, I won’t hesitate. We’ll figure out how to pivot if need be.”
I extended my fist, and although Koby didn’t seem entirely convinced, he extended his fist and touched knuckles with me in a show of solidarity.
Just then, Amariah rushed through the door, shaking the light snow from her coat.
When she looked up, our eyes met, warming toward each other.
I tried to be cool and collected, but I couldn’t help the cheesy grin that spread across the corners of my mouth.
My enthusiasm forced her to return the gesture, but hers was only a slight upturn.
The worry creasing her forehead was evidence that it wasn’t me, but whatever was on her mind about the store that caused her lackluster reaction.
She unraveled the scarf around her neck and moved toward Koby and me.
Knowing that she’d requested to talk urgently, I turned to Koby. “Hey, man, can you please continue the restock? Amariah and I need to step to the back for a minute.”
Koby nodded. “Of course,” he agreed, tossing a wave. “Hey, Amariah.”
“Hey, Koby,” she said, returning a wave to him.
I placed a hand on the small of Amariah’s back and led her to the back office.
I opened the door, allowing her to step inside, then followed her and closed it.
By the time I shut it, she’d begun pacing.
I stepped in front of her and leaned against the desk.
I clasped her elbow and pulled her to me.
The frantic expression on her face heightened my concern.
“Hey, hey. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s the store. I opened the mail and found out that Daddy is almost four months behind on the loan payments.
I can make a month’s payment based on the sales report, but next month he’d be right back in the same predicament, and I don’t know what to do.
We have to figure something out because I can’t allow his business—his life’s work—to go under like that. ”
“Hey, please calm down.” I engulfed her in my arms, rubbing circles on her back and trying my best to soothe her. “It’s going to be fine. We’ll figure something out, okay?”
She pulled back and nodded. “Okay.”
“Now, let me see the letter, and let’s look over the financials together to see what we can come up with.”
For the next hour, we combed through the finances and mulled over ideas to help clear up the impending financial crisis for Luke’s Hardware.
Between the two of us, we probably charted and bar graphed every scenario we could think of, but nothing that provided a right-now solution, even if it worked in the long term.
“Ugh. None of this will work.” She hopped from the chair, running her hands through her hair in frustration.
“I’m just going to have to call the bank first thing in the morning and see if I can work out a payment plan or some other options and pray that God is on my side.
” Her head fell into the palm of her hand, and I heard sniffles. She was distraught.
Clasping her fingers, I pulled her back toward me, urging her to take a seat in the chair in front of me again. Lifting her chin, I declared, “I’ll repair this. I’ll withdraw the money from my account and pay up the loan.”
Wet eyes stared back at me, blinking as if she hadn’t heard me correctly. Different emotions warped her face before her brows furrowed. “You would do that for my dad?”
Caressing her face, I shook my head. “No, I’d do that for all of you—your mom, your dad, and…you.”
She melted right in front of me at the sentiment. “Aww, Jacob.” Just as quickly, she brushed the sentiment away. “No, I couldn’t allow you to do that. I won’t allow you to spend your hard-earned money to keep us afloat. I’d dip into my own savings before I let you do that.”
I wasn’t sure whether she didn’t want me to use my money out of pride or because she wasn’t aware it wouldn’t break my bank account by a long shot.
Knowing Amariah, it was probably both. We’d never discussed my finances…
well, because we never had a reason to, but the deals I had made on my specialty helmets and my current position as a sitting member of the board for research and development with the manufacturing company were more than a little savings. I had attained generational wealth.
Yes, I could afford to move to the most affluent neighborhoods and drive expensive luxury cars, but that wasn’t me.
I lived far below my means by choice. Although the latter half of my childhood, my parents had provided a financially stable life, I still remembered the earlier parts before we moved to Skye Ridge, when times were challenging.
My parents weren’t wealthy or even rich by any means, but they were comfortable.
Still, I held on to the memories of the times that weren’t comfortable, and because of that, I lived accordingly.
Flashy material items didn’t move me. What soothed my heart was being able to take care of my mother, especially since my father’s death, and helping friends or others in need.
Therefore, I lived in a beautiful yet modest two-story home and drove a pickup truck.
I’d say my only splurge was living in an upper-middle-class neighborhood, and my truck was brand-new.
Therefore, if taking money out to save Mr. Adam’s lifelong hard work was something that I could do, I would.
I never wanted to overstep my boundaries because Amariah’s pridefulness didn’t just fall out of the sky.
No, she inherited that gene straight from Mr. Adam.
He never asked for help, even when he desperately needed it.
Truth be told, I think it was more Mrs. Luke who pushed him to ask me to manage his store than his own willingness to approach me.
As a man, I understood his stance. None of us wanted to feel less than or to think we couldn’t take care of our family on our own.
So, I never pressed any issues. I only did what was asked and nothing more.
I respected Mr. Adam too much to heighten his insecurities.
However, for someone who loved him as a father figure, desperate times called for definitive answers.
In the past, I’d sat on the sidelines to spare his feelings, but knowing he could lose the store, I tagged myself in—no coach’s or coach’s daughter’s permission needed.
“It’s cute that you think my assistance is optional.”
Amariah stood flailing her hands in the “no” motion. “You worked too hard on your business venture to take from that. You need that for your future and to take care of your mom.”
I chuckled. “And what makes you think I can’t still do those things and help the hardware store?” Slowly, she turned and gazed at me, inquisitiveness etched her face. “Ask me what’s on your mind.”
“Just how much did you make on this deal?”
“Let’s just say…enough.” I smirked.
Her lips curled into a grin as she glided to me, ready to tap into the tea, as I’d heard her and Janelle say. “Soo, are we talking a grip or a grip grip?”
I quirked my brow, folding my arms. “Oh, Mari Mar, my grip is gripping.”
She jerked back as if surprised. “Okayyy, money bags.”