Chapter 58
Driving to Tricia’s house, Nell tried to ignore her sizzling reaction to Thomas.
She wanted to indulge in the one-night stand Andrea had suggested.
But Nell had moved to Driftwood Pointe to help Tricia.
And to start over. A man did not factor into the equation.
Especially a man she suspected wasn’t giving her a straight answer.
Tricia jumped from her chair on the front porch, her peasant dress swishing around her ankles, when Nell pulled into the driveway. Her blonde hair flowed behind her as she ran barefoot to greet her and flung her arms around Nell.
“What took you so long? Dinner that good?”
Nell pushed her friend to arm’s length and scanned her face. Dark shadows marred Tricia’s beautiful features. She couldn’t hide the stress the business had put on her. Guilt washed over Nell. Her friend needed her, and she was thinking about a man.
“Sorry. Someone ran over a cat.”
Tricia stepped back and rested her hands on her hips. “And you took it to the vet.”
An image of Thomas’s bobbing Adam’s apple popped into her head, and Nell blushed. She turned to get her suitcases from the trunk.
Tricia took a bag. “How’s the cat?”
Nell didn’t want to explain what had happened, especially when she didn’t understand it herself. “Fine.”
“You really need to take care of yourself before you help someone else,” said Tricia over her shoulder. “I’ve got macaroni and cheese in a box if you’re hungry.”
Nell followed Tricia with her other bag. “I ate at the Hex & Hearth.”
Tricia stopped so suddenly that Nell bumped into her.
“What’s wrong?”
“That place is awful. The food is horrible, and the vibe is weird.” Tricia started up the stairs again and led Nell into the house. “I’m surprised you even went in.”
The lobster roll was more than fine, but Nell was tired and didn’t want to talk about it. “What’s the plan for tomorrow? I’m ready to get started.”
Tricia showed Nell to her guest room, a familiar spot she’d stayed over the years. “You say that now. Wait until you see the mess I made. You may be ready to quit.”
“It can’t be that bad.”
By mid-afternoon the next day, Nell knew she was wrong.
Tricia had no clue how to handle the numbers side of her family business.
There wasn’t a standard operating procedure in sight.
Accounts receivables were in shambles. Nell couldn’t find a current asset list, either.
She had three years to clean things up. And even that might push it.
“How have you made it this long without help?” Nell asked, sorting through a quintessential shoebox of receipts. “Not to be critical, but this is the backbone of a business.”
Tricia pointed at the computer. “My mom did most of the billing and banking, and Dad and I ran the farm and the plant. When she died, neither of us knew what to do. Then he died, and I did the best I could. But lately, it hasn’t been enough.
” She leaned toward Nell and gave her a pat on the arm. “But you’re here to save the day.”
Nell rolled her eyes. “You need a miracle.”
She pulled a flyer out of the shoebox for the Fall Foliage Tour, the same one advertised at the vet clinic and the Hex & Hearth. Nell waved it at Tricia. “Why don’t you have a booth at this event?”
Tricia glanced up, and sadness darkened her face.
“Mom and Dad never wanted to. But it’s a great sales opportunity.
Lots of tourists come into town for it. Hey, why don’t you go?
You deserve a break after sorting papers for six hours straight.
And it might be the last time you get to relax in a while. ”
“Come with me,” said Nell. She needed to meet the locals, but she didn’t want to run into the vet again. Her attraction to him confused her. A buffer would keep her from doing anything she might regret. “It will be more fun with both of us there.”
“The packaging machine is acting up again. If I don’t fix it, there won’t be any business for you to save.”
Thirty minutes later, Nell found herself alone, driving toward town. Even the red, orange, and yellow leaves didn’t relax her.