Chapter Thirty #2
We burst out laughing, enjoying the next few moments of hilarity.
I’d missed this dynamic of us. The comedy.
The jokes. The endless laughter. We were our own entertainment.
I couldn’t believe we’d wasted so many years based on misconceptions and noncommunication.
However, even our rekindled comedic acts weren’t enough to thwart Amariah’s initial decision.
“I know you’re willing to do this for my family, and even though I know now that it won’t bankrupt you, I still can’t accept your proposition, even if it was more of a mandate than a request.”
“I see you’re confusing a few meanings of words like proposition and mandate.” I stood to my full height. “Why won’t you accept my help?”
“Because,” she dragged out in a whine, “you shouldn’t have to.
This isn’t your financial responsibility.
My daddy would be upset and disappointed if he found out that I’d allowed you to do that.
” She pointed a finger at me, cutting me off.
“And before you say it, I would never hide that information from him.”
Like father, like daughter. Exhaling, I shrugged. “So, what are we going to do about this loan?”
She plopped in the chair, gripping her shoulders at the base of her neck with her hands. “Pray. Then I’m going to call the bank in the morning and see what I can arrange. I’ll pull the money from my savings to cover what I can, and hopefully that will be enough for now.”
“And what about sustainability? You can’t continue to fund the store out of your savings.”
She looked at me as if an idea had struck her and then pointed at me.
“I’m glad you brought that up. I talked with my dad, and he agreed that he’d trust my vision for an expansion.
He gave me his blessing to add a sporting goods department, so if you’re interested, we can discuss working out a deal with your product and a deal with other vendors to supply goods that are beneficial to our area. ”
I couldn’t help but admire her tenacity. I’d brought that up to Mr. Adam before, and he shot me down so fast I don’t think I’d fully explained the idea. It made me happy to hear that he’d entrusted Amariah with the task, and even happier to be able to assist with the store’s brand expansion.
Standing, I clapped as Amariah took a bow. “Congratulations. That’s exactly the direction the store needs, and I’d be more than happy to work out a deal and begin scouting for vendors.” She extended her hand, and I shook it. “But I still say you shouldn’t dip into your savings.”
“And I still say you shouldn’t dip into yours.”
I nodded. “Fair point, but—”
“But…this is my responsibility. I appreciate your willingness to help—trust me, I do—but this shouldn’t fall on your shoulders, no matter how deep your pockets are.
If I need a bailout, we can discuss it later, but for now, I’m going to call the bank on Monday and see what I can work out for the interim and make those plans to dig Luke’s out of its red hole. ”
There was no use in arguing with her. This was her family’s company, and Mr. Adam had left her in charge.
If this was the route she wanted to take, I had no choice but to support it.
Even if the man in me, who desired to be her man, felt a way about it.
What bothered me most was that despite her giving such a bold speech, I could still see the doubt and insecurity that she tried to hide.
She was scared of the outcome. Scared to fail.
But I wouldn’t let her. Yes, I’d play the back for now, but if push came to shove, I’d step in, no matter what she had to say.
What she didn’t realize was that her family was like family to me, too, and if the stars aligned, they would one day be my family.
This was the perfect time to reimplement my Christmas countdown.
“Put your coat on.”
Curiosity shifted her expression. “That was random. Why? Where are we going?”
“You ask so many questions.” I exhaled. “Trust me.”
Her gaze narrowed into a side eye, but she reluctantly lifted her coat, and I helped slide it on her shoulders. As she buttoned up and slipped on her gloves, I grabbed my parka off the coat rack and did the same. Guiding her out of the door, we walked to the front of the store together.
“Koby, we’ll be back. Hold down the fort?”
He lifted from stacking boxes. “Sure. I got it.” He looked toward the door as some customers stood there mouthing the words “Are you open?”
“Sorry. We’re closed today,” Koby answered.
Amariah and I greeted the customers when we exited the store, advising them that we would open at 7 a.m. the next day as we headed toward my truck.
After I made sure she was tucked inside, I hopped in the driver’s seat and drove to my destination.
The entire time, Amariah sat quietly, taking in the sights of the town as soft Christmas music serenaded us.
The only time she was this quiet was when she was upset and didn’t feel like talking or when she was worried.
Instead of pressing for conversation, I gave her the solitude that she needed.
When I pulled into a parking spot, it was as if she was coming back to reality; an inquisitive stare shrouded her features.
Exiting my truck, I strode to the passenger side, opened the door, and held her hand to help her climb out.
“Where are we?” she asked, glancing around.
“It looks a little different, but you’ll see.”
As soon as we rounded the path, she halted and released a loud gasp, covering her face with her hands. “Jacob! I know it’s not,” she shrieked, turning to face me.
Giddily, I nodded. “It is. The town did a bit of reconstruction in the area, but they left this gem in place.”
The way she lit up shifted her entire mood, and I knew I’d made the right decision. She trudged as fast as her feet and the snow would allow to one of our favorite spots as kids.
“Our wishing well!” she cooed as she walked up and placed her hands on the snow-covered brick well. She looked back at me, lost in nostalgia. “You remember everything.”
I eased beside her, closing the distance between us. “When it comes to you, I do.”
A blush covered her cheeks as she placed her hands on my forearm. “Remember, we used to come here as kids and throw all of our change in the well because we just knew it was the key to getting everything we wanted for our birthdays and Christmas?”
“Aye, I still believe it is. We always seemed to get the presents we really wanted. This well has magic.” I chuckled.
“Touché.” She grinned and stared around again before releasing a sigh. “The good days, when life was so simple. I swear, since I’ve been back, you have reminded me of everything good about Skye Ridge. How do you know exactly what I need?”
“The love is in the details.” The words flowed out as a whisper as I caressed her cheek. She blinked, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth as we peered at each other. We leaned toward each other, but the cold thud of a snowball jolted us apart.
“Sorry!” a young boy yelled with his hands up in fear.
When I looked around, I saw that he and some of his friends were engaged in a nearby snowball fight, and we had been the unintended target. Grins spread across our faces. I’m sure Amariah was reminiscing on the havoc we used to cause as children, just as I was.
“It’s all right. You’re good,” I shouted as relief washed over him, and they moved farther down, so they wouldn’t mistakenly hit us again.
Turning back to Amariah, I reached into my pocket and grabbed a coin. “So, how about it for old time’s sake? Make a wish about the store.”
Amariah rolled her eyes. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
With a raised eyebrow, I lifted the coin, indicating that I was not. “Instead of a wish, say a prayer.”
Her doubt faded into ponderance, and then, she took the coin from my hand, held it to her heart, closed her eyes, whispered words that I couldn’t hear, and tossed the coin into the well. With a bright smile, she sighed and faced me again. “From your lips to my wish to God’s ears.”
With my arms outstretched, she leaned into me, and I pulled her into a tight embrace. “God’s got you, and so do I.”