Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Amariah
As promised, we had all the materials the city of Ridgeland needed for its annual Christmas play and gala ready when the delivery trucks arrived at precisely noon that Monday.
When Jacob called to confirm the pickup, he forwarded me a digital copy of the receipt shortly after.
Though it wasn’t required, I contacted Mrs. Lovett to verify the pickup and delivery.
She confirmed it immediately, along with another round of heartfelt praise and a personal invitation for Jacob and me to attend the play and gala.
While I couldn’t speak for Jacob, I accepted the invitation without hesitation.
There was no way I could turn it down, not from the very person who had inadvertently saved my father’s life’s work.
Whether Jacob could accompany me or not, I would attend.
I owed Mrs. Lovett and the city of Ridgeland that much.
That’s exactly what I told my parents after ending my phone call with Mrs. Lovett.
I hadn’t shared any of what was unfolding, and I watched their faces light up as I recounted everything from discovering the final-notice letter to securing the meeting with Mayor Nordham.
Recalling the events that led up to securing the store’s future for them made my entire year.
I would’ve given anything to freeze that moment, to keep seeing the relief and pride etched across their faces.
“You did good, Maribug,” Daddy said, patting my hand.
My mother squeezed the other one. “I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. I knew you could do it.” She pointed upward. “The good Lord always provides. All He needs is a willing worker and a trusting heart.”
Though her words were meant for me, my thoughts drifted to Jacob. Maybe we had both found favor with the Lord, not for ourselves, but for my parents. The perfect duo.
“Thank you, Mama,” I said softly, rising to my feet. “Now, I need to tie up loose ends with the loan company and get ready for the meeting with Ridgeland’s recovery and revitalization committee.”
I tried to mask it, but ever since Mayor Nordham’s executive assistant confirmed the meeting, my nerves had been tap dancing in my stomach.
I’d stood before executives of multimillion-dollar corporations without breaking a sweat, yet this felt different.
This wasn’t just business. This was family.
I silently prayed that God still had a few more provisions left in store for us.
“You’ve got this,” Daddy said hoarsely, but still with his ever-comforting gentle smile.
“And God’s got you,” Mama added.
“From your lips to His ears,” I replied.
With that, I left them to enjoy their time together.
They cherished each other deeply, and with Daddy’s illness, I wanted them to soak up every possible moment.
With that settled, I contacted the loan company to settle the debt.
When I spoke with our account representative, I could tell she was bracing herself for another emotional plea and was ready to deny it as well.
Knowing that made the news I did have for her that much sweeter.
When I informed her that I had the current payment and the arrears ready, her tone shifted instantly.
Instead of firm reluctance, she was ecstatic, accommodating, and eager to assist in any way that she could.
I never imagined paying a bill could feel so satisfying.
In reality, it wasn’t about the payment itself, but rather what it represented.
Relief. Breathing room. Stability. Saving the store.
It meant I could step away without worry.
Even though I couldn’t stay in Skye Ridge to oversee daily operations, knowing the business was secure and in capable hands with Jacob and Koby brought peace.
That peace didn’t last long.
The elephant that had been hiding in the room emerged, bringing with it the heavy and unavoidable reality.
Jacob and me. My life was in D.C. His life was here, in Skye Ridge.
We’d sidestepped the conversation amid the chaos, but now there was nowhere left to hide.
The facts were the facts. My time in Skye Ridge was temporary.
What would that mean for the possibility of us?
Would Jacob be willing to try for a long-distance relationship?
Was I? Assuming we did attempt it, how could we sustain the distance?
What would be the end goal? There were too many questions swirling in my mind, and as they piled up, my stomach began to churn.
I desperately needed to relieve my mind before I became physically ill.
As if summoned by my distress, my phone buzzed. When I checked it, Scottie’s name scrolled across the screen, and I couldn’t help but smile. As much as I loved home, I missed D.C., and I missed her. Happily, I answered.
“Hey, girl, hey.” Gleefulness spilled through the receiver.
“Well, I was calling to check in, but it sounds like you’re doing well,” Scottie said, giggling at my greeting.
“Oh, trust me, if you’d have called me a few days ago or even yesterday, I promise it would’ve been a different conversation. But, yes, there have been some breakthroughs.”
“Do tell. And don’t dance around the details, honey.”
Since I hadn’t spoken to Scottie since Aaron showed up, I rewound everything to give her the complete rundown from his impromptu visit to my fallout with Jacob, our official breakup, and bringing everything to the present day with Daddy’s relapse and the store crisis.
Scottie listened through it all, gasping and murmuring at the right moments, exercising a level of restraint that deserved recognition.
If the shoe had been on the other foot, I wouldn’t have made it through half of the soap opera–worthy gossip I laid at her feet.
“For the first time in my life,” she said finally, “I’m speechless.”
I folded my legs underneath me and leaned forward. “I know. It’s a lot, right?”
“A lot? Girl, that’s a load. D.C. has nothing on Skye Ridge drama. It’s always the small towns.”
I tossed my head backward in giggles. “Hold up now. Don’t do Skye Ridge.”
“No, darling. Skye Ridge sounds like it’s doing you. And very well, might I add.”
“No, you may not add,” I tsked, shaking my head at her antics. “Jacob and I haven’t been…well, you see we’ve…ugh.”
“You’re in limbo, which means you haven’t discussed what’s next for you all,” Scottie added her accurate and quick assessment.
“I’m afraid so. Everything around us was happening so that we didn’t have time.”
“Make time.”
I scoffed, squinting as if she could see me. “When you say it like that, it just—”
“Makes sense,” she interrupted me. I sucked my teeth, and she sighed.
“Don’t get snippy with me for stating the obvious.
I think you’re both running scared because of the inevitable.
Here’s the thing: You both know it’s coming, so tell each other what you want honestly, and if that aligns, then you give it a try.
If it doesn’t, at least you know you laid everything out on the table.
Isn’t eighteen years long enough to wonder what if? ”
I groaned, flopping back on the bed. “God, I hate it when you—”
“Make sense,” she teased.
“If I didn’t love you, I’d tell you how much I hate you right now.”
“Pssh,” Scottie said. “No, you just hate that I’m right.”
“That, too.” I rolled my eyes.
“Listen, I trust that you have Christmas magic on your side—just like you had with your dad’s store.
Speaking of, don’t second-guess yourself with this meeting either.
You’ve already won over the mayor and the mayor pro tem; a few committee members are nothing.
Besides, they sound like they need the help just as much, and maybe even more.
You can sell ornaments to a Christmas tree, Amariah. Go grab your holiday miracle.”
“Did I ever tell you how great you are?”
“Absolutely, you have. Would I mind hearing it again? Absolutely not.”
For the next few minutes, I bounced some of my talking points off Scottie to gain her insight and feedback before we disconnected.
“And remember, breathe in positivity…”
“Breathe out bullshitivity.”
After we hung up, I felt steadier, but I refused to go into this meeting without Jacob. After I made myself presentable, I video-called him.
“Hey, you,” he answered on the third ring. “Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the meeting with the Ridgeland city council?”
“I’m glad you asked because that’s exactly why I called you.”
For the first time since he’d answered, his attention snapped to the screen. When his eyes landed on me, his breath hitched, and he swallowed roughly.
An electric current of panic shot through me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” He licked his lips. “You just look…amazing.”
Heat flooded my cheeks as I leaned back in the chair, taken aback by his compliment.
Since I’d been home, I hadn’t dolled myself up.
The only time I even wore a touch of lipstick was at the one church service, but even then, I sported a fresh face.
Today, I’d kept things simple: a light beat with lashes and my hair down, showcasing my voluminous layers from the curl and wrap I’d done to it last night.
I’d created this look so many times that it was the norm for me, but Jacob’s reaction made me feel extraordinary.
“Thank you. It’s just an ‘office beat.’” I emphasized with air quotes. “Nothing special.”
“And yet it is.”
Be still my heart. Those four simple words were enough to send my chest into a frenzy of palpitations. Heat crept up the back of my neck, and I turned on the ceiling fan before this man made my makeup sweat off.
Clearing my throat, I decided to move on with the reason for the call before we both got too carried away in this conversation. “I’d like you to be on the Zoom with me.”
His face softened as he greeted a customer, then told Koby he was heading to the back office. I waited patiently for his response as he entered the room and closed the door.
“No. This is your deal. I have full faith in you. You’ve got this, Amariah.”
His vote of confidence was warming, but it wasn’t about what was mine or not. It was about what was necessary and in order. He would execute any idea I had, and I respected his position and input in my family’s business.
“And I appreciate that. I know that I can handle it on my own, but you’re an essential part of my father’s business and its success. You’re necessary. You should be present.”
Jacob sat down on the desk, his shoulders easing as he took in what I’d said to him. The corner of his mouth turned upward into the sweet smirk that always melted me. His eyes danced in amusement, causing an infectious grin to form on my face.
“What?” I probed, trying not to laugh. “I’m being serious.”
“I know you are,” Jacob assured me. “It’s just funny how we’ve come full circle from our initial opinions about each other on the store’s operations.”
I pursed my lips. “Mmm-hmm. You thought I had no clue what I was doing.”
He tilted his head slightly. “True, but you thought I didn’t belong there and was running the business into the ground.”
“True.” I hunched my shoulder. “But we were both wrong.”
“We were,” he agreed, a sense of calm and contentedness settling over him. “I’ll join the Zoom.”
“Good, because I already told the mayor you’d be on the call,” I admitted with a smile.
That cute half-smirk that always melted me like butter returned as he shook his head at my antics. “Thank you.”
“No, thank you.”
We lingered there in a feeling of mutual respect and unspoken feelings before preparing to secure the future of Luke’s Hardware…together.