Chapter 29
29
As Noah’s name flashed on her cell screen, Emma’s heart missed a beat. He’d had all the material for the proposed Sweet Dreams agreement for a week, had texted to say he’d talked to Eric and Tracy, and had promised to weigh in as soon as he could review everything.
This must be his verdict.
Emma lowered herself into the upholstered chair Bren had loaned her for the apartment, clenched the arm, and took the call. “Hi, Noah.”
“Hello, Emma. Sorry it’s taken me a bit longer than I’d hoped to go through everything. Work got crazier than usual.”
“No worries. I know you’re busy. What’s the word?”
“As far as finances are concerned, it’s a go.”
She closed her eyes. Released her grip on the chair. Started breathing again.
Thank you, God.
“No red flags?” Hard as she tried to control it, a tremor ran through her question.
“No. The books are meticulous, and everything’s in order. Tracy is an excellent accountant. As I suspected, the income isn’t super high, but you’ve indicated that’s not the deciding factor for you.”
“It’s not—but how much are we talking in terms of profit?”
When he gave her the number, she exhaled.
Maybe that wasn’t high by most people’s standards, but it would provide a comfortable living for her and Justin. Besides, once she implemented some of the plans she had in mind for the shop, the income should increase.
“The one suggestion I’d offer is to consider having Eric talk to their attorney about the price they’re asking. In light of historic income levels, it’s a little on the high side.”
She furrowed her brow. “I don’t know, Noah. I want to be fair to them, and I don’t want any hard feelings.”
“There’s negotiation in every business deal. Most people’s initial price is higher than what they expect to get. I’d suggest a modest counter, but that’s up to you. You can discuss it with Eric if you like, get his take. Otherwise, from a finance perspective, you’re inheriting a clean operation. No outstanding debts, solid credit rating, well-established operation, steady return on investment, and a loyal customer base. The latter is my own take, based on anecdotal evidence, not demographic data.”
“I appreciate all your work on this, Noah. And I’ll call Eric today. He only had minor tweaks on the agreement, so once the price is firm, I should be good to go.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. Shook her head as her lips bowed. “I can’t believe I’m going to own a bakery.”
“Not outright. You’ll be paying off the debt for years. But for all practical purposes, it’ll be your baby. I wish you all the best, Emma.”
“Thank you. It’s hard to believe this all began with a broken-down car and an unplanned stop at a coffee shop. If I hadn’t met Bren, none of this would be happening. She’s amazing.”
“I won’t argue with that.”
Emma picked at a loose thread on the chair. “So, uh, are you two still in touch?” Because if they weren’t, they should be. The warmth in his voice and the yearning that swept over Bren’s face whenever his name came up in conversation were dead giveaways about their feelings for each other.
“Not lately. How is she?”
“Busier than ever, from what I can tell. With the 5K race five days off, she and the rest of the committee are scrambling to get the final pieces in place. Plus, she’s swamped with calligraphy orders. The Perfect Blend also seems to be busier than usual. Did you know she’s also part of the foster grandparent program through Helping Hands? I just found out about that.”
“Yes, I did. She does a lot of other volunteering too.”
“If you want my opinion, I think she stays busy to keep from getting lonely.”
As the comment tumbled from her mouth, Emma cringed.
She could be overstepping.
Nevertheless, Bren deserved to be happy. And it might not be a bad strategy to suggest to him that he was missed. If he and Bren had feelings for each other, one of them had to make a move.
“You may be right.” Noah’s tone was noncommittal. “Well ... I’ll let you go. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to call if you have any questions or I can be of any other help.”
“I will. Thank you again.”
As the line went dead, she sighed.
Unless her intuition was failing her, he and Bren ought to be together.
But it was going to have to be up to them to make that happen. She could only control so much.
Like the long-awaited call to Justin.
Grinning, she pulled up his number and tapped it in.
“Hey, Em. I’ve been thinking about you.”
“Likewise. And I have a ton of news to share.”
For the next ten minutes, she gave him the full download on everything that had happened with Sweet Dreams, answering all the eager questions he threw at her as she recounted her tale.
“That’s awesome, Sis.” His excitement crackled over the line. “You’re going to get your own business after all.”
“It’s a miracle. It has to be. There have been too many incidents in perfect sequence for it to be anything else. And there’s more. While I was working with the attorney who reviewed the Sweet Dreams agreement, I also talked to him about the guardianship paperwork. He’s going to help me fill it out and file it. After he heard my story, he was confident we wouldn’t have any issue getting the legalities finished by Christmas. We can be together for the holiday.”
“That’s amazing! You’re the best, Em.” Justin’s attempt to cover the choke in his voice with a cough was obvious.
“I don’t know about that. But I do have the best brother in the world. Can you hang in there until I get everything sorted out here?”
“Yeah. Now that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, I can deal with Bill. Having Christmas with you in Hope Harbor will be the best gift ever.”
“For me too. Just be aware that I may end up recruiting you to help at the shop with what I hope will be a Christmas rush.”
“Count on it. Love you, Em.”
“Love you back. I’ll call again in a day or two.”
As she severed the connection, Emma leaned back in the chair, lifted her gaze, and sent a silent thank-you heavenward for all the wonderful blessings that had graced her life in this tiny seaside town.
Yet even if her stay in Hope Harbor had turned out to be nothing more than a short respite from her troubles and responsibilities, her encounter with Bren would always have been a reminder that hope and goodness lived—and that they could sometimes be found in the most unexpected places and most unexpected ways.
Bren paused outside the Book Nook and took a long, slow breath.
In two days, her six-week moratorium with Noah would be over—and before the two of them talked, she needed a Bev fix. Bad.
She pushed through the door to the cheery ding-a-ling of wind chimes.
From behind the countertop where Bev worked on her jewelry between customers, the owner smiled at her. “Good morning, dear girl. Did you come to see me or to get a cookie?”
“Delicious as your cookies are, the draw here for me is always you.”
“Thank you for that. Did you finish the job for the bride in Seattle?”
“Yes. FedEx picked it up half an hour ago.” She wandered over to the jewelry counter and inspected Bev’s latest creation, a necklace of rough-cut amethyst interspersed with silver beads, an intriguing hint of gold tucked here and there. “What a beautiful piece.”
“Thank you.”
“But I wouldn’t trade it for these.” She touched one of her imperial jasper earrings.
“I’m glad they’ve given you pleasure.”
“Also food for thought.”
Bev studied her. “How so?”
“You told me once that in addition to all the other qualities this stone represents, it’s also a reminder of the power of companionship. I don’t know if wearing these was the impetus, but since you gave them to me, I’ve been thinking a lot about that notion.”
“Why do I suspect Noah played a bigger role in your musings than those earrings?” Bev set down the small pliers in her hand, eyes twinkling.
“Because you’re smart and intuitive?”
“More likely because I know you.” Bev pulled a second stool into place beside hers and patted it. “Why don’t you sit with me for a minute?”
Bren circled the jewelry counter and joined her. “Noah and I are supposed to talk on Saturday. That’s the end of our six-week moratorium, which was intended to give us both a chance to see how we felt about being apart.”
“What’s the verdict on your end?”
“I miss him every day. I feel like there’s something special between us and that I’ll live to regret it if we don’t find out where that attraction may lead. But he may have come to a different conclusion.”
“You’ll know in two days. However, from what I saw while he was here, I don’t think his feelings will have diminished, either.”
“I don’t know, Bev.” Frowning, she picked up a silver bead and rolled it between her fingers. “Considering how busy his job keeps him, he may not have had time to think about me.”
“If it didn’t keep him too busy to help Emma out, I think it’s a safe bet he found plenty of time to think about you.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s decided he wants to throw in the towel on his career in St. Louis.”
“Have you thought any more about moving there, if no other resolution comes to mind?”
“Yes.” But if she decided to take the path she was more and more leaning toward, Noah should be the first to know. “Although I wouldn’t relocate without a firmer sense of whether there’s real potential between us. That’s why I’m going to suggest your idea about a long-distance courtship for a few months, if he’s willing to give it a try.”
“That sounds like a sensible plan to me.”
“I hope he agrees.” She set the bead back and rubbed her forehead. “Why do relationships have to be so complicated?”
“In my experience, most things worth having don’t come easy— and there’s often a price of some sort to be paid. Maybe that’s God’s way of making us appreciate them more once we get them.”
“I suppose that’s one way to look at it. I bet Emma is extra thankful for the bakery contract after the challenges she’s faced.”
“Is that a done deal?”
“As of yesterday. She signed all the papers, then brought over a treat of the day for each of us to celebrate. I’m happy for her.”
“So am I. And I’m hoping there’s a sweet ending for you too.” Bev touched her hand.
“Thank you. A lot depends on Saturday.” Like everything.
“The race will take up most of your day. When are you talking to Noah?”
“I don’t know. If I don’t hear from him, I’ll text him tomorrow and see if we can set up a call on Saturday evening. I don’t want to be distracted by race duties during our conversation.” The chimes by the door pealed again, and two women entered. “I’ll let you get back to work.” Bren stood.
“Ladies, I’ll be with you in a moment.” Bev rose too as she addressed the customers.
“No hurry. We’re in the mood to browse.” One of the women gave the shop a sweep.
As the two customers began perusing the shelves, Bren settled her purse on her shoulder. “Thanks for being here for me whenever I need a sympathetic ear.”
“That’s what friends do. And for the record, my ear will always be available, no matter where your life takes you. Friendship transcends geography.”
“Thank you for that too.” Bren sniffed. Swiped at her nose. “I’ll let you get to your customers.”
“Will you call me this weekend, let me know how it goes with Noah?”
“Absolutely. Depending on what he has to say, I may have to tap into your wisdom.” She leaned over and gave the other woman a hug. “Go sell some books—or jewelry.”
“I’m on it.” She hugged back. “I’ll be waiting to hear from you.”
While Bev joined the other two women, Bren crossed the store and exited into the noonday light. If fate was kind, the sunny skies would hold for race day. After all the work that had gone into the event, bad weather would be a real downer.
But the race would go on, rain or shine.
As would her conversation with Noah. That was a given. Surely he was as anxious to touch base as she was.
Twenty-four hours later, however, a wave of uneasiness undermined her assumption about his feelings when she checked messages after her hectic shift at The Perfect Blend ended.
Noah had reached out to her first, and his text wasn’t encouraging.
Can we defer our conversation until Sunday morning? I have a packed schedule tomorrow, and I know you’ll be tied up with the race. That work for you?
Apparently he wasn’t as eager to talk to her as she was to talk to him.
Swallowing past her disappointment, she keyed in a response.
Okay. What time?
You going to church?
Yes. The second service.
How about seven a.m.? My Sunday is booked too.
And clearly a conversation with her wasn’t high on his priority list.
This was not looking positive.
But if he’d had a change of heart over the past six weeks, there was nothing she could do about it. Better to find out now than to jump into a relationship with both feet, only to have the romance fall apart after she was even more fully invested. That would hurt worse—impossible as that seemed at this moment.
She typed in a response.
Fine by me. Are you going to call me?
Yes. Talk to you soon.
End of exchange.
“Hey ... you all right?” Zach halted as he passed by with a mop to begin cleanup duties.
“Yeah. You want me to do that?” She motioned to the mop.
“No. I’ve got it.” He cocked his head and inspected her. “Why don’t you clean out the case and take off?”
“Really?” If he was willing to let her cut out early, she wasn’t going to argue.
“Yep. I bet you’ve got a crammed schedule leading up to the race tomorrow.”
Yes, she did.
But race duties wouldn’t be on the top of her to-do list after she left The Perfect Blend.
That spot was reserved for a good cry.