Finally, A Family. Callie Endicott

Ventures didn’t want her business to be adversely affected, but they needed space. There must be a compromise that would work for them both.

      * * *

      LOGAN LEFT AND Jessica resisted sticking out her tongue at him. It was childish and wouldn’t change anything, but he annoyed her. How could he look so alert and well rested when she’d barely slept a wink?

      Her cell phone rang and she saw it was one of the Flash Committee members. Regen Valley was a terrific town, outside the metropolitan area, yet within commuting distance. Jessica had always loved her summer visits there and made a lot of friends over the years, but now that she lived in the small town, she was acutely aware it lacked an urgent care facility. Having a daughter with severe childhood asthma changed everything, so she’d started the Flash Committee to raise money for a clinic. With land for it recently donated, they were making great progress.

      “Hi, Chris,” she answered.

      “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be at the next meeting, after all. Also, you’ll be happy to hear we’ve already sold over a hundred and fifty tickets for the breakfast.”

      “Wonderful.”

      The Flash Committee’s next fund-raiser was a pancake breakfast at the community center. The ingredients and paper goods were being donated by local businesses, so 100 percent of the proceeds would go into the urgent care clinic fund.

      After Chris said goodbye, she shoved the phone into her pocket, annoyed that she couldn’t relax and be happy at how well ticket sales were going. People were enthusiastically supporting the committee’s efforts, but her worry over the shop was competing for emotional dominance.

      She hadn’t confided in her grandmother about Moonlight Ventures’ request, or the need to keep “Penelope Parrish” on the lease. The night before she’d simply explained that she had a business meeting with one of the owners. Grams’s eyes had gleamed when she learned the meeting was with Logan Kensington. She was obviously hopeful something more than business was involved. Jessica had nearly told her the truth, only to stop, reluctant to share upsetting news before she had additional information. But she would have to do it soon, or risk Grams finding out another way.

      Jessica pressed a hand to her midriff to quell the flutters. She and Cyndi would be fine. She’d started over more than once, including the time she was pregnant and her brief marriage had collapsed. If necessary, she’d do it again.

      Maybe she was borrowing trouble, but while the lease issue could be handled by keeping Grams’s name on the paperwork, there were plenty of ways that Moonlight Ventures could make it difficult for her to stay in business. For one, several of the shop’s best customers were connected to the talent agency, either as tenants or clients. Would they feel comfortable patronizing the Crystal Connection if Logan and his partners were unhappy with her?

      It would be hard to stop thinking about the problem since Logan and his partners came in for coffee several times a day. They were going to be constant reminders that the shop was no longer welcome in the building, in this part of it, at any rate. As if in response to her thoughts, Adam Wilding showed up a few minutes later.

      “Good morning, Jessica.”

      Her stomach tensed again. “Hey, Adam. Southwest Twist?”

      “Yup.” He held out his mug and she took it to the coffee corner.

      Behave naturally, she reminded herself. Logan Kensington had promised he would be the only one speaking to her about moving the store. She needed to pretend everything was normal when dealing with the others, no matter what her private feelings might be. She filled Adam’s mug and put it on the narrow bar. Perhaps it was her imagination, but he didn’t seem anxious to meet her gaze. Instead, he was peering into the new display case filled with baked goods.

      “Thanks,” he said. “I talked to Logan on the walk over and he mentioned you’d just started carrying bakery items. What do you recommend?”

      “The blackberry coffee cake is the bakery’s specialty.”

      “Sold.” Adam opened the case and selected a square of the pastry. “See you later.”

      He left and Jessica sighed as she entered the sales information into his account. It would be nice if she could have enjoyed owning the Crystal Connection without added complications. At least for a while. Thinking of which...she went to examine the insulated pot she’d put in the sink. She didn’t see how it could be leaking, so she checked and found it to be an issue with the spout and pump mechanism. A minor adjustment corrected the problem.

      She put it back with the other pots, wishing all of her problems were so easily solved. It wasn’t as if she didn’t understand Moonlight Ventures’ position. They wanted more space and she was in the way. But their timing was lousy. She’d quit a good management job to take over the store. If she’d known something big was in the offing, she might have waited and negotiated with the new owners of Moonlight Ventures until a resolution was reached. Grams would have been happy to continue running the Crystal Connection in the interim.

      The situation was seriously messing with Jessica’s business plan and with the modest security her grandparents had hoped to give her.

      * * *

      GRAMS CAME BY at noon. “I thought I’d help out with the store until I go pick up Cyndi from her playdate.”

      “Don’t tell me you’re bored already with retirement,” Jessica teased lightly.

      “Not bored, but still getting used to it.”

      Jessica didn’t need to be told her grandmother was also still getting used to being alone. It had only been eight months. And she and Granddad had spent all of their time together; they’d shared a sweet, beautiful love story.

      “I’ve been thinking about Logan Kensington,” Grams said during a lull between customers.

      “Oh?” Jessica asked warily.

      “He’s a fine-looking man. You could do worse.”

      “I agree, except I’m not interested. We have a business connection, that’s all.” Jessica kept her voice calm.

      “Presentable single men are never just business,” Penny returned with a grin. “Besides, you can’t deny he’s hot.”

      Jessica snickered. “I refuse to discuss something like that with my grandmother.”

      “Poppycock. We’re both women. It’s too bad Logan is a little too young for me. If he was ten years older, I’d make a move on him myself.”

       “Grams!”

      Penny grinned. “Your grandfather and I both promised that if either of us ended up alone, we’d keep living to the fullest.”

      Jessica’s grandparents had lived their lives to the fullest. Until her dad was in his later teens, they’d roamed the world while Granddad researched various cultures. The anthropology books he’d written during their travels were respected, but they were hardly a financial success. He hadn’t cared. Learning had been more important to him, along with the friendships they’d made—Grams still corresponded with dozens of people in other countries.

      “I’m glad you aren’t giving up on living,” Jessica said. “But my meeting with Mr. Kensington is purely business.”

      Penny waved her hand dismissively. “Ridiculous. There’s nothing extensive to deal with as our landlord, so he must have personal reasons for asking you out.”

      Oh, great.

      Jessica decided she’d have to explain so Grams would stop building castles in romantic fantasyland. “The thing is,” she said slowly, “he wants to discuss whether the store can move to another section of the building, or even out of the building altogether.”

      * * *

      PENNY STARED AT her granddaughter in shock.