Page 11 of Christmas in Watch Hill
She frowned. “I probably should have seen this coming in some way.”
“Meaning what?”
Her shoulders slumped. “’I’ve run all the numbers, and they don’t match up. I can’t fix this, no matter how hard I try. So, I’m looking at unwinding the business.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Really sorry.”
And I was, even though I didn’t know her well at all. I’d been around enough small business owners through the years to know how heartbreaking it felt when all their effort produced almost no reward.
“Thanks. I’ve thought about what my parents would say,” she replied. “At first, I thought they would be devastated. But the more I think about it, I believe they’d tell me that I’ve tried, and they know how hard I’ve worked. They would also say it’s time to hang it up. It’s just time. And that’s the way it is.”
“I know this was a really hard decision for you to make,” I replied, my mind already turning with a few ways that I might help her. Wouldn’t it be fun to try to help the beautiful woman in front of me? Besides, what had my grief counselor said at our last visit?Help someone who needs it.“I’m sorry you’re going through this right now.”
“Me too,” she said, and I could tell she was offering me a standard reply, the kind of thing people would have expected during a general conversation between two friends.
But maybe I could change things for her.Maybe.
SEVEN
SCOTT
When I returned home, I ducked upstairs to the bedroom I’d converted into a home office and fired up the large desktop computer I kept in the corner. This was where I often did my best work, away from the endless grind of the office and the push of the usual suspects demanding my attention. Here, I could get creative. I could brainstorm. I could make something beautiful.
And I often did.
Cracking my knuckles, I slid into the swivel chair. My mind raced with ideas that had bubbled almost as soon as I’d walked away from the restaurant. Soon, I was so lost in my work that the ping of a fresh text message on my phone made me jump. It was from my brother, Ryan, who wanted me to call him.
“What’s up?” I asked when he picked up the phone. “This is later than usual.”
“Are you busy?” Ryan asked. “Surely you’re not still working.”
“Just going over a few things.” I studied the screen in front of me, satisfied with what I saw. “I guess you’re wondering what the plan is for Christmas.”
“Actually, I wanted to update you about the gift for Mom. Laura found the perfect necklace earlier today, so all you need to do is send me fifty bucks for your share of it. Simple and easy.”
“Perfect. I’ll send it over when we get off the phone.”
