Page 4 of A Chance for Candace

Chapter 2

“I can’t imagine you wanting to go to Nebraska! What kind of folderal is this?” Ralph Logan stood over his son, who was sitting at a nearby table reading the newspaper, tapping the article he mentioned to his father. The older man tugged at his dirty white apron, pulling it off and throwing it in a pile in the corner of the kitchen floor.

He kept nagging. “I’ve raised you to take over my business someday with your brothers and now you want to go it alone? And, in a state be-trodden by a drought.”

“Nebraska is slowly coming back. They have something called a water finder to drill deeper in the earth. Most of the businesses closed down during the drought. At the bottom of this article is a man’s name that has property to sell. It says he needs to find a buyer right away and will sell for pennies on the dollar. I plan to buy a storefront there and start my own bakery.”

Jessie stared at his father to show him that he was serious. He knew that taking a chance in another state was a risk, but it was time he went out on his own. Besides, he was angry at his father for agreeing to purchase the chocolate shop across the street along with Theodore’s receipts from Widow Kinney.

His father grabbed a cup of coffee that had gone cold and sat down on a wooden chair across from him. “Look, son, I know you’re not happy that the widow is selling me Theo’s business, but once I buy it, we won’t have any competition on this block. I’ll rent out the business but won’t allow anyone to start a sweet shop so close to us.”

Jessie guessed it was time to confront his father. “I’m not angry at you for purchasing the business, Father. I’m upset that you knew Theo didn’t want those receipts to go anywhere else. You’ve been begging him for years to sell them and he’s thrown you out of his shop every time. A love-hate relationship went on between the two of you. He doesn’t want you to have his receipts! How can you not see this?”

Ralph Logan set his cup down hard, the contents splashing over the rim. “You don’t get it, do you, son? If anyone should have those receipts, it should be me. I know Theo didn’t want them to be sold when he died. I know he hid them from his wife. She swears she’ll find them and when she does I plan to buy them. Whether I use them or not won’t matter because he is dead and I’m not. Life goes on, boy.”

His father abruptly pushed his chair back and stood. Jessie loved his father deeply, but felt he was wrong. Theo didn’t want anyone else to have the receipts. He wished his father would respect the man’s wishes.

Jessie pushed back a strand of light brown hair that kept falling over his forehead. He needed to go to the barber shop first, then find the man who was selling a storefront in Last Chance, Nebraska. “I’m still going to try it on my own, Father. You have Bryce and James here to help you with the family bakery.”

His father turned to him. “That’s not the point, son. If you feel you have to go and strike it on your own, then I’ll give you my blessing. I don’t like it one bit, but once you make the decision to leave, don’t return as a failure and expect me to take you back in.”

Jessie understood. His father was strict and meant every word he said. “I don’t even know if the man will sell me his business. He may have already sold it to someone. I intend to find out right after my hair cut. Father, I don’t plan to become a failure. You should know that if anyone does.” He stood and walked to the door, where his wide-brimmed hat sat on a hook to the left side of the door frame. He placed it on his head and nodded to his father. “I’ll let you know how it goes.” Jessie left then, closing the door behind him.

As he walked the four blocks to the barber shop, he thought about a new life away from the hustle and bustle of Chicago. Would he like living so far away from home? Would there be a chance to make a decent living in Nebraska?

To be honest with himself, it did seem like they had their share of troubles in that small town the past few years. A drought? Businesses closing left and right and then people leaving in droves. Would there be anyone to sell his baked goods too?

Jessie loved working at his father’s bakery but he was anxious to strike out on his own. Not only would he make it better than the family bakery, but he’d offer more to the customer than the same baked goods each week.

After his haircut, he walked seven more blocks to the place mentioned in the newspaper. He stopped and turned when he saw a metal sign in the window telling him he was at the right place. Daryl McVey, Insurance Broker, the sign read.

“Here goes nothing, or everything,” he murmured to no one in particular. His heels hit the stone steps that took him to the front porch. Opening and closing a metal gate, he stepped onto the porch, then entered the building and stood in the hallway. An overly large wooden desk sat in a room to his left where a woman smiled at him.

“Welcome to McVey Insurance. How may I help you today, sir?”

“I’m inquiring about the property for sale in Last Chance, Nebraska.”

The woman looked to her left, then to her right before turning back to Jessie and smiling. “You’ve come to the right place. It doesn’t look as if anyone else is in line at the moment.” She stood and waved at him to follow. “Mr. McVey will see you now.”

As he followed the woman down a rather dreary and dark hallway, a door opened and closed and a woman walked towards them. She seemed nervous the closer she got, moving her whole body closer to the wall.

Jessie watched her for a moment, wondering why she kept looking over her shoulder like a nervous mouse. She held something in her hand that she stuffed into her reticule quickly, then glanced towards him. There was fear in her eyes, along with a satisfied look that could only mean she got whatever she came here for.

He didn’t think anymore about it until the woman was almost upon them. Their eyes met and he recognized her as Theo’s employee, which caught him by surprise. What was Miss Sweigart doing at an insurance brokerage office? He shook his head. He must be daft. It was none of his business what the woman was doing here. He nodded, catching her attention. “Good morning, Miss Sweigart. I’m sorry for the loss of your employer.”

She stared at him, her nose twitching slightly as if she wanted to say something but refrained. He watched as her jaw tightened and loosened all in one small movement. A quick smile played upon her lips. “Are you sorry, Mr. Kinney?”

He frowned. “Of course I am. The Kinneys’ and Logans’ have been friends and rivals since before I was born.” He thought it was an odd thing for her to say, but he didn’t really know the woman at all.

She was strikingly beautiful with thick, golden hair and her dress was immaculate. She wore a solid blue skirt with a matching jacket and crisp white blouse. Her feet were encased in kid boots, as each sturdy step took her farther away from him. He turned completely around right before the assistant turned into the room she had come out of a moment ago.

“I have another customer for you inquiring about the Last Chance property, Mr. McVey.”

He motioned for her to allow the man inside. “Sit down, sir.”

Jessie took a seat opposite a man a little older than himself sitting behind another one of the large wooden desks. He pushed his chair back, stood and put out his hand. Jessie took it reluctantly, then shook it. Always cautious, he wanted to know why the man wanted to sell his property so cheap.

“I’m sure you are wondering why I am selling such a fine piece of property in a now prospering town, aren’t you?”

---