Callie Endicott - Finally, A Family

“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. “What section?”

“Around the back. It’s okay, nothing has been decided. He just wants to discuss the possibility, so I said we could talk.”

Penny tried to keep her chin from quivering. When Eric had died, she’d determinedly held herself together. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t known she would spend years alone; her husband had been almost eighteen years her senior. But now... She touched the sales counter Eric had made when they were opening the Crystal Connection.

She gulped down a knot in her throat. “We worked together for so long. Right here. I have countless memories in this place.”

“I know.” Jessica gave her a hug. “I think of Granddad all the time when I’m here. But remember, the building doesn’t belong to us. As it is, your name will need to stay on the lease because I’ve been told it isn’t transferable. We can work out a sublease arrangement.”

“That’s fine, but Kevin always said we could stay as long as we wanted.”

Jessica took a deep breath. “That was my first thought, too, except Uncle Kevin doesn’t own the building any longer and the new owners have a right to consider their needs.”

“What needs?”

“They want to expand and because we’re next door, this is where Moonlight Ventures needs to go.”

“I see.”

Penny glanced around the shop. Despite the changes her granddaughter had made, it was still the place where she’d spent years with Eric. With every step it was as if she was crossing paths with her husband’s spirit. Sometimes she could sense him next to her or hear his voice and laughter.

How could the Crystal Connection move?

They’d poured themselves into creating a place that reflected their travels. Most of their stock came directly from friends in South America, Africa, the South Seas and Asia. With the shop they’d helped open up markets and create cottage industries for people they cared about.

“Nothing has been decided, Grams.”

Penny tried to slow her racing thoughts. This might be hard for her, but it was also tough on her granddaughter.

“Please don’t make any promises or commitments until we’ve discussed everything,” she urged. “That is, the Crystal Connection is yours now, but I hope you’ll talk with me first.”

“I will,” Jessica promised. “But please don’t worry about it. And remember that no matter where the store is, Grandpa’s counter goes with us.”

Penny let out a choked laugh. “Good. You know, we could probably get his DNA off that thing. Eric cut himself and skinned his knuckles more times than I could count when he was cutting and polishing the wood.”

“So when you used to say there was blood, sweat and tears in this place, you weren’t kidding, right?”

“Right. Now I’d better go pick up Cyndi.”

* * *

JESSICA’S HEART ACHED as her grandmother left, seeming more lonely and lost than she’d ever seen her. For the first time Penny looked her age.

As a rule, no one would guess she was seventy-two years old. With few wrinkles and brown hair barely streaked with gray, she could pass for fifty or younger. Granddad had been more than a decade older than her, but he hadn’t looked his age, either.

Grams’s first thought had been about losing the place where she’d worked with her husband, and it bothered Jessica that she hadn’t considered that before. Was she more consumed by business success than she’d believed?

Swell. Now she had something else to keep her awake at night.

* * *

AT HOME THAT EVENING, Jessica tried to conceal her churning thoughts as she tidied the house. Her side of the duplex was roomier than their apartment back east had been, and it even had a small backyard.

A healthy dish her daughter actually liked was pasta primavera, probably because of the noodles, so after vacuuming, she cut up chicken and vegetables.

“Momma, do you think Logan would show me how to take pictures?” Cyndi wanted to know as they ate at the dinner table.

Jessica’s first instinct was to say no and to tell her daughter not to ask. But it was a selfish reaction and she didn’t want to discourage Cyndi from being excited about new things.