Callie Endicott - Finally, A Family

“So are you.”

“True.” Rachel laughed.

She adored her stepdaughter and was happy in a way Logan had never seen his friend before. He’d worried about her after the accident that had ended both her modeling career and first marriage. But everything had changed after she moved to Seattle and met Simon Kessler. Now, except for a few bouts of morning sickness, she seemed truly at peace. Logan just hoped it would last.

“I saw you brooding over here,” Rachel added. “Is there a problem?”

“Just gathering my thoughts about the situation with the Crystal Connection. Today is my first official day as a regular agent and I need to evaluate how to approach this particular issue.”

She made a face. “Being a landlord is my least favorite part of owning Moonlight Ventures.”

He nodded.

The rapid growth of the agency had surprised him and the others. It was partly from name recognition since they were all known in the modeling world, but now they were victims of their own success. Even with Logan starting to work full-time they needed to hire junior associates, but they just didn’t have space to accommodate anyone else.

As partners they shared administrative tasks and it was his turn to take the lead. Actually, it was well past his turn. So he was evaluating options for expansion...which mostly meant seeing if there was any way to move the Crystal Connection to another location in the building.

“It’s a challenge since the new owner is Penny’s granddaughter. She has a young daughter close to Livvie’s age,” Rachel told him. “I’ve been tempted to try setting up playdates between them, but it’s tricky. I suspect we won’t be popular once we’ve broached the subject of the shop moving.”

“That makes me feel a whole lot better.”

“Sorry. On the positive side, it’s possible Jessica will like the idea of having a larger space for the same rent. We can’t know until we ask. In any case, I’ll leave you to beard the lioness in her den,” Rachel said with a sympathetic smile.

“I probably won’t do it today. First I’m going to check commercial real estate listings of rental spaces so I have other options to offer.” They’d agreed they should pay the costs of a move, along with advertising to announce a new location—even if it was just around the corner of the building—but Logan wanted to start the discussion with real estate listings in hand. For all they knew, Ms. Parrish would love the opportunity to break her long-term lease and relocate somewhere else entirely.

“Sure you aren’t being cowardly?” she teased gently. “Jessica isn’t that fierce, except maybe when it comes to her daughter.”

He gave Rachel a wry look. “I’ve faced grizzly bears, Bengal tigers, Mount Everest and prima donna models of both sexes. I’m not saying it’ll be a piece of cake, but I can handle the situation.”

Rachel said goodbye and walked toward the agency.

Logan glanced back at the Crystal Connection’s storefront. Dealing with the issue would be part of the learning curve as he shifted from fashion photographer to businessman, but he wasn’t required to enjoy every single aspect of it.

Maybe they should have anticipated a change in ownership over the eight months since Eric Parrish’s death. Penny and her husband had started the store together, so it may have been too painful for her to continue running it alone.

Logan had spent the last month in Italy, which was why he still hadn’t met the new owner. His partners had mentioned she’d been there for a couple of weeks, working alongside her grandmother, but they’d assumed she was just helping. Then, last Friday, Penny had sent a note, asking them to change the name on the lease to her granddaughter, Jessica Parrish, saying the shop now belonged to her. The lease specifically stated it wasn’t transferable, but that was a technicality. While they weren’t legally required to honor a change to the rental agreement, it seemed wrong to refuse under the circumstances.

They knew Penny, but Jessica Parrish was a lesser known quantity. Maybe he should call Kevin McClaskey—the previous owner of the agency might be able to tell him about Jessica. Kevin knew most of his former tenants the way he knew his own family.

Logan sighed. Getting more information was definitely wise before discussing business with Ms. Parrish. In the meantime, he may as well go in and get a cup of coffee.

The thought made him pause.

The Crystal Connection was known for its great coffee, but what would it be like with a new owner? Well, even if it was awful, diplomacy demanded he continue getting his coffee there for a while. In the interim, he might learn something useful.

As he came closer, he looked to see if there were any visible changes, not that Jessica Parrish would have had much time for alterations. Everything mostly looked the same except for the small spotlights in the windows.

“Hello?” Logan called as he walked inside. There was no one in sight.

“Welcome to our store,” said a small voice. “Can I help you?”

He saw a little girl sitting on the floor next to the sales counter, a sketch pad resting on her up drawn knees. From what Rachel had said, he figured she was Jessica Parrish’s daughter, which meant she was around seven or eight years old.

“Uh, hi,” he said. “Is this your place now?”

“Kind of. It used to be Grandma and Grandpa’s, but Momma has it now.”

“I see.”

“Hello. Can I help you?” another voice inquired.

He turned and saw a young woman standing behind him, holding a large box in her arms. Her striking blue eyes held a friendly glint.

“Yes, I’d like a cup of coffee. I’ve been here before. I’m one of the partners in Moonlight Ventures.”

Her smile flashed. “Are you the large Southwest Twist, the low-fat mocha latte—”

Logan shrugged. “I don’t have a usual.”

“Oh, yes, you must be the one that Grams calls Magellan.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Because you try different things and don’t like routine. But maybe you’d prefer a different nickname.”

“If anything, I’ve thought of myself as a Stanley. You know, of Stanley and Livingstone,” Logan said, surprised that Jessica’s grandmother had read him so well. He’d be bored to death following a routine every single day.

“Ah, another explorer.” Jessica put the box she was carrying on the counter. “What can I get you?”

“I’m in a plain coffee mood this morning, so a large organic medium roast. By the way, I’m Logan Kensington.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jessica Parrish. This is my daughter, Cyndi.” Jessica gestured to the child sitting nearby. “She’s helping me out because her school isn’t in session this week.”

Cyndi smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave.

Logan smiled in return and then looked back at Cyndi’s mother. “We didn’t know the shop was changing ownership until we got Mrs. Parrish’s note.”

“There was a delay in getting everything settled. Something or other with the will. Grams prefers having her ducks in a row before making announcements.”

Jessica went into the coffee bar in a corner of the shop and he evaluated her the way he’d evaluate a model he needed to photograph. Great skin. A steady gaze and firm jawline that suggested stubborn resolve. The unusual shade of her blue eyes complemented her hair, which was brown with a coppery tone. And while she didn’t have a particularly bold figure, he preferred her slim curves.

He glanced at her ring finger and was annoyed with himself. It would be dishonest to deny he found her appealing, but he couldn’t let it be an issue. Whether she was married or single, his interest was entirely on behalf of the agency.