Callie Endicott - Finally, A Family

“That makes sense.” It was the best solution and Jessica wouldn’t have to dread the subject coming up whenever one of the other Moonlight Ventures partners came into the shop. She didn’t want this to impact how she felt about them...which was decidedly negative at the moment, so maybe the most she could hope for was cordiality.

A customer approached the counter with a basket of items and Jessica went to ring up her purchases.

“I’ll check with you when I come for coffee tomorrow,” Logan said after the woman had left. “Is that all right?”

“Sure.”

Jessica breathed easier when she was alone again, but only a little. Logan Kensington had unloaded a potential nightmare for her. With so much to consider, she suspected she wouldn’t get much sleep that night.

* * *

“I’VE BROACHED THE subject with Ms. Parrish. We’re supposed to have another discussion on Thursday,” Logan explained to his partners at a meeting an hour after his chat with Jessica.

“Is she open to what we’re proposing?” Rachel asked.

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it open. Although it upset her, she didn’t completely reject the idea. Presumably the store operates on a narrow margin, so she has a good deal to consider.”

Adam grimaced. “We don’t want to hurt her business.”

“Her grandparents have leased that location for over thirty years,” Rachel added. “This must be the last thing she expected.”

Logan nodded. Even though Moonlight Ventures needed more space, they wanted to be responsible and decent. He’d actually found it reassuring when Jessica shot back the assertion that her grandmother could continue the lease. It was preferable to deal with someone who was able to stand up for herself.

“I know I’ve said it before, but our new career has issues I never thought about,” Nicole said. “Especially the part about being a landlord.”

They were in equal accord that owning such a large property and dealing with rentals was a challenge they hadn’t fully anticipated.

“But it’s been good, too,” Rachel asserted. “After all, working with Matt Tupper has helped both of our companies.”

Matt Tupper owned a recording studio in the back section of the building where they hoped the Crystal Connection would be willing to move. He hired their voice clients for various jobs and they helped find volunteers for his work recording books for the blind. One of those volunteers, Gemma Paulsen, had rapidly become a popular voice-over artist in commercials and other projects...and was now engaged to Matt. The couple expected to get married in a few months.

Logan almost squirmed at the thought.

It felt as if everyone around him was either recently married or getting married. Even their office manager, Chelsea Masters, had a wedding coming up. And his friends seemed to think he’d do the same, joking that falling in love had a domino effect—one fell and the rest began toppling. Hardly. He was glad they’d found people they cared about, but he refused to be swept into the nuptial frenzy.

“I wonder why Kevin originally leased space to the Crystal Connection,” Adam mused, breaking into Logan’s thoughts. “It’s quirky compared to the other businesses here.”

“I can answer that,” Rachel volunteered. Years ago she’d been a client of Moonlight Ventures and knew the history better than any of them. “When the Parrishes wanted to open a store, Kevin offered them a deal. Of course, I think the street was still run-down back then, so after he renovated the building, he probably needed tenants. He’s been loyal to the ones who took a chance on renting from him.”

“It isn’t run-down any longer,” Logan pointed out. The popularity of converting industrial structures to apartments and businesses had revitalized the area. The building they owned had become a desirable commercial location, yet several of their tenants were paying rent that was significantly under market value. He and his partners didn’t plan to increase rents dramatically, but gradual raises seemed appropriate.

As for the Crystal Connection?

Even if it didn’t fit with the other businesses in the building, the shop and its coffee were popular. Logan had noticed rocks and crystals on office desks and hanging from the rearview mirrors of various renters. Whether it was due to Kevin’s enthusiasm in supporting the shop, or people’s natural liking for those things, it was hard to tell.

“What do you think, Logan?” Adam asked.

“What’s that? My mind was wandering.”

Adam chuckled. “Are you in love?”

“No.” Logan gave him a dark look. “And no more pushing, okay? I’m leaving romance to the rest of you.”

Smiles swept across their faces. Being the only unattached member of the group made him the odd man out. He was reluctant to explain that he questioned his ability to fall in love and that he didn’t think it was fair to a woman to make a half-hearted commitment. Who knew? Maybe his emotional detachment came from looking at life through a camera lens. Or maybe it was the other way around. Maybe he’d chosen photography because the camera was a mask, hiding his true feelings.

He tried to clear his head. “What was the question, Adam?”

“I was referring to the Jessica Project.” They’d taken to calling their expansion plan the Jessica Project since she was the key to getting what they wanted. “Do you think offering six months or a year of free rent might convince her?”

“I can’t say,” Logan replied. “She’s worried about moving to a space that isn’t visible from the main street. I’m sure signs and advertising could resolve the issue, but she seems doubtful.”

Nicole leaned forward. “Basically, we won’t know how to make this work until you’ve spoken with her again.”

“Right. I wanted to get information about Jessica from Kevin, but he’s in Chicago with his new granddaughter, so I decided to just go ahead. It probably would have been a bad idea, anyway. The friendship is so close Jessica even calls him ‘Uncle Kevin.’”

“I didn’t know the baby had come,” Rachel said. “His daughter wasn’t due for another couple of weeks. What did they name her?”

“And how big is she?” Nicole asked before he could reply.

If Logan had needed proof he wasn’t father material, this was it. He’d felt frustrated, rather than interested, when reading Kevin’s email. He hadn’t replied, either, because it hadn’t occurred to him that there might be details he should ask about.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I was focused on the issue with the Crystal Connection. I’ll forward the email to everyone.”

His chagrin must have shown on his face because Adam laughed. “Don’t feel bad. Blame it on being a bachelor. It’s only since Cassie and I started talking about having more kids that I pick up on that kind of stuff. You’ll see.”

Logan tried to conceal his instinctive reaction. Adam’s wife was raising her teenage niece and nephew, so by marrying Cassie, Adam had gotten a ready-made family. It was admirable, but Logan was surprised they wanted more children.

As for the “you’ll see” remark? Once again it was an assumption that someday he’d join their married-with-children ranks. How many times did he have to tell them it wasn’t happening?

“Don’t worry about it,” Rachel said gently. “I’ll send flowers and a gift from the agency.”

The assurance reminded Logan of his mother and father. Ever the diplomats, they’d faithfully sent an appropriate gift, card, invitation or whatever was required—his father called it “playing the political game.” But in Rachel’s case, she genuinely cared about Kevin.

“That would be nice,” he muttered.