Lorraine Beatty - His Small-Town Family

With the sale sign perfectly placed, Ethan stepped down from the display window and handed her the tape and scissors. “Anything else?”

“Thank you.” She tried to hold his gaze a moment to show her appreciation, but he looked away. “There are three boxes on the top shelf in the back corner of the stockroom. They probably have the word Keep written on the side. If you’ll bring those out, I’ll add them to the sales table.”

He nodded. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Gordon.” He walked off.

Debi sighed. “Yummy.”

“Hush. He might hear you.”

“Like he doesn’t know he’s dreamy?”

Nicki doubted it. He struck her as the type who would be embarrassed if someone called him “dreamy.”

Debi nudged her arm. “I want to know all about him.”

So did she. For a moment, she considered telling her friend about Ethan’s odd reaction to Sadie, but decided against it for now.

“You know, Nicki...” Debi nodded thoughtfully. “If you wanted to really increase business, all you’d have to do is have him stand in the front window. I’ll bet your sales would go through the roof.”

Nicki shook her head. “Oh, come on.” She noticed Ethan returning with two of the boxes and quickly changed the subject. “If you stopped by to see Sadie, she’s napping.”

“No, I came by to see if you’d heard about the break-in last night?”

“Another one?” She stepped aside to let Ethan place the cartons on the sale table, catching a whiff of his enticing aftershave. She forced her attention on Debi. “Where?”

“Durrant’s Hardware. They took the computer, some petty cash and several expensive power tools. That’s the fourth store to be broken into in the last two weeks.”

A twinge of alarm chased down Nicki’s spine. She’d worked late several nights since taking over the store. Now the thought of being here alone with the baby didn’t sound like a good idea. Her gaze shifted to Ethan as he walked away. Of course, with him here she’d feel perfectly safe. His muscular build and stern demeanor would no doubt deter any burglar who tried to break in. “Do the police have any leads?”

“Nothing solid yet.” Debi rested one hand below her throat. “I’m glad it’s still light out when I leave work. Otherwise I’d have Jerry take me home in his patrol car every night.”

Nicki studied her friend, noting the worry in her usually bright blue eyes. “How are you dealing with Jerry’s new job as a police officer?”

“Okay, I guess. I try not to think about it. There’s not much crime in Dover. At least not until these robberies started.” She shrugged. “But I do worry. I’ve met a few of the other officers’ wives. Captain Durrant’s wife, Ginger, is new to life as a law-enforcement spouse. We’ve talked a couple of times. It helps.”

“I’m glad. You know I’ll be praying for his safety.”

“Thanks.” Debi pulled her into a warm hug. “I miss you, Nicki. Before Sadie was born and your dad had his transplant, we used to have lunch and go shopping. Now we can only manage to steal a few minutes during the day.”

“I know. I miss that, too. But by the end of the day, I’m too tired to do anything but fall into bed. And you’re not exactly a stay-at-home mom.”

“I know. Carter and Zoe have both started soccer. I feel like I’m on the road nonstop. Promise me we’ll do lunch or dinner soon.”

“Promise.”

Nicki watched her friend leave and realized how much her life had changed since coming home. At times she felt trapped and alone, unable to break free to live her own life. While she loved her parents and was grateful for their help, she was completely dependent on them for everything. Even her job. The only thing that kept her going was knowing that eventually she and Sadie could leave Dover and start over.

The afternoon passed more quickly than she’d anticipated, allowing her to forget for brief moments about her meeting with her friend the accountant. A glance at the clock showed it was almost closing time. Gary would be here soon. As she walked back to her office, her gaze drifted to the stockroom. Ethan had kept to himself most of the afternoon. His reaction to Sadie still nagged at her mind, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask him about it.

She glanced up at the bright light illuminating her desk. She owed Ethan an apology. He’d tried to help her with the bulb. But his “Let me do that” statement had triggered something in her, and she’d lashed out. She wasn’t about to let anyone tell her what to do. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But that didn’t justify rudeness.

Nicki went in search of her new employee and found him out front, replenishing stock. He turned, bracing his shoulders, his eyes guarded. Did he think she was going to press him about his reaction earlier?

She chewed her lip a moment, preparing her speech. “I’m sorry about the lightbulb thing. I know you were just trying to help.”

He picked up the carton he’d emptied and folded the flaps inward. His gaze met hers. “No problem. I like to do things for myself, too.”

How had he interpreted her behavior so correctly? The look in his eyes led her to believe he truly did understand. All of her life, people had been telling her to stop being so bullheaded and independent. No one understood the satisfaction she found in achieving things on her own.

“Well, I appreciate your help. Thanks.”

He nodded. “That’s what I’m here for.”

Nicki went back to her office. Ethan was right. She’d hired him to help. Tomorrow she would train him on the register. But today, she had to deal with Gary’s findings.

Picking up the new floor plan she’d sketched out for the store, she studied it again. Her training in marketing told her the plan to revitalize Latimer’s was sound, but as a daughter, she feared her plan might fail and cost her parents their business. If only she knew for sure. Her confidence was so fragile. One minute she thought she could conquer the world. The next, humiliation and shame would drag her back down into feelings of powerlessness and defeat. She couldn’t trust her own judgment, not after the mistakes she’d made.

“Nicki.”

She looked up to find Ethan in the office doorway. “There’s someone here to see you.”

He moved aside, and Gary Palmer stepped into the office. “Hey, Nichelle.”

Gary hadn’t changed much since high school. He was short and stocky with a head of unruly red hair, and his boyish grin eased some of her anxiety.

She rose and greeted him with a hug. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to have you home again.”

Nicki glanced over his shoulder and saw Ethan watching her from the stockroom. The hard look on his face puzzled her, until she realized he was gauging the situation, watching out for her. The protective gesture pleased her. It was nice to have someone looking out for her. As long as it didn’t go too far.

Closing the office door, she gave her full attention to Gary. Seated at her desk, she took a deep breath. “How bad is it?”

Gary laid a folder on the desk and opened it. “Of course, I can only report on the information you gave me, but it appears that your father has been juggling accounts for some time to keep the store running.”

“What about the lump sum he deposited? Where did that come from?”

“Without access to the personal accounts, I can’t say, but I’d guess he’s tapped out his savings or mortgaged the house.”

“Bottom line?”

“Unless something changes, the store can limp along for six months, maybe a year, and then...” He shrugged. “I’m sorry. I wish I had better news.”

After Gary left, Nicki cradled her head between her hands, her thoughts tumbling with the news he’d delivered. Things were worse than she’d thought. Unless something changed, the store was facing bankruptcy within the next few months. Her father’s infusion of cash helped, but once the outstanding bills were taken care of, there wouldn’t be much left to upgrade the merchandise. Her grand plan was out of the question now. How had her father let things get so bad? And how was she going to keep it from getting worse?