Read Online Dakota Love by Rose Ross Zediker - Free Book Online Page A

seamstress. I remember all the church play costumes, not to mention clothes you made for me over the years, but why do you have to start your own business? You know how Dad felt about commission jobs. If you think you need a job and want to make your living sewing, can’t you work for a tailor where you’d get a steady paycheck?”
    She did remember how Ted felt about careers that earned a commission, not a reliable income to pay the bills. That opinion might be right. She couldn’t argue with a valid point like a steady paycheck, especially having experienced a slow time just after the holidays. She’d been excited to get Rodney’s business, as well as the quilt for the candy store, but what would she do after that? Would the new website and blog bring in business? Maybe she should apply for the part-time cashier position she’d seen an ad for in the weekly paper. But would she like that kind of work? Shouldn’t she enjoy what she did for a living? In the midst of her self-doubt, she remembered the supplement to her income.
    “I’m teaching two quilting classes at Mark’s store.”
    She blurted out her news louder than she’d planned and gave Jason a start. His eyes grew wide.
    “Sorry, I didn’t mean to shout that at you.”
    Jason bent his head from side to side while weighing her news, a trait he’d inherited from Ted. “I’m guessing Mark is paying you.”
    Caroline raised her eyebrows and nodded her head. “Right now, it’ll depend on class enrollment, but he has quite a few customers interested. I’ll get sixty percent of the class fee.”
    “Well, teaching a class is more like it. After all, you were a teacher once. You should contact the community college in Sioux Falls and see if they’d let you teach one of those recreational classes on quilting.”
    “I don’t know.” Caroline pursed her lips.
Wouldn’t I be too busy to run my quilting business?
She didn’t voice that concern, eager to keep Jason interested, not to mention positive, about her career choice. “Wouldn’t I need a teaching certificate for that? I let mine go years ago.”
    Jason shrugged. “I wouldn’t think so for those”—he lifted his fingers in air quotes—“just-for-fun classes. I think you just have to be an authority.”
    “More coffee?” Caroline blinked back tears as she retrieved the coffeepot. It was obvious by his “just-for-fun” comment that Jason lacked respect for her and her craft. She’d disregard the comment, though, because she’d grown tired of fighting with Jason.
    Caroline picked up her trusty notepad. After she filled their mugs, she scribbled a note on the tablet to check out teaching classes at the community college.
    “What’s that?” Jason asked, then blew across his mug.
    “Just notes about what I want Rodney to include on my website and what I need to do to promote my business.”
    “So this Rodney designs websites for a living?”
    “No, he runs a lawn care and snow removal business in town.”
    “A yardman savvy in web design?” Jason snorted. “Mom, this guy’s scamming you.”
    Her defenses already alert from his previous comment, Caroline pointed her finger at Jason. “Enough. Rodney retired from his former career in advertising.”
    “So he’s an old guy.”
    “No, only a couple of years older than me.”
    “Then why’d he retire from that occupation?”
    Good question. All Rodney really said was that that career was another lifetime ago. Had he planned to retire early, or did he quit his job to take care of Clara after her cancer diagnosis?
    “I’m not sure why he ended that career. Come with me.” Caroline stood. “You can’t criticize something you haven’t seen.”
    As she headed out of the kitchen, Caroline heard Jason’s chair scrape the tile floor. By the time he arrived in the den, her web page filled the computer screen.
    Jason read the content before clicking on a link. A picture of Mildred’s quilt popped up along with a short description of