week she’d kept telling herself it was a long shot, but as she laid out her plan to Mr. Gold, she realized how badly she wanted him to say yes.
He ran a hand over his face as he pondered her plan. “It’s not what we were hoping for, but it’s not a
bad
idea.”
Grace let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t rejected her outright.
“I’d need to talk it over with my missus, of course.”
“Of course.”
“How long are you here?”
“I’ve got my car booked on the five o’clock boat on Monday.”
His brows furrowed. “Have you thought about what it’d be like to be here during the winter?”
That was the part Grace had wrestled with the most as she contemplated her life-changing plan. “I have, and while I know it will be very different from what I’m accustomed to, I’d become involved in the community and keep busy running the business.”
“Did my missus tell you about the apartment upstairs?”
Grace’s heart did a happy dance at that news. Finding a place to live in case the deal went through had been one of her other priorities for the weekend. “No, she didn’t.”
“Would you like to see it?”
“I’d love to.”
He gestured for her to lead the way out of the office. “After you, my dear.”
On her way through the store, she made a few mental notes of things she would change, but for the most part, the store seemed clean, orderly, well stocked and, most important, busy. The two registers at the front of the store had at least four people in each line, which made Grace smile.
Mr. Gold led her around to the back of the building, where a sturdy set of wooden stairs led to a deck that overlooked South Harbor in one direction and the town beach in the other. There were colorful pots filled with cheerful blooms, as well as tomato plants tied to stakes.
He gestured her through the sliding door into a spacious living and dining room. The kitchen was against the far wall and at first glance seemed to be in need of updating. She looked up to find a loft that served as the bedroom.
“Full bathroom upstairs and a half bath down here as well as a wood-burning fireplace,” Mr. Gold said. “It’s not much, but it’s worked well for us.”
“It would work for me, too,” Grace said, her heart racing with excitement as she pondered paint colors and furniture and what she might need to buy. She could so see herself living here—close enough to her parents for an occasional visit but far enough away that they couldn’t pop in and insert themselves into her life without invitation.
Mr. Gold handed her a pad stamped with the logo of a well-known drug manufacturer. “Write down your number, and I’ll give you a call as soon as we’ve had a chance to talk it over.”
Grace took the pen and wrote down her cell number. She handed it back to him and extended her hand. “Whatever you decide, I appreciate your consideration of my offer.”
Mr. Gold put the pad on a table and folded her hand between both of his. “My missus and I are very anxious to live near our grandbabies, so I hope we can work something out.”
“I hope so, too. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
Filled with excitement and anticipation, Grace skipped down the stairs to her car. She hoped her next stop went as well as the first one. As she drove to the McCarthys’ home, she was hit by a bout of nerves that nearly undid her. Why should she be so nervous about seeing a man she barely knew? What was the big deal?
She’d pay him back the money she owed him and then go check into her room at the Beachcomber. This weekend was her chance to explore the island and get to know the place she might be calling home before too much longer.
At some point, she’d have to break the news to her parents that she was moving, but that wasn’t happening until everything was signed, sealed and delivered so there was no chance for them to try to talk her out of it.
She pulled up to the McCarthys’ big white house and told
He ran a hand over his face as he pondered her plan. “It’s not what we were hoping for, but it’s not a
bad
idea.”
Grace let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t rejected her outright.
“I’d need to talk it over with my missus, of course.”
“Of course.”
“How long are you here?”
“I’ve got my car booked on the five o’clock boat on Monday.”
His brows furrowed. “Have you thought about what it’d be like to be here during the winter?”
That was the part Grace had wrestled with the most as she contemplated her life-changing plan. “I have, and while I know it will be very different from what I’m accustomed to, I’d become involved in the community and keep busy running the business.”
“Did my missus tell you about the apartment upstairs?”
Grace’s heart did a happy dance at that news. Finding a place to live in case the deal went through had been one of her other priorities for the weekend. “No, she didn’t.”
“Would you like to see it?”
“I’d love to.”
He gestured for her to lead the way out of the office. “After you, my dear.”
On her way through the store, she made a few mental notes of things she would change, but for the most part, the store seemed clean, orderly, well stocked and, most important, busy. The two registers at the front of the store had at least four people in each line, which made Grace smile.
Mr. Gold led her around to the back of the building, where a sturdy set of wooden stairs led to a deck that overlooked South Harbor in one direction and the town beach in the other. There were colorful pots filled with cheerful blooms, as well as tomato plants tied to stakes.
He gestured her through the sliding door into a spacious living and dining room. The kitchen was against the far wall and at first glance seemed to be in need of updating. She looked up to find a loft that served as the bedroom.
“Full bathroom upstairs and a half bath down here as well as a wood-burning fireplace,” Mr. Gold said. “It’s not much, but it’s worked well for us.”
“It would work for me, too,” Grace said, her heart racing with excitement as she pondered paint colors and furniture and what she might need to buy. She could so see herself living here—close enough to her parents for an occasional visit but far enough away that they couldn’t pop in and insert themselves into her life without invitation.
Mr. Gold handed her a pad stamped with the logo of a well-known drug manufacturer. “Write down your number, and I’ll give you a call as soon as we’ve had a chance to talk it over.”
Grace took the pen and wrote down her cell number. She handed it back to him and extended her hand. “Whatever you decide, I appreciate your consideration of my offer.”
Mr. Gold put the pad on a table and folded her hand between both of his. “My missus and I are very anxious to live near our grandbabies, so I hope we can work something out.”
“I hope so, too. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
Filled with excitement and anticipation, Grace skipped down the stairs to her car. She hoped her next stop went as well as the first one. As she drove to the McCarthys’ home, she was hit by a bout of nerves that nearly undid her. Why should she be so nervous about seeing a man she barely knew? What was the big deal?
She’d pay him back the money she owed him and then go check into her room at the Beachcomber. This weekend was her chance to explore the island and get to know the place she might be calling home before too much longer.
At some point, she’d have to break the news to her parents that she was moving, but that wasn’t happening until everything was signed, sealed and delivered so there was no chance for them to try to talk her out of it.
She pulled up to the McCarthys’ big white house and told
Similar Books
