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Authors: Rachel Hauck
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and more.” She left the window to pace, to think.
“Careful, Haley. There are a lot of loose boards.”
“I can do this. I mean, for crying out loud, I managed logistics teams for the United States Air Force. Stateside and in Afghanistan. I can do this. Open a wedding shop.”
“You have a hundred grand lying around?”
She stopped short, speared on Cole’s question. “A hundred grand?”
“That’s what it’ll take to fix this place up. Minimum.”
“Whoa.” Haley leaned against the wall, the breeze swirling about her, warning her of the coming cold, but the fire in her belly burning brighter. “That much?”
“Not to mention your business expenses. Website, business cards, furniture, supplies, inventory, advertising.” Cole walked to the other side of the porch. “With no guarantee of success. Meanwhile, Akron Developers is hanging around city hall like a hungry dog just waiting for the council to toss them this bone.” He kicked the wall. “They are going all out too. Besides offering above market price, they’re throwing in five years of road maintenance on this side of town. But . . .” Cole came back her way.
“But what?”
“There’s a stipulation in one of the town ordinances that requires them to offer the place to any good Samaritan willing to tackle the reno, cover the taxes, and run a business.”
“You’re kidding. What kind of ordinance is that?”
“An old one no one’s bothered to change. The wedding shop falls under some downtown code. It behooves the city to try renovating before selling. Listen, that old shop has been stuck in limbo land for so long . . .” Cole shook his head. “No one knows quite what to do with it.”
“Except the women who bought their trousseaus there.”
“Yeah, but they’re a dying breed. And not one has stepped forward offering to make it a wedding shop again.”
“So if I’m willing to take on the shop, the council would have to give it to me?”
“They have to give it weighted consideration, yes.” Cole moved next to her. “Haley, do you have a hundred grand to fix up a 126-year-old building?”
“No, but I’m not going to let a little thing like money stand in my way.”
“Yeah, sure, what’s a little thing called money?” He slapped his thigh. “Do you really want to hang on to a kid’s dream, sink a bunch of money you don’t have into a place that’s seen better days? Tammy would understand, trust me, if you changed your mind.” He propped his hands on his waist, exhaling. “To be honest, Tammy—”
“If I died, she’d do it for me. I know she would.”
Cole frowned. “Did she say that? When was the last time you two talked about this place?”
“I don’t know, a few years.” Maybe since the middle of their college days. “But I know her, knew her, and she’d have done it. She believed in the pinky promise as much as I do. I want to do this.” Her confession burned within her.
“Fine, you want to open a bridal shop? I’ll introduce you to Akron. They’ll probably give you a deal on one of their new spaces.”
Haley raised her face to the cold breeze. “I don’t want to open any ole wedding shop. I want to open the wedding shop. Heart’s Bend’s wedding shop. Founded by Miss Jane Scott, then run by Miss Cora. Those women wanted to bring something regal and glamorous to the country and farm women of their day. It’s my job to continue their tradition to the women of my generation.”
“You’re stubborn, you know that?”
“I prefer determined.”
Cole walked the length of the porch and back, then stopped beside Haley, hunching up his shoulders. “Don’t know about you, but I’m freezing. I think I’ll head home.” He swung the light over the steps. “Watch that bottom board when you leave. It’s really rotted.”
“Yeah, I’ll go too. Getting colder by the minute.”
Cole pushed open the screen door, then reached for Haley’s hand, lighting the steps with the flashlight’s
“Careful, Haley. There are a lot of loose boards.”
“I can do this. I mean, for crying out loud, I managed logistics teams for the United States Air Force. Stateside and in Afghanistan. I can do this. Open a wedding shop.”
“You have a hundred grand lying around?”
She stopped short, speared on Cole’s question. “A hundred grand?”
“That’s what it’ll take to fix this place up. Minimum.”
“Whoa.” Haley leaned against the wall, the breeze swirling about her, warning her of the coming cold, but the fire in her belly burning brighter. “That much?”
“Not to mention your business expenses. Website, business cards, furniture, supplies, inventory, advertising.” Cole walked to the other side of the porch. “With no guarantee of success. Meanwhile, Akron Developers is hanging around city hall like a hungry dog just waiting for the council to toss them this bone.” He kicked the wall. “They are going all out too. Besides offering above market price, they’re throwing in five years of road maintenance on this side of town. But . . .” Cole came back her way.
“But what?”
“There’s a stipulation in one of the town ordinances that requires them to offer the place to any good Samaritan willing to tackle the reno, cover the taxes, and run a business.”
“You’re kidding. What kind of ordinance is that?”
“An old one no one’s bothered to change. The wedding shop falls under some downtown code. It behooves the city to try renovating before selling. Listen, that old shop has been stuck in limbo land for so long . . .” Cole shook his head. “No one knows quite what to do with it.”
“Except the women who bought their trousseaus there.”
“Yeah, but they’re a dying breed. And not one has stepped forward offering to make it a wedding shop again.”
“So if I’m willing to take on the shop, the council would have to give it to me?”
“They have to give it weighted consideration, yes.” Cole moved next to her. “Haley, do you have a hundred grand to fix up a 126-year-old building?”
“No, but I’m not going to let a little thing like money stand in my way.”
“Yeah, sure, what’s a little thing called money?” He slapped his thigh. “Do you really want to hang on to a kid’s dream, sink a bunch of money you don’t have into a place that’s seen better days? Tammy would understand, trust me, if you changed your mind.” He propped his hands on his waist, exhaling. “To be honest, Tammy—”
“If I died, she’d do it for me. I know she would.”
Cole frowned. “Did she say that? When was the last time you two talked about this place?”
“I don’t know, a few years.” Maybe since the middle of their college days. “But I know her, knew her, and she’d have done it. She believed in the pinky promise as much as I do. I want to do this.” Her confession burned within her.
“Fine, you want to open a bridal shop? I’ll introduce you to Akron. They’ll probably give you a deal on one of their new spaces.”
Haley raised her face to the cold breeze. “I don’t want to open any ole wedding shop. I want to open the wedding shop. Heart’s Bend’s wedding shop. Founded by Miss Jane Scott, then run by Miss Cora. Those women wanted to bring something regal and glamorous to the country and farm women of their day. It’s my job to continue their tradition to the women of my generation.”
“You’re stubborn, you know that?”
“I prefer determined.”
Cole walked the length of the porch and back, then stopped beside Haley, hunching up his shoulders. “Don’t know about you, but I’m freezing. I think I’ll head home.” He swung the light over the steps. “Watch that bottom board when you leave. It’s really rotted.”
“Yeah, I’ll go too. Getting colder by the minute.”
Cole pushed open the screen door, then reached for Haley’s hand, lighting the steps with the flashlight’s
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