She turned to Randy, who stood motionless, looking as stunned as she was. Then, as if emerging from a trance, his features softened into a smile that lit up his entire face. He threw back his head and let out a deep, joyous laugh. He scooped her up in his arms, twirling her around the room. “You did it. You saved Miss G’s cottage.”
When he finally set her down, she grabbed his arms to steady herself. “But how? How did the loan get paid off?”
He shook his head, his expression a mix of confusion and relief. “Don’t look at me. Though if I’d had the money, I would have paid it off in a heartbeat.”
She frowned. “It doesn’t make any sense.”
Another knock sounded at the door and she turned to open it to find Susan standing there. “Susan, what are you doing here?”
Susan’s gaze flitted between Randy and her. “I guess you know by now?”
“Know what?”
“That I paid off the loan.” Her words tumbled out in a rush. “It was the right thing to do. Mother would have wanted you to keep the cottage. When the estate is settled, you can pay me back.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You… you did this for me?”
“Of course. I was in a position to help you, just like Genevieve was in a position to help my mother.”
“Oh Susan, I can’t thank you enough.” She threw her arms around the woman, hugging her tightly.
“There’s no need to thank me. Your grandmother saved my mother and helped her start her company.” Susan paused for a moment. “And I was at this cute little place, Magic Cafe, for breakfast. Met this charming woman, Tally. When I said I was coming to visit you, we got to chatting. She knew about the loan, so I told her how it had been taken care of. But she did mention you were looking for a job.”
Her mind whirled, trying to process everything. “I am, but—I’m in tech and there’s not much of that on the island.”
“As it turns out, Genny Cosmetics has an opening for cyber security. I did some checking on your background after I was here last. I was just curious.” She shrugged. “You’ve worked at some very impressive jobs. Saw your current resume on the JobNetwork website. The job is yours if you want it. Remote work, of course. I know you won’t want to leave the island. There’ll be some meetings you’ll need to fly in for or we can do video meetings. We’ll work it out.”
Susan handed her an envelope, and Evie stared at it.
“The job specifics and salary are all in there. Take a few days to think about it and let me know.”
She swallowed hard, fighting back tears. Could the day possibly get any better?
“Thank you. That’s so generous.”
“No, you’re very qualified for the job and we’ve been looking for quite a while for someone for this position. The internet is a bit crazy these days. We want it safe for our customers to shop online, and we want the strongest security with any information they give us.”
It did sound like a job that was made for her skill set.
Susan bent down and picked up a box by her feet. “These are some things I found in the house before we sold it. From your grandmother’s family. I thought you’d like to have them.”
“Thank you.” She took the box.
“I’m heading out now. Need to get back home. Still have a bunch of holiday preparations to take care of, plus our company Christmas party.” Susan gave her another warm hug. “I’m so grateful that my mother and your grandmother were such close friends, and that we’ve had the chance to meet. I really hope we can become more than just coworkers—I’d love for us to be friends.”
Susan stepped back, giving a final smile before she left. As the door closed softly behind her, she turned to Randy, her eyes wide with disbelief. “That was just… incredible. I’m still trying to process everything that just happened.”
“It was.”
“And I was just thinking this day couldn’t get any better.”
“Oh, I bet it can.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as he took the box from her hands. He set it down and turned to her, pulling her gently into his arms.
He lowered his lips to hers in a tender kiss, as soft as a whisper, filled with unspoken emotion. The world faded away astheir hearts beat in rhythm. The kiss was everything she’d ever imagined and more.
When they finally parted, she grinned up at him. “You’re right. That absolutely did make the day better.”
CHAPTER 22
