“I’ll help you get a tree,” Jackson offered. “I know where to go and everything.”
“Great.” Caleb turned to Wendy. “Bring in whatever you want on Tuesday and we’ll get it all set up. And I’d love to consign some of your larger items too. I wouldn’t be surprised if some got purchased as Christmas presents.”
Wendy tried not to get her hopes up as they sat down together at the kitchen table. She’d done that too many times before ... only to be disappointed. But as they bowed their heads to ask for God to bless the food, she silently prayed for a miracle.Please, do something to allow us to stay here permanently, she prayed with urgency.Please, help us keep this happy home. Please!
fourteen
ONTUESDAY MORNING,the predicted nor’easter was just starting to show its face. The sky was pewter gray and the wind was whipping the sea grass as Wendy drove to town. She’d loaded the back of her car with all her handcrafted treasures—some that she’d only just finished last night. But she was eager to get them unloaded before the storm cut loose.
Caleb met her outside, helping her carry the boxes and packages into the shop. And there in the center of the front window, just like Jackson had told her last night, stood a tall pine tree. “And lights too!” Wendy happily watched as Caleb plugged it in.
“Of course. Now if you don’t mind, I’ll leave you to it. Go ahead and decorate the tree and put your pieces wherever you think they best fit.” Caleb showed her where he’d laid out the paperwork and price tags. “I’ll be in my woodshop. And we don’t officially open until ten, so no one should interrupt you.”
She went right to work filling out the paperwork and putting on price tags, then carefully arranging and rearranging her various pieces. They really were perfect accents to Caleb’s handmade furniture, and if just a couple pieces sold, well, she would have grocery money. Finally, she decorated the tree. Besides all the sand dollar angels, she’d made lots of shell decorations yesterday. As she stood back to admire it, she couldn’t help but feel a flush of pride. It was even better than she’d expected.
“Wow!” Caleb came into the shop. “That is absolutely stunning, Wendy.” He shook his head in disbelief as he came closer. “Seriously, it’s beautiful. We need to be sure and get some photos.” He looked around the shop to see where and how she’d placed her other pieces. “You have a real knack for this.” He pointed to a shelf unit that she’d added items to. “Really nice touches! We better get some photos of those too.”
She thanked him and was just handing him her paperwork when Crystal came in through the back door. “What have we here?” She unbuttoned her coat. “I noticed the Christmas tree from the street, and I must say it looks very festive. Nicely done, Caleb.”
“This is Wendy’s doing,” he told her. Although Crystal acted like this was perfectly wonderful, Caleb exchanged glances with Wendy. “Come into my woodshop and we’ll go over this paperwork.” He led her to the back.
“I just want to thank you,” Wendy said after he closed the door, “for giving me this chance, Caleb. You don’t know how much it means to me.”
“I’m happy to do it. Your things only make my shop look better.” Suddenly his grin faded. “Hey, what’s this?” He held up a page, pointing to the Ohio address she’d written on the line designated for mailing the check.
“I didn’t want to have to tell you this,” she began carefully, “mostly because Jackson doesn’t even know about it yet, but I listed the cottage with a Realtor and I—”
“What?Are you serious?”
“I signed papers with Sandi Atkins last week, and she has a cash buyer that—”
“But what does that mean?” he demanded. “You and Jackson are leaving?”
“I’m supposed to report back to work before Christmas ... in Cincinnati,” she said. “According to Sandi, her buyers could be here in a couple days and she’s pretty certain they’ll want it and we can—”
“Of course they’ll want it!” He was pacing now. “You’ve made the cottage so nice. Why wouldn’t they want it? But I thought you did that for you and Jackson. I didn’t realize you wereleavingSeaside.”
“I don’t want to leave,” she confessed. “That’s what I was trying to tell you.”
“But you’re telling me that you’re leaving.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “I just don’t get it.”
“I’m a single parent, Caleb. I have responsibilities to my son—”
“Yes. And your son loves it here in Seaside. Can’t you see that?”
“Of course I can see that. But you don’t understand. I still have huge medical bills from when my husband was sick. And there are college loans that still aren’t paid off. I need a job that pays a family wage. Even then, without selling the cottage, I don’t see how I’ll ever get ahead.” Now she told him about what happened with Kara over the weekend. “I keep thinking that could be me.”
“But you said she was fine now.”
“She is fine, but she lives on the edge. Tessa told me that if her mom’s tips at the restaurant aren’t good, they have to live on ramen noodles. I can’t do that to Jackson.”
“Maybe you should ask Jackson. Ramen noodles in Seaside might trump sirloin steak in Cincinnati!”
She was frustrated now, wishing she’d never said anything to him. The only reason she had was because he’d given her hope. She’d wanted to ask him if he thought she could really make it here—and if she should cancel her contract with Sandi. But he was so upset that all she wanted to do was get away.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t usually fly off the handle. But I feel sort of blindsided. I honestly didn’t think you were leaving. Jackson sure doesn’t.”
“I know, and for the time being, we need to keep it that way.” She sadly sighed. “Please, don’t mention this to him.”
