Vivianne giggled and leaned up to kiss me on the cheek. “Should I pop back by in, like, an hour?”
I glanced at Jessie. “I don’t think this will take long. Why don’t you try Main Street Gifts, which is right next door? If you have any Christmas shopping to do, that’s definitely your store.”
“Perfect,” Vivianne replied. “Just come in and get me when you’re done, Ladd.”
“Will do.”
After watching Vivianne walk into the gift shop, I turned to Jessie. “Shall we?”
“Let’s,” she agreed, walking ahead of me into her real estate office. Once inside, she took off her coat and hung it up on the freestanding rack. I did the same and glanced around the empty office.
“Where is everyone?”
Jessie had two other agents who worked for her. One was part time, while the other was full time.
“Oh, Linda and Kris are off for the holidays. The office is closed today as well, but the moment I heard you were in town, I had to talk to you.”
She motioned for me to sit down in the seat opposite hers. “I found out the other day that the old grain mill building at the corner of Main and Pine streets is available. I spoke with Mitch Larson who owns it and told him your plans. He said he’d be willing to work out a rent-to-own with you.”
I leaned forward. “Wait—are you serious?”
Smiling, she nodded. “I’m very serious. He loves the idea of a sporting goods store, and even wants to invest.”
“What?” I asked, dropping back into my chair. “An investor?”
“I wasn’t sure where you stood on that, but I told him I’d mention it. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Mitch is a strong advocate for getting out and exploring all of Colorado’s natural wonders. He loves camping, hiking, mountain climbing, skiing, and so much more. He actually does whitewater rafting tours. Did you know that?”
I slowly shook my head. “No. I mean, I knew he liked doing outdoor stuff, but I had no idea he wasthatinto it. The only thing I knew about the Larson family is that they used to own the gristmill on Main before they moved it to a larger property outside of town, after old Mr. Larson passed away.”
She nodded. “Mitch inherited the business from his father, who passed away a few years back. He was the one who decided to expand and move the business, but they were still using the original mill as offices. Now they’re officially moving the offices this spring. It would be perfect timing for you, since you’re graduating.”
I ran a hand down my face and let out a disbelieving laugh. “Jessie, is this for real? I mean, do you think Mitch would be interested in a partnership?”
“As in co-owner?” she asked.
“Yes! I mean, I’ve been putting feelers out in the Denver area for anyone who might be interested, and I’ve had a few responses, but no one I’ve felt comfortable going into business with so far. I never considered Mitch. Hell, he was the first guide I did whitewater rafting with! He’s the reason Igot into outdoor adventures. He’s the reason this store even came to life in my head.”
She grinned. “Then I think you should set up a meeting with him. When are you leaving to head back to school?”
I had to stop and think. “Um, Vivianne needs to be back to work by the twenty-ninth, so we’ll be leaving the day before.”
“Should we call Mitch now to set something up before you leave?”
“Hell yes, we should!”
Picking up the phone next to her, she typed in a number and sat back in her chair. “Hold on tight, Ladd. Your dream is about to come true.”
Vivianne
I held up the necklace to study it. It had the same verse Nellie had quoted to me, and it was etched onto a horseshoe. It was obvious Nellie’s love of horses, from her giving lessons to how she acted around them.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
I looked up and smiled at the young girl who worked at the store. “It is.”
“I like the quote from the Bible on there, too.”
Nodding, I replied, “I do as well. Someone recently told me this quote, and she also happens to love horses.”
