Diana touched her shoulder. “Why do you still want to go to Los Angeles?”
Katie looked at each of her sisters, worried they’d think she was foolish. “When I moved to California, I told everyone I would get a publishing contract.”
“And you think because that hasn’t happened, you’ve somehow let everyone down?”
“No. Not being offered a publishing contract makes me feel like a failure,” she admitted.
“You’re not a failure,” Diana said firmly. “You don’t have any control over whether someone likes your books or not. It’s their loss if they can’t see how good your stories are.”
Katie dropped her hands to her lap. “I know that and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone’s help. I’m blown away by the number of sales I’ve made, but that doesn’t change how I feel. My first six books weren’t the ones that were going to secure a contract, but the next one might.”
Penny frowned. “And if it doesn’t?”
Katie didn’t want to think about what would happen if moving back to Los Angeles was a waste of time. Especially if it meant saying goodbye to Peter.
Diana picked up her copy of the spreadsheet. “Katie needs to decide what she’s doing, so let’s give her the time and space to do that. In the meantime, we need to work on plan B. Finding a potential replacement for her in the kitchen is important. If we don’t have any firm contenders, we’ll have to advertise.”
“And the sooner we do that, the better. But just for the record, we’ll miss you, Katie. If there’s any chance you’d consider staying, do it. If not for us, for Charlie.”
Charlie’s ears twitched when he heard his name.
“He’s waiting for the W word.” Diana smiled when her canine buddy looked imploringly up at her. “We’ll go for a walk later. And if we’re really lucky, Katie will come with us.”
With a heartfelt sigh, Charlie lowered his head to his paws.
Katie wished her needs were as simple as Charlie’s. He loved running in the forest and jumping in the lake. If she could find the same contentment her life would be so much easier.
Penny tapped her pen against the table. “The next issue we have to discuss is Valentine’s Day. Theo wants to organize a competition through the radio station with the first prize being a four-day stay at the inn. What does everyone think?”
“It’s a great idea,” Barbara said. “Tell us more.”
As Penny summarized what Theo’s listeners would need to do to enter the competition, Katie thought about returning to Los Angeles. If moving here was a big deal, leaving would be harder. She really needed to talk to Peter and find out how serious he was about staying. And then she needed to call her agent. If there was no hope she’d ever receive a contract, then her decision would be easier than she thought.
* * *
Three days later,Peter read the list of names Pastor John had given him. Each of the teenagers was short-listed for the college scholarships BioTech was sponsoring. “I think I met Nate and Marcus at the Christmas Tree Farm.”
“That wouldn’t surprise me. They’re there most days after school and at the weekends. Nate’s mom had an accident a while ago and he was working three part-time jobs to pay their bills. Ben saw a lot of potential in him and gave him more hours so he didn’t have to split his time between the different jobs.”
“What’s Marcus’ background?”
“He moved here from Polson when he was younger. A few interactions with the police didn’t give him the best start, but he worked with a counsellor and completed our youth employment program. Since then, he’s gone from strength to strength.”
Peter looked at John. “Do they want to go to college?”
“They’ve already applied for scholarships, but they missed out.”
He read each of the profiles, seeing the similarities between these teenagers and his own life before he went to college. “You’ve mentioned that Nate makes hand-carved toys for The Christmas Shop?”
“That’s on top of helping on the farm and serving in the shop.”
“Is that why he wants to study sculpture and extended media?”
“It is. He’s a clever kid. Marcus, on the other hand, is interested in cyber security. One of the police officers he met took him under his wing. I’m not sure whether the idea of getting into computer security came from that relationship or from his interest in programming but, either way, he’ll never be out of work. The other three teenagers have come from a variety of backgrounds and have different goals. One day, they’ll make a difference in the world. All they need is the opportunity to shine, and a college degree would help make that happen.”
“They sound like ideal candidates.” Peter handed the folder back to John. “Has Shelley spoken to my staff?”
“She has. Everything is organized. Montana State University is happy to fit in with BioTech’s requirements and the needs of the students. It was generous of you to include a travel allowance for each scholarship.”
