“That’s fine.” He handed her a key card. “You’ll need this to get through the gate. Andy and Charlie can help me close the store.”
With his apprentices in tow, Nate moved to the front of the shop and Andrea climbed the stairs to the loft. Even though Ben had replaced the rickety ladder with wooden stairs, it was still a steep climb.
And even more dangerous if you couldn’t see your feet.
Chapter 22
David called Andrea, but her phone was still going straight to voicemail. Either the meeting with Scotty had taken longer than she’d thought it would, or she’d turned off her phone. He was betting it was the latter.
Instead of waiting for her to call him, he’d drive across town and see if she was home. At least that way, he’d go to bed knowing how everything had turned out.
On his way downstairs, he passed Penny’s office.
“Just the person I want to see,” she said.
He backtracked to her doorway. David had been here for so long the Bed and Breakfast seemed like his second home. He enjoyed Penny and her sisters’ company. The food was delicious, and nothing was too much bother. The only downside was not knowing who the other guests would be.
“How can I help?”
Penny left her pen on the desk. “I’ve had an enquiry from someone about starting a quilting business in the third cottage on Anchor Lane. Do you think you and Andrea could talk to her? She’s never owned a business and it’s all a little daunting.”
“Sure. I don’t mind helping and Andrea probably won’t, either. Do you want me to ask her?”
“That would be great. I’ve tried calling her, but I can’t get through.”
“I’ve had the same problem. I’m heading across to her house now. After I’ve asked her, I’ll let you know what she says.”
“That would be fantastic. Shona’s a lovely woman and an extremely talented quilter. Her store would be the perfect addition to what we already have.”
David nodded. A florist, a café, and a quilting store seemed like the perfect combination to him, too. “How are the plans going for the next five cottages?”
“One of them will be another business, so that’s okay. The other four aren’t as straightforward. Turning them into private homes has given me a few more planning issues, along with the usual plumbing and electrical challenges. Hopefully, the county will approve everything before Christmas. Otherwise, I’ll have a construction crew who won’t have any work.”
“You could send them to BioTech’s project. Bryce is always looking for more builders.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Hopefully, we’ll be okay.”
David smiled and took his keys out of his pocket. “Don’t work too late.”
“I won’t.”
And with a quick wave, he left Penny to finish whatever paperwork she was doing.
Andrea could see why there was a locked gate at the bottom of the stairs. Ben and Kylie wouldn’t want anyone climbing them unless they needed to be up here. “Are you in the loft, Kylie?”
A smiling face appeared above her. “I am. What are you doing here?”
“I thought Charlie and Andy would enjoy seeing The Christmas Shop.” She joined Kylie in the loft and sighed. “That was steep.”
“It’s three-stories high. How was the meeting with Scotty?”
“Exhausting, emotional, and the last thing I wanted to do.”
Kylie reached over her baby bump and hugged her. “It’s over now. Do you feel better now that you’ve seen him?”
“It was strange. I was terrified before the meeting. Once I got over the initial shock of seeing him, I felt sad. I wasted so much of my life, trying to be someone I wasn’t. Scotty explained to the boys why he behaved the way he did. He apologized to all of us and said he’d changed. For his sake, I hope he has.”
“How did the boys react?”
