Joseph heldtwo brown paper bags in one hand and opened his truck door with the other. He usually tried to visit The Starlight Café before the lunch rush, but he’d had to stand in line behind everyone else today.
“Hi, Joseph.”
He turned and smiled at Shona. “Hi. Are you grabbing something to eat from the café, too?”
“Not today. The painters have finished their touch-ups in the cottage I want to rent. I thought I’d take a look. Would you like to come with me?”
“I'd love to. From the outside, it’s even better than Nate’s photos.”
“It’s only a small cottage, but it’s everything I’ve ever wanted.”
“You could say it’s small but perfectly formed.”
Shona smiled. “It is now. Before Richard and his construction crew arrived, it was a mess. The roof must have been leaking for decades and there wasn't one area that didn't need a total revamp. I'm amazed Penny could see the potential in the cottages.”
“She has a lot of experience developing properties.” Joseph left his lunch on the front seat of his truck and locked the door. “Sometimes, it can take a lot of imagination to see the possibilities in something.”
“I'm glad she saw what the cottages could become.” Shona walked with him to the cottage. “I had my meeting at the bank today.”
“How did it go?”
“It was better than I thought. The loan officer was impressed with my business plan. Next time I see Adele, I’ll thank her for suggesting I take a quilt. The person I spoke to thought it was beautiful.”
“Hopefully, it helps them make a decision sooner rather than later.”
“That’s what I think, too. I keep having nightmares about not getting the loan.” Taking a key out of her pocket, she opened the front door. “You go first.”
Joseph stepped into the entryway and looked around the large, open-plan room. He could see why she’d fallen in love with the building. “This is definitely better than the photos. The cottage has lots of character, but still works as a modern retail space.” He walked across the room and ran his hand along the wooden mantel. “Is this the original fireplace?”
“The fireplace is original, but Richard had to rebuild most of the surround. He used some wood from another part of the cottage.”
“It suits the room.” Joseph wasn’t surprised it looked so good. As well as working part time at the old steamboat museum, Richard sold handcrafted furniture. Everything about the fireplace was unique, including the mermaid-shaped corbels.
“If the bank approves my loan, I’ll be able to buy everything I need to open my store.”
“Have you seen anything you like?”
Shona grinned. “Too much. I’m buying some kitset furniture to keep the costs down.”
“That sounds like a good idea. Let me know if you need a hand to put anything together.”
“Thanks, but I should be okay. Paris and Andrea have already offered to help me assemble everything. But, if we get stuck, I'll let you know.”
“Sounds good.” He stood a few feet away from the fireplace. “Are you putting anything in this space?”
“That will be the sewing area. I’ll have a table where people can use sewing machines and another where they can prepare their fabric. I did some quilting workshops at the church and they were really popular. The cottage will give everyone a chance to meet regularly and swap ideas and patterns.”
“You'll be busy.”
“I hope so.” Shona frowned. “All I've thought about over the last few weeks is this cottage. What if it doesn't work out the way I want it to? Lots of businesses fail in the first year, and I can't afford for that to happen.”
He wanted to reassure her, to let her know it was okay to be afraid. “You already have a successful business. You make beautiful quilts and want to show other people how to do the same thing. All the cottage gives you is a better location and more room to do what you love.”
Taking a deep breath, Shona nodded. “You're right. I need to keep remembering that.”
“I haven’t asked you the most important question.”
Shona frowned. “What is it?”
