He interrupted Adele before she said too much. “My dad started a business in Los Angeles. I helped him with his accounts.” It wasn't exactly true, but close enough that it couldn't be called a lie. He’d helped his dad refinance his company and made sure it had all the capital it needed to grow into a successful business.
Shona frowned. “I thought you were a builder when you lived in Los Angeles.”
“I worked in finance. It wasn’t until after my divorce that I turned an old hobby into a new career.” He glanced at Adele. She was very young when he managed the investment company. If she remembered anything, it should only be that he was never home. But he wasn’t taking any chances.
After Adele finished her drink, she picked up the dishtowel. “When I was at choir practice yesterday, Mrs. Terry talked about the quilt you gave her daughters. She said It's fantastic, and Sapphire Bay is lucky to have you living here.”
Some of the tension left Shona’s face. “That was nice of her.”
“Did you know Dad made Mrs. Terry a swing for her front porch?”
Shona looked at Joseph. “No, I didn’t. Do you make lots of furniture?”
“Only when I have the time. Allan asked me to make the swing for Mabel’s birthday.”
“Dad makes things in our garage. We can’t put his truck in there ’cos it’s too small for everything.”
Joseph picked up the dishes Adele was drying and opened a cupboard. “It’s one of the downsides of buying an older home. The location is perfect, but the garage is too small.”
Shona sat on one of the kitchen stools. “A friend rents some space in the old steamboat museum for his woodworking business. Maybe there’s another empty area you could use?”
Joseph shook his head. “I wish there were, but we’re using every square inch of the building for the tiny homes. The workbench in my garage is okay. One day, I'd like to have a purpose-built workshop. But, until I find the perfect property, this one will have to do.”
“Dad makes lots of cool things.” Adele dropped the dishtowel and hurried into the living room. When she came back, she was carrying a small chair. “He made this for me when I was little.”
Shona ran her hand along the carved wooden back. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Adele wanted a princess chair, so I looked through every fairy tale book we owned to find inspiration.”
“I like the sparkly jewels around the edges.” Shona glanced at Adele. “You’re very lucky.”
Adele looked wistfully at the chair. “I know. When I was little, I thought I was arealprincess.”
Joseph checked his watch, then took an apple pie out of the oven. “That’s because Granddad calls you his little princess. Can I tempt you into joining us for dessert, Shona?”
Her gaze dropped to the pie. “I’d love to, but I can’t. I have a lot of things to do before I go to work tomorrow.”
“Remember what I said about private investors. Pastor John might have some ideas about who you could approach. If not, come and see me. Between the two of us, we should be able to find someone.”
“You sound just like Andrea and Paris. Right now, all I’m worried about is Nate. I haven’t told him what the bank said.”
Joseph placed a slice of pie on a plate. “He’ll be disappointed for you, but he’s a good kid. Before you know it, he’ll have emailed you a list of funding ideas.” He handed her the plate. “If you need a little sugar after you’ve spoken to him, try this pie. I didn’t make it, but Mabel said it’s the most popular one she sells.”
Shona’s eyes glistened under the pendant lights.
He hoped she wasn’t going to cry.
“Thank you for the apple pie, and thanks for listening to me. If you need more space for when you do your woodworking, you could use my barn while Nate’s at college. He set everything up for his projects.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll pass. I don't think he’ll want me using his equipment.”
Shona slid off the stool. “He won’t mind, but that’s okay. If you change your mind, let me know.” She smiled at Adele. “It was lovely seeing you again.”
“It was nice seeing you, too. I hope you can still open your quilting shop.”
“So do I.”
Joseph walked to the front door with Shona. “I really am sorry about the bank’s decision.”
