She smiled and pointed to the kitchen. “Shona’s doing some paperwork.”
“Thanks.” As he moved through the store, he noticed the changes that had already been made. There were more quilts on display, and the large sewing table had been moved to the back of the store. That gave Shona much more display space around the fireplace and the front window.
He smiled at the people sitting at the table, making quilts. There was as much talking going on as sewing, but that was the whole point. Shona wanted a safe space where everyone felt comfortable being creative and trying something new.
When he arrived at the kitchen, he stood silently in the doorway, watching Shona. She was sitting at the counter, intently studying a document on her laptop. Two folders were open beside her, with other sheets of paper stacked beside them.
A warmth filled his chest. He’d never expected to meet anyone like her. Even when she was stressed and feeling overwhelmed, there was a gentleness in her eyes that touched something deep inside him.
She was the light to his darkness, the beacon of hope that made him believe in happy ever afters. Kindness, respect, honesty, and faith were qualities that were hard to find in another person. But, for Shona, they were the glue that held her together through all the ups and downs of life. And he didn’t know what he’d do without her.
“Can I interrupt you for a few minutes?”
She looked up and smiled. “Hi, Joseph. I’d love to be interrupted, especially by my favorite person.”
“Aimee said you’re doing some paperwork. How’s it going?”
“Not great. I think I’ve spent too much time around Pastor John. I'm developing an aversion to my weekly accounts.”
He gave her a hug. “What’s causing the most issues?”
“It takes so long time to update everything. I called Shelley to see if I can have a meeting with her. There must be an easier way of doing this.”
He glanced at the laptop. She was using an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of her revenue and expenses. “Have you created pre-set formulas for each column?”
“I did them for each category of expense.”
He pointed to three of the rows. “You can add pre-set formulas to each of these rows, too. If you do that, the program will automatically update the columns they feed into.”
Shona's eyes widened. “It sounds as though you've used a lot of spreadsheets.”
He could have kicked himself. Before he’d moved to Sapphire Bay, his entire career was spent working with complex financial formulas and spreadsheets that would make her eyes water. He could have created what she needed in less than half an hour, but that would have led to a lot of questions he didn’t want to answer.
“I did a crash course when I helped my dad with his business. Shelley will know much more than I do about spreadsheets.”
“If she can’t help me, would you look at what I’m doing?”
“Sure.” He held up the brown paper bag. Hopefully, the smell of freshly baked muffins was a good way to change the subject. “I was driving past the cafe and thought you and Aimee might enjoy something to eat. Andrea was taking the muffins out of the oven when I arrived.”
“Now I know why I like you so much. Do you have time to have a cup of coffee with us?”
He shook his head. “I’d love to, but I need to get back to work. Can you still meet me at the retirement village this afternoon?”
“I wouldn't miss it for the world. Adele’s so excited about singing for the residents.” She looked in the bag at the chocolate chip muffins. “They look delicious. I have something to ask you, too. I told Paris we're seeing each other, and she invited you and Adele to her wedding. Would you like to come with me?”
Joseph had deliberately avoided any weddings since his wife left him. Seeing happy couples celebrate what they thought would be a lifelong commitment to each other depressed him. But Shona was excited about the wedding, and Paris was her friend. He couldn't say no.
“What time are they getting married?”
“It’s not until two o'clock in The Connect Church. The reception starts at three-thirty.”
“It looks as though we're going to a wedding. I have to go back to work, but I'll see you tonight.”
Shona pulled him close and kissed him. “Thank you for the muffins.”
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re welcome. I also have three extra-large portions of tiramisu in my truck. I thought you’d enjoy eating something sweet after dinner.”
With a contented sigh, Shona brushed her lips against his. “Tiramisu is my favorite dessert. You can have as many kisses as you like for being so thoughtful.”
