“Have you finished the business case you told me about?”
“Almost,” Jackie replied. “It just needs a few finishing touches and then it’s ready to go to the bank.”
He studied her for a moment, his mind racing. “Before you submit your application, I might have a solution that helps your money issues,” he said carefully, not wanting to overstep any boundaries.
“Really?” She looked up, curiosity and hope mingling in her eyes. “What is it?”
The doorbell jingled as another customer entered the store.
Aidan stepped to the side of the counter. He’d already taken up a lot of Jackie’s time and he didn’t want to interrupt what she was doing. “Are you busy after work? We could talk about my idea at The Lakeside Inn at five o’clock. I think it’ll help with your bank application.”
“If it could, that’d be great.”
“And bring your business case,” Aidan added before leaving. “I’m happy to look at it if you think I could make a difference to what you already have.”
“I will. Thanks.”
As Aidan left the store, he glanced at the fourth cottage sitting at the end of the row of small businesses. With a little luck and a lot of planning, Jackie could open her store before Christmas.
All he had to do was convince her that helping him could be the answer to all her prayers.
* * *
Jackie tooka deep breath as she approached The Lakeside Inn. The large, two-story building was built by Penny Terry’s grandparents as their retirement home. Last year, after the death of their grandmother, Penny and her sisters had transformed it into a boutique bed-and-breakfast business.
With a limited supply of accommodation options around Sapphire Bay, the opening of The Lakeside Inn had caused quite a stir, but it wasn’t the building that had attracted busloads of people to town.
During their remodeling project, one of the Terry sisters had found a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to his son. The contents of the letter had stunned the country and sent ripples of excitement as far as Washington, D.C.
Everyone had enjoyed the extra people visiting Sapphire Bay but, since the first story hit the headlines, everything was slowly returning to normal.
In a lot of ways, that suited most businesses better than being run off their feet and not being able to restock their shelves. The laid-back lifestyle that most of the community remembered had slowly returned, along with the usual families, fishing enthusiasts, hikers, and artists coming here to unwind.
The red wooden door welcoming visitors to the inn opened, and Aidan stepped onto the veranda. “Hi, Jackie. I’m glad you could make it.”
His tall frame was bundled up in a dark coat, but she could still make out Aidan’s short-cropped dark hair and piercing blue eyes. From the first time they’d met, she’d been attracted to him. After spending most of her life around people who had no sense of purpose or plans for the future, she was drawn to his confidence and determination.
A lot of good that would do her. She had a five-year plan she was halfway through, and none of her options included falling for a man who had no intention of staying in Sapphire Bay.
“Hi, Aidan.” Jackie greeted him with a warm smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve been here. The inn looks gorgeous.”
“David picked a great place for me to stay.” He held open the door and gestured for her to come inside. “Diana said we could use the small living area at the end of the hallway for our meeting.”
She followed him into the room. The tall ceilings and ornate fire surround made her think of the cottages on Anchor Lane. Although this home was a lot newer and bigger than the older cottages, it still had the same cozy feeling of a building that had enjoyed being lived in by people who cared about it.
Aidan took off his coat. “I hope I didn’t sound too mysterious when I asked you to come here.”
“It did make me wonder what ideas you’d had.” The truth was more extreme than that. Jackie hadn’t stopped thinking about what he’d said all afternoon. After he hung their coats on a stand, she sat beside him and sank into the big, overstuffed cushions.
Aidan cleared his throat. “I spoke to David last week. We have a few issues we’re working through at the research facility. Because of that, I don’t have enough time to deal with contractors and organize the Christmas gala for BioTech.” He paused, studying Jackie for a moment before continuing. “I’d like to ask you if you’re interested in organizing the Christmas gala for us. It’ll allow me to focus on making sure the labs are functioning properly for when our staff arrives.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “I haven’t organized any corporate functions before.”
“We don’t want it to feel like a corporate function. Even though quite a few people will be coming from New York City, the gala should be something the community will enjoy being part of. Daniella will decorate The Fairy Forest, so that’s one less thing you’ll need to do. She’ll report to you, and you’ll have the final say on what the event looks like. We’d meet regularly to make sure everything’s on track and to fix any issues.”
“I don’t know, Aidan. If the bank lends me the money I need, I’ll be busy getting everything ready for the opening of my own business. What about asking Penny or one of her sisters? They have much more project management experience than I have.”
Aidan handed her a large brown envelope.
