The connection he felt with Jackie tightened. They had more in common than he thought, more reasons to be grateful for who they were and what they could do. He handed her the folder, hoping she realized how much of a difference she’d make.
“We’re both emotionally involved in what the trust’s doing.”
“Which is why we need to do a great job,” she said softly.
Aidan watched her go through the project notes he’d made. He’d spoken to a lot of people in town, found businesses who were happy to donate goods and services to the auction, but there was still a long way to go.
“What do you think?” he asked.
“You’ve been busy. Can you show me the spreadsheet you mentioned?”
He opened his laptop and found the document. Jackie leaned closer to him, her arm brushing his as he pointed to the things he thought were the most important.
“The timeline’s critical,” he told her. “The people who are coming to Sapphire Bay from New York City have other pre-Christmas commitments that we’re working around. If we don’t have the gala ready for our December 6 deadline, we’ll miss a lot of potential funding.”
Jackie nodded. “That’s good to know. Can you email me a copy of the spreadsheet? I’ll go through everything tonight and make some notes.”
“If there’s anything you don’t understand, call me. I’m happy to help as much as I can.”
Jackie pulled out a basket from under the coffee table. Hidden beside some knitting was a pen and a notepad. She scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to him. “This is my email address. Email me and I’ll send you a reply to let you know your message arrived safely. Is there anything else I should know?”
“Nothing that stands out. If organizing the gala becomes too much, let me know.”
“I should be okay. Even if the bank lets me know if I have the funding, I should be fine.”
“If you need a hand with anything to do with your business, I’m happy to help, too.”
Jackie laughed. “You might regret that you offered. Setting up the store will take a lot of time. Your muscles might come in handy, though.”
“I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m at the gym. What are you doing for dinner?” The spontaneous question seemed to surprise Jackie as much as himself. He hadn’t intended to ask her out to dinner, and he didn’t know how she’d react.
“I was going to make soup and toast,” Jackie told him. “Then catch up on some knitting. You’re welcome to join me.”
“How about I take you to the pizza place in town? To celebrate what you’re doing for the gala.”
That made her look happier about his suggestion. “I suppose I could, but I can’t stay too long.”
It was probably the least excited anyone had been about going out with him, but he’d take it. Before she changed her mind, he closed his laptop and picked up his jacket. “If we leave now, we’ll beat the rest of the dinner crowd.”
Jackie collected the folder. “I’ll be back soon. I’ll just get my coat.” And with a shy smile, she left the room.
He didn’t know what the future held, but if he could discover more about Jackie over a pepperoni pizza, he wouldn’t complain.
* * *
Jackie walkedinto The Fairy Forest and grinned at the group of seven- and eight-year-olds leaving one of the special event rooms. Dressed in pretty, rainbow-colored tutus and glittering wings, they were the cutest fairies she’d seen in a long time.
Daniella greeted her with a beaming smile. “I miss not having you here. The children loved it when you read them stories.”
When Jackie first moved to Sapphire Bay, she’d met Daniella at The Welcome Center. At that stage, The Fairy Forest hadn’t been open for long and Daniella was desperate for someone to help her.
Jackie hadn’t thought it could be too hard reading to groups of children, so she’d volunteered to give Daniella a hand. Six months later, and a huge number of parties and holiday programs later, she’d earned a pair of golden wings in recognition of all her hard work.
“Some days, I miss being here, too. Especially when I see everyone’s smiling faces. You make a lot of people’s dreams come true.”
Daniella linked her arm through Jackie’s and walked toward the main events room. “That’s why I started this business, and it’s worked. How are the plans for your knitting store coming along?”
Jackie sighed. “I’ve submitted my application for a business loan. I should know in the next few days if it’s successful.”
