As Jackie stared at her phone, she felt a mixture of sadness and determination wash over her. It was clear her mother didn’t believe in her dream, but she refused to let that stop her. She’d prove her mom wrong and make her knitting store a success, no matter what it took.
CHAPTER15
Aidan walked toward Jackie’s store, his breath visible in the crisp winter air. He watched her through the window as she lifted a box of knitting supplies onto the front counter, her auburn hair escaping from her knitted hat.
A growing sense of dread filled him as he looked around the store. Over the last few days, the tables and shelves had gradually filled with more knitting. The shipment of magazines and books she’d ordered must have arrived. They sat on the bookcase they’d found in the old steamboat museum, waiting to be displayed on the shelves.
Everything in the store had been carefully chosen to make her customers’ experience better than they expected. And it showed. From the comfy chairs and wooden craft table, it was everything people could ever need.
As he pushed open the door, the familiar tinkling of the bell announced his arrival.
“Hello, stranger,” Jackie said, her warm smile lighting up her face. “I haven’t seen you in three days.”
“Work has been hectic,” Aidan replied, running a hand through his hair. He approached her, taking in the colorful yarns and delicate baby clothes sitting in another box beside her.
Jackie kissed his cheek. “While you’re here, do you want to go over what’s happening with the Christmas gala?”
Her eyes were full of excitement. He just hoped she was feeling as positive when he left. “Let’s wait until we meet with Daniella in a couple of days,” Aidan suggested, trying to delay the inevitable conversation he knew they needed to have. Jackie nodded in agreement. “That’s fine by me. You’ll be impressed when we tell you what we’ve organized.”
He ran his knuckles gently over her cheek. “I’m always impressed by what you’re doing.”
A soft blush filled Jackie’s cheeks. “And that’s why I like you.”
She frowned when he stepped away. This was going to be so much harder than he thought.
Jackie pulled the box of knitting closer and started to unpack it. “I called my mom today,” she mentioned casually, as if it wasn’t a big deal. “The conversation went exactly as I expected, but I’m glad I called her.”
Aidan leaned against the counter. From his perspective, it didn’t look as though she was glad. “What did she say?”
“To be careful or I’ll end up homeless again.”
Aidan’s eyebrows rose. Why would any parent say that to their child, especially when Jackie thought carefully about everything she did? “That sounds like the sort of conversation you didn’t need.”
“That’s my mom, for you.” Jackie turned to face him. “I don’t know whether her negativity is her way of saying she worries about me, or if she’s so caught up in her own life that she can’t see anything positive in mine.”
Aidan placed his hand on hers. “It’s probably a little of both. You’ve found somewhere you can call home and people who care about you. Maybe your mom is still trying to find her place in the world.”
Jackie forced a smile. “At the moment, her place is in Georgia with a man called Taylor. If he’s anything like her last few boyfriends, their relationship will be over by Christmas.” Jackie bit her bottom lip. “Sorry. That sounds mean, and I didn’t want it to.”
“It’s all right. From what you’ve said, your relationship with your mom hasn’t been easy.”
Jackie lifted her chin. “I try to do things that’ll make her proud of me, but whatever I do is never good enough. After I’ve spoken to her, I’m angry with myself for trying. I just feel disappointed and let down.”
Aidan rubbed her shoulder. “You’re a great person. Unfortunately, your mom’s missing out on being part of everything you’ve achieved.”
Jackie nodded. “I’ll have to remember that the next time I call her.” Taking a deep breath, she held up a baby’s jacket. “Let’s talk about something more enjoyable than my mom. Isn’t this adorable? A lady from Bigfork dropped it off with another two boxes of knitting from her craft group.”
The pale blue knitted jacket, with its hood and bright red buttons was cute, but not as important as the woman standing beside him, creating a better life for herself.
“You’ll have customers lining up to see the gorgeous hand-knitting you’re selling.”
“That’s the plan,” Jackie said with a genuine smile as she unpacked more baby clothes. “Tell me about your day.”
As much as he wanted to keep things light-hearted, Aidan couldn’t hold back the news any longer. With trepidation, he began, “Jackie, I’ve been offered a Job in Miami.”
Her hands stilled, and her face became blank, like a canvas suddenly wiped clean. “What sort of job?”
“I’d be working for a company that’s developing a product that allows people with spinal injuries to move like you and me. It builds on everything I’m doing at BioTech.”
