She cleared her throat and pushed back in her chair. “I have to open the store. I’ll make sure to be out by the end of my contract.”
Her sudden departure left him no time to respond. He wanted to rush after her and assure her all would work out in the end, but he didn’t have an answer as to how, short of packing up and going home to Kansas.
Still, he couldn’t let the morning end as it had. There was something about Cora that got under his skin—not in a bad way but one that made him uncomfortable, nonetheless. In his mental absorption, he bumped his mug with his hand, and it clinked against the table. He drank the last swig, usually the sweetest but it tasted bitter in his mouth.
What do you want me to do, Lord? Why should I feel bad for using what rightfully belongs to me? Why was I given this gift if it meant destroying Cora’s dream? I’d never want it like that.
The impromptu prayer poured from his soul. He sat silent, waiting for an answer, not fully expecting one. Ten minutes passed and he stood to leave. He dropped the empty mug in a bin by the trash and walked out the door.
Go to her.
“Huh?” His reply to the voice in his head caught the stares of a customer about to enter the coffee shop. He offered a sheepish grin and took a step toward his car.
Go to her.
Stronger the second time, the nudge overpowered his senses and his feet led him to Mistletoe Mercantile on their own accord. He didn’t know what else there was to say, or why God prompted him back to the store. He only knew he had to obey.
The sign readClosed, and he tried opening the door. Locked. That worried him since she’d been in a rush to open. He knocked on the door but couldn’t see her coming. At a loss, he pulled out his phone and googled the shop’s phone number. He made the call, but no one answered.
He was about to knock again when he spotted her walking toward the door. Her face was red, as though she’d been crying, and wet, as if she’d splashed water to wash away the tears. He couldn’t handle tears. With two sisters, one would think he’d have learned to deal with a crying female, but he never had. Avoidance was his mode of operation.
Only, this time he couldn’t make himself leave, even though he knew it would make it less awkward for him and Cora.
Chapter Five
Cora stopped in her tracks. Why was Gabe Newton standing at the door? When she’d heard the knock, she’d thought it was a customer. Nothim.
Why couldn’t he go away, Forever.
She rarely lost her composure, but the tears had fallen against her will. This Christmas was not the one she’d envisioned. First, she lost the meal, then she still couldn’t decorate, and now, worst of all, she’d lose her shop.
Her job. Career. Dream.
She might have told Gabe a lie. Or two. It was true she couldn’t afford rent on another Main Street location. Mistletoe Mercantile did well and turned a profit, but that was largely in part due to her minimal rent payment. She could rent a storefront elsewhere, but she’d lose a substantial portion of her foot traffic.
Her savings and careful planning could carry her through six months if needed, but what then? She fully acknowledged how blessed she’d been to have the rent advantage for so long, but in light of today, she realized she’d taken it for granted, subconsciously assumed it would be renewed for the same rate.
She’d never anticipated the building changing ownership, a fact that blindsided and upended her. One way or another, she’d keep Mistletoe Mercantile open, but she needed time to think and strategize.
And she absolutely did not need to talk to Gabe Newton anymore.
Even as she thought it, she caught herself. If she were honest, she liked the guy, despite being on opposing sides. He was attractive, though she hated to admit it, but more so, he was a genuinely nice person who seemed to care about the future of her store.
Most people wouldn’t have bothered trying to console her or offer sympathy beyond meaningless platitudes. Gabe was different, a man of honor struggling to do the right thing. She’d seen the battle in his eyes, and as much as she wanted to use that to her advantage, she couldn’t.
Integrity mattered, even if it meant losing her store. She’d have to trust that God had a bigger plan for her.
Squaring her shoulders and steadying her nerves, she went to unlock the door. “Yes?”
“I wanted to check on you.” Gabe stared at her, the sides of his eyes etched with concern.
“That wasn’t necessary.” Especially because she didn’t want anyone to know she’d been crying.
“Yes, it was. If not for you, then me.”
She arched a brow. “For you?”
He shrugged. “I upset you, and I need to make it right somehow.”
