Page 1 of Rescuing Carolyn

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CAROLYN

“Just sold an engagement ring.” Jenna poked her head in the office of All That Sparkles.

“Awesome.” I looked up from the spreadsheet I was studying. “Which one?”

“The one-carat heart-shaped diamond set in platinum.” From the smile on Jenna’s face, she was pleased with herself—and she should be. Both her commission and the store’s profit would be very nice.

“I love that one.” I sighed. “It’s so romantic.”

The ring had only been on display since the store reopened a week ago. Now that the remodel was complete, the neutral cream colors were gone. In their place I selected soft gray walls, chrome-edged glass display cases, modern recessed lighting, and pops of a vibrant blue for accent. The store did indeed sparkle.

“The couple looked at it yesterday,” Jenna said with a knowing grin. “I knew they’d be back.”

“You can always peg them. Congratulations.”

“Do you want me to start the closing procedure?” she asked.

I checked my watch. Ten minutes to close. “Sure. That’ll be great. I want to get out of here on time tonight.”

“Got it.” My most experienced salesperson scooted back out the door.

The thought of how the ring’s sale would help the month’s bottom line brought a smile to my face as I returned to the spreadsheet. My monthly expenses for All That Sparkles were significantly higher now due to a loan for the remodel and higher security costs.

I’d disagreed with my mother, Faith, about the expense. And maybe I was taking a chance, but I subscribed to the theory that you have to spend money to make it. The interior of a jewelry store reflected its reputation and merchandise, I felt. My mother had relented since she’d entrusted the store to me, and now I held the reins.

I owed my mother so much. She had founded the store after my father all but abandoned the family. Her hard work had put the business on the map in Springwell. I was in awe of someone who could do all that single-handed and raise two daughters, and I felt the pressure of measuring up to my mother’s standard as I faced a similar life as a single mom and business owner. My best efforts might not be enough even with the assistance of dedicated employees—but my self-doubt hadn’t prevented me from taking a leap with All That Sparkles.

I heard the click of the alarm. Someone was being let into the office area of the store. A state-of-the-art security system had been an integral part of our refurbishment. It made my insurance company happy and gave me peace of mind, plus, it allowed us to carry top-end merchandise, such as the engagement ring Jenna was celebrating. It was worth it, I thought, even though I grimaced every time I pulled up the expenditures page.

“Mama,” my son’s voice called, bringing an instant smile to my face. A second later my babysitter entered the office with Austin on her hip, squirming to get down.

“Hi, baby.” I took my fourteen-month-old son, hugging him tight and pressing my face into his thick dark hair that was so like his daddy’s. With his deep blue eyes, no one could doubt who his father was, not that Zach Vale apparently cared. I suppressed a sigh. I’d tried so many times to get in touch with Zach to let him know that I was pregnant—but I never heard a single word back. I could buy him being away on a SEAL mission and missing the first few messages, but all of them? It didn’t seem possible. So after that, I stopped trying to contact Zach and had focused on my son. “Did you have fun today?”

Austin gave me a grin and showed me a toy tractor clutched in his hand, zooming it up my arm.

“He’s been looking forward to coming all day,” Nina said, dropping the bag of baby supplies on a chair. “He loves being here, and he loves his mama.”

“Thanks for bringing him to me.” I gave my son a kiss before setting him on the carpet to play. I’d felt guilty about working long hours while the store was being refurbished, because I’d promised myself I would always make sure he felt surrounded by love. It wouldn’t be easy as a single parent, but I didn’t want him to feel the lack of a father…and I certainly didn’t want him to have an experience like I’d had with my own father.

Nothing I’d ever done to get my father’s attention had been enough. I’d tried desperately to be the best student and best athlete, hoping he’d notice. I’d even begged my mother for martial arts classes because my father mentioned that he liked martial arts. I took classes for years, increasing my skills and moving on to grade after grade. My father never once came to see me demonstrate my skills. Nothing had ever worked to get his attention. He wasn’t angry or violent, he was just detached. Uninterested. Whatever else was going on in his life was always much more important to him than me. I never wanted Austin to feel that way.

“No problem,” Nina said. “I love the new look of the store. The blue sets everything off. On our way here, we took a little stroll past Castle Jewels.”

“Oh?” My primary competitor had recently updated as well. “Is it nice?”

“Classy looking. Lots of gold accents. But it was kind of stuffy, too. I didn’t feel like I could wander in and browse.” Nina wrinkled her nose. “I think you made the better choice.”

“Hope so.” I watched Austin, who played with the tractor, running it over the pattern in the carpet and making goofy faces and sounds. Watching my silly son always made me smile—and I couldn’t help wondering what Zach would think of him. Zach was always so serious, so stoic. Would our goofy son help him be more playful? I tried to brush the thought aside. My relationship with Zach was over, and I’d been the one to end it before I’d even realized I was pregnant. The door had closed for good once Zach had decided not to be part of Austin’s life. There was no point in thinking about him anymore.

“I’ve got to get going,” Nina said. “My boys have a baseball game tonight.”

“I’ll let you out through the secure door.” I scooped Austin up and led the way to the showroom.

Just as we reached it, the front door flung open, slamming against the wall, and a man burst through, gun in hand. I froze in place, hoping this wasn’t what it looked like.

“This is a robbery,” he yelled, swinging his gun in an arc to encompass the store. “Hands where I can see them.”

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