Page 43 of Dangerous December
“I think I’d rather pitch a tent.”
“I’m sure you would. By the way, Elana and I sat down and figured out her finances and her schedule, so she’ll be able to start classes in January. She’ll surely qualify for financial aid—probably even grants and scholarships that she doesn’t have to repay.”
“She needs a good break. And her son, too.”
“I think this will be a good start for her future. As soon as she can manage it, she wants to find an apartment of her own so she can walk to school.”
Beth pushed open a door and blindly patted the inner wall until she flipped on a light switch. The bedroom was packed with a jumble of battered furniture, with a stained mattress leaning against the far wall.
“Here you go, Dev. There’s even a bedroom set in here.” She laughed. “Mostly.”
Mesmerized by her pretty gray eyes and her silvery laugh, the mistakes of the past faded, and his focus narrowed to only her.
“It’s not too late,” she added with a grin.
It’s not too late.She meant it wasn’t too late to save some of these awful furnishings from the growing pile outside, but her words jerked him back to the present.
Itwastoo late, no matter what kind of persistent and unwanted attraction he still felt for her. He knew it. Her own mother knew it.
And Beth probably hadn’t given it a second thought, because she’d already written him out of her life. Given what she’d been through, it was no wonder.
He cleared his throat. “Like I said, a tent is sounding better all the time. But I guess I’d better get back to work.”
Twenty minutes later, a car pulled up and three women dressed in faded jeans and old T-shirts piled out. When they headedstraight for the cottage, he stared at them in surprise until the one with silver hair veered off to where he was loading junk into a rental trailer.
It took a moment for Dev to place her, given her casual clothes. “Olivia?”
“Ready for duty.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Hannah is still out of town, but the rest of us figured we ought to help out for a few hours. We can’t let Beth have all the fun.” She fished a business card from the back pocket of her jeans. “And while I’m here, Frank asked me to give you this.”
He studied the familiar logo of an outfitter with stores throughout the Upper Midwest. “Great store.”
“I totally agree. It belongs to my brother.”
“The wholechain?”
She shrugged. “He started small, without having the right connections, and struggled for years. If you have questions about suppliers, stock, advertising—anything, just give him a shout. He likes helping newcomers to outdoor retail, so I’ll let him know that you’ll be calling.”
“This is great. Thanks.”
A smile touched her lips. “He owes me, so I know he’ll be very happy to help you. How is it going otherwise? Have you made any progress?”
“I’ve been sketching plans for displays and shelving, and for the overall floor plan.” Dev shrugged. “I stopped at the lumberyard for some materials yesterday morning. The assistant manager helped me place an order for almost everything I need.”
“I hear you’re aiming for an open house during the Fall Harvest Festival.”
Dev nodded. “He had some great ideas for how I can take advantage of all the foot traffic in town that weekend. Just a half-dozen merchandise shelving units and some posters on the walls will be enough to get the point across. There isn’t enough time to do much more right now.”
“Good luck. I know Frank thinks you’ve got a great opportunity there, and he’s really looking forward to helping you out.”
At eight o’clock that evening, Beth blew the flyaway strands of hair out of her eyes and looked around at the amazing transformation.
Refuse from the cabin had filled a rented trailer parked outside, with even more towering heaps waiting to be hauled away.
The Sloane House tenants and her book club had helped Dev and Beth scour every inch of the walls and floors until the place sparkled.
