Small-Town Girl

Sesser’s daughter sprang into action. She ran back for more paper towels and then bent down to mop up the rest of the mess from the floor. “You didn’t hear me? I don’t know how that could be possible! We’ll have to get you a bigger bell over the door.” She laughed.

“Please don’t.” Kendall shoved all the dripping towels into the waste bin. She’d deal with emptying the now-jammed trash can later. “You and your father have already done so much for me. I can’t accept any more. I can’t—”

“How about one more tiny, little thing?” Claire held up a manicured nail and winked at her.

“I couldn’t pos—”

“But first, care if I close the door?” Claire padded across the office on ballet flats and shut the front door.

The woman was everything Kendall wasn’t—poised, tall and slender—beautiful with pale skin and reddish copper hair. Even in four-inch heels, Kendall wouldn’t have been eye level with her.

“Here.” Claire walked back to Kendall’s desk and placed a business card in front of her in the same manner as if she was handing over a trophy. “He’s going to call you for an interview probably in the next day or two, so if you want to work through some quotable material, I’m game.”

Kendall picked up the card. Jason Moss. Reporter. “An interview?”

Claire nodded. “He’s the editor of the local paper, but his pieces often get picked up by the bigger papers and news outlets, and he’s a part of a tourist-friendly blog too. The initial publicity will be great, and if it gets picked up, that could mean big business for you.”

“It’s all a bit overwhelming.” Kendall still had dates to research, another client to call back and a meeting with Brice in the morning to help paint the boat they would use for the sunset cruises. Her business had been open for only two days. How would she manage more? “I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“Remember not to mention the partnership with my father, though.” Claire tilted her head and spoke in a whisper. “If it becomes public, he has the right to back out of his deal with you and call in your loan in full. Remember that.”

A rumble of dread simmered low in Kendall’s chest. “I’m aware of that.” She pressed a pushpin through the business card and stuck it onto the corkboard wall behind her computer. “I won’t say a thing.”

Claire sank into the chair on the other side of the desk and dropped her large purse into her lap. “Speaking of Daddy, he mentioned that you’ve already set up a weekly event. Way to make quick work of that.” She winked. “I’m so impressed.”

Kendall folded her hands on top of the bare desk, missing her day planner already. “Brice Daniels and I are going to host weekly sunset cruises and have even talked about expanding to dinner tours if the cruises go well.”

“Oh.” Claire’s smile faltered. “One of the Daniels boys. I see.”

Kendall licked her lips. “Do you know him?”

“Of course.” Her smile came back, but it pulled tight around the corners. Forced. “It’s my family’s business to know everyone in town.”

“But...do you like him?” Why was Kendall’s heart pounding so hard?

“Honestly I’m not close to Brice Daniels, but I’ve had...dealings with other people in his family.” Claire’s gaze skirted toward the wall that separated Kendall’s office from Evan’s storefront. “Let’s just say they didn’t prove to be dependable.” She closed her eyes tightly for a moment. “But we’re talking business, not gossiping about Goose Harbor locals, right?”

“Of course.”

“My father thinks you have a great idea, and he’s excited to be a part of it. I just stopped by to see if you needed help with anything else.”

“Excited?” The man had not seemed thrilled when she last talked to him. Pleased maybe—at the opportunity to diversify his business dealings—but not excited.

“Well, as excited as my dad gets.” Claire grinned. “He has a pretty monotone emotional scale, so don’t take any offense if he acts like being your partner is as fun as eating broccoli.”

“Good to know.”

“Besides, you’ll deal with me and not him most of the time.” Claire laid her hand over her heart. A gold watch with diamonds around the face let Kendall know that while Claire might joke about her father’s monotone emotions, she was a daddy’s girl. Or at the least, didn’t mind spending her father’s money.

She pulled a piece of paper from her purse. “In that vein, here are some numbers you can reach me at.” Claire handed over the paper—home, parents’ home, cell and office. At the bottom of the page was written GHonaDime4.

Claire kept speaking. “You can call me at any time if you have questions or concerns.” Her eyes widened, as if she had remembered something. “While we’re talking business, you should know that we’ve set up a professional website for you. I’m managing it for now, so let me know if there is anything you want changed or updated. The password is at the bottom of the page so you can go on and add things and we can link your social media so you can have a live stream of pictures and Tweets for advertising.”

Password. So that explained the odd word on the page.

“A website?” Kendall set the paper down and rubbed her temples. While the Atwoods’ enthusiasm was encouraging, it was a lot to take in all at once. Kendall couldn’t help dwelling for a second on the fact that most of her business decisions had been taken away in the deal. What if she’d wanted to plan her own website?

“We want you to be successful, and we’re here to make sure that happens. But, Kendall...” Claire smiled again. “We’re not here to steamroll you or your dream. Got that? At least I’m not. I’m going to be a middleman between you and my father, but I’d also like to be your friend. Those phone numbers I gave you... You can call me for things other than business. Actually I’d like that a lot.”

Kendall nodded but wondered about the wisdom of becoming friends with the daughter of someone she’d gone into business with. Claire seemed nice enough, though, and the guarded look in her large blue eyes made Kendall wonder if—just maybe—it was lonely being the only daughter of a wealthy, powerful businessman. And if anyone knew about feeling alone, it was no-roots-in-life Kendall. Her heart went out to the woman.

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