and she'd assumed it hadn't affected him the same way it had affected her. Had he thought about the kiss and regretted it? There was nothing to regret. Yet.
Kit took the floor plan from the folder and unfolded it, smoothing it on the counter.
After a minute of silent examination, he said, "I don't see the tool case."
The five-foot long, waist high case was difficult to ignore. It's absence, even on the floor plan, was obvious. She'd come here in person instead of emailing the plans because she had a feeling the tool case could be a bone of contention.
If she was lucky, she could explain this tactfully. "The tools inside look like antiques. Are they?"
"Yes. Dad and I collected them. Come here a minute." He crossed to the case in the front of the store and waited for her.
She weighed her words as she approached the case, realizing from his expression that he didn't want to move it. "I understand that the collection might be a hobby you and your dad shared. But what you have to think about now is what will sell to your customers, and ask yourself if this case, taking up prime store space, helps your profit or hurts it."
Grey took a key ring from his pocket and inserted a small key into the lock on the back of the case. "I guess it depends on how you look at it. These tools come from a time when workmanship held pride as well as skill. Look at this auger and that maul. They're at least a hundred and fifty years old."
He handed her the auger and she examined it carefully. "Um. I appreciate what you're telling me. But don't you think you could use this space for a new product or a sale item? It's the focal point of the store when a customer walks in."
"And just where do you want me to put the case?" he asked with an edge to his voice that told her better than the twitch in his jaw that he was holding his temper.
"If you choose to keep it in the store, put it somewhere less obvious where it won't interfere with sales." This was business, and Grey had to face the reality of it.
But he shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets, enforced patience emanating from him. "Do you know how rare antique tools are? Do you have any idea what these are worth?"
There was something more going on here than the moving of a display case. She was sure of it. "No. And it's a good thing no one else does either or they'd try to rip them off. You can't even see this case from the checkout counter. There's no mirror, either. And while we're at it, we need to talk about a security system."
"My customers would never..."
"Do you know each one personally?" She handed back the auger, her fingers brushing his and tingling from the contact.
His gaze locked to hers. His serious green eyes seemed to hold a world of mysteries. What made Greyson Corey tick? What did he hold dear besides this store? And what could put a twinkle of merriment in his eyes?
Breaking eye contact, he put the tool back in the case. "I've known many of them for years. That's the type of store we are, a store that cares about customers, and service, and history."
Evidently, he wasn't getting her point. "How many people stop and look in this case in a week?"
With a shrug he locked it. "I don't know. I've never kept count."
"Maybe you should. You need to see if it's worth the space it's taking up. And remember, just because a customer stops to look at antique tools doesn't make him want to buy new ones."
Grey's jaw set stubbornly as he once again dropped his keys in his pocket.
She said quietly, "You hired me to help you."
"This wasn't the kind of help I expected."
"I think it's more than that."
"I told you before, it might take me a while to adjust to the idea of change. Baskets, a website and fliers are one thing. Changing everything about Corey's is another."
"We're talking about moving a display case."
Scowling, he went back to the counter and pointed to the floor plan. "And the shelves, and the appliance section."
"Look at the red arrow. That's the stream
Kit took the floor plan from the folder and unfolded it, smoothing it on the counter.
After a minute of silent examination, he said, "I don't see the tool case."
The five-foot long, waist high case was difficult to ignore. It's absence, even on the floor plan, was obvious. She'd come here in person instead of emailing the plans because she had a feeling the tool case could be a bone of contention.
If she was lucky, she could explain this tactfully. "The tools inside look like antiques. Are they?"
"Yes. Dad and I collected them. Come here a minute." He crossed to the case in the front of the store and waited for her.
She weighed her words as she approached the case, realizing from his expression that he didn't want to move it. "I understand that the collection might be a hobby you and your dad shared. But what you have to think about now is what will sell to your customers, and ask yourself if this case, taking up prime store space, helps your profit or hurts it."
Grey took a key ring from his pocket and inserted a small key into the lock on the back of the case. "I guess it depends on how you look at it. These tools come from a time when workmanship held pride as well as skill. Look at this auger and that maul. They're at least a hundred and fifty years old."
He handed her the auger and she examined it carefully. "Um. I appreciate what you're telling me. But don't you think you could use this space for a new product or a sale item? It's the focal point of the store when a customer walks in."
"And just where do you want me to put the case?" he asked with an edge to his voice that told her better than the twitch in his jaw that he was holding his temper.
"If you choose to keep it in the store, put it somewhere less obvious where it won't interfere with sales." This was business, and Grey had to face the reality of it.
But he shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets, enforced patience emanating from him. "Do you know how rare antique tools are? Do you have any idea what these are worth?"
There was something more going on here than the moving of a display case. She was sure of it. "No. And it's a good thing no one else does either or they'd try to rip them off. You can't even see this case from the checkout counter. There's no mirror, either. And while we're at it, we need to talk about a security system."
"My customers would never..."
"Do you know each one personally?" She handed back the auger, her fingers brushing his and tingling from the contact.
His gaze locked to hers. His serious green eyes seemed to hold a world of mysteries. What made Greyson Corey tick? What did he hold dear besides this store? And what could put a twinkle of merriment in his eyes?
Breaking eye contact, he put the tool back in the case. "I've known many of them for years. That's the type of store we are, a store that cares about customers, and service, and history."
Evidently, he wasn't getting her point. "How many people stop and look in this case in a week?"
With a shrug he locked it. "I don't know. I've never kept count."
"Maybe you should. You need to see if it's worth the space it's taking up. And remember, just because a customer stops to look at antique tools doesn't make him want to buy new ones."
Grey's jaw set stubbornly as he once again dropped his keys in his pocket.
She said quietly, "You hired me to help you."
"This wasn't the kind of help I expected."
"I think it's more than that."
"I told you before, it might take me a while to adjust to the idea of change. Baskets, a website and fliers are one thing. Changing everything about Corey's is another."
"We're talking about moving a display case."
Scowling, he went back to the counter and pointed to the floor plan. "And the shelves, and the appliance section."
"Look at the red arrow. That's the stream
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