eyes. Hot tears that needed her full attention, but she refused to let the barracuda see any sign of weakness. And Jacob? How could he just go along with this woman? Didn’t he know this store was Abigail’s whole life? “I can’t just find another space.”
“Wyatt seems to know some good ones. I’m sure he could —” Jacob started.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Abigail blurted, louder than she’d intended. “This isn’t just a building to me.” Her father would have been so disappointed at this turn of events. She stared at the dumbfounded look on his face and got too flustered to continue.
Kelly raised her eyebrows, startled.
“Oh, never mind.” Abigail started for the door.
“Wait a minute.” He took a few steps sideways, blocking her. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You’re taking my store,” she snapped. “What did you think I was going to do, throw you a welcome-to-the-neighborhood party?”
He looked away, giving her an opening to push past him, straight outside and back to the safety of her office. She locked the door, fell into a heap on her chair, and cried, her dreams spilling across the desk like a careless cup of coffee on someone else’s wedding invitations.
CHAPTER
7
A BIGAIL HAD GONE and had taken all the air out of the room with her. Jacob turned to Kelly. “Was that really necessary?”
She sighed. “Come on, Jacob. This is the way business works. Don’t tell me you feel sorry for her.”
He did, in fact, and why shouldn’t he? When he’d agreed to Kelly’s proposal, she hadn’t made any mention of putting out the locals.
“I’ve done my research on Abigail Pressman,” Kelly said. “She isn’t going to be a problem. She doesn’t even have a business degree.” She laughed. “It’s a good thing you’ve got me. I know what I’m doing here.”
He’d forgotten how intense this side of her could be, though he knew she’d been a type A roommate who always told his wife what to do. But Kelly knew business, and when she suggested thepartnership, Jacob took it as a sign. He’d been asking for a clean slate, hadn’t he? He never meant to start over like this, though. Maybe he’d made a mistake after all.
“Her store is part of this community —you can’t just go ticking her off like that.” Besides, he wasn’t completely sure he hadn’t settled on this space so he had the excuse to be around Abigail. If he kicked her out, he might as well set up shop at the mall. No, that wasn’t true. He’d chosen the space because it was right in the center of town. And because nothing about it reminded him of a hospital.
Kelly raised a brow. “Oh, Jacob, you like her.” Her words crawled under his skin.
Jacob scoffed. “Wanting to treat people with decency doesn’t mean I ‘like’ them.”
“Well, not everything in business is easy, Doc.” She took a few steps closer to him. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as he was and capable of staring him down, eye to eye. “This isn’t personal —it’s business. And not everyone is going to like you.”
“I didn’t move here to make enemies.” He had enough of those back home.
Kelly’s tilted head and isn’t-that-cute? expression made him feel like a puppy or a small child.
“Jacob,” she said, “I know you’re used to saving everyone, but you might have to accept the fact that you’ve got to think about yourself sometimes.”
Jacob took a step back, putting much-needed distance between them.
“You can rip the Band-Aid off slowly and let her hang around, prolonging the inevitable, or you can tear it off quickly. It’ll sting for a minute, but she’ll be fine.”
Kelly was right. It was why he’d hired her in the first place —because she understood all the things he didn’t want to think about.
“Are we good?” she asked.
Jacob nodded.
“Good. Then let’s get started.” She pulled out a tape measure and handed it to him. “You said
“Wyatt seems to know some good ones. I’m sure he could —” Jacob started.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Abigail blurted, louder than she’d intended. “This isn’t just a building to me.” Her father would have been so disappointed at this turn of events. She stared at the dumbfounded look on his face and got too flustered to continue.
Kelly raised her eyebrows, startled.
“Oh, never mind.” Abigail started for the door.
“Wait a minute.” He took a few steps sideways, blocking her. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You’re taking my store,” she snapped. “What did you think I was going to do, throw you a welcome-to-the-neighborhood party?”
He looked away, giving her an opening to push past him, straight outside and back to the safety of her office. She locked the door, fell into a heap on her chair, and cried, her dreams spilling across the desk like a careless cup of coffee on someone else’s wedding invitations.
CHAPTER
7
A BIGAIL HAD GONE and had taken all the air out of the room with her. Jacob turned to Kelly. “Was that really necessary?”
She sighed. “Come on, Jacob. This is the way business works. Don’t tell me you feel sorry for her.”
He did, in fact, and why shouldn’t he? When he’d agreed to Kelly’s proposal, she hadn’t made any mention of putting out the locals.
“I’ve done my research on Abigail Pressman,” Kelly said. “She isn’t going to be a problem. She doesn’t even have a business degree.” She laughed. “It’s a good thing you’ve got me. I know what I’m doing here.”
He’d forgotten how intense this side of her could be, though he knew she’d been a type A roommate who always told his wife what to do. But Kelly knew business, and when she suggested thepartnership, Jacob took it as a sign. He’d been asking for a clean slate, hadn’t he? He never meant to start over like this, though. Maybe he’d made a mistake after all.
“Her store is part of this community —you can’t just go ticking her off like that.” Besides, he wasn’t completely sure he hadn’t settled on this space so he had the excuse to be around Abigail. If he kicked her out, he might as well set up shop at the mall. No, that wasn’t true. He’d chosen the space because it was right in the center of town. And because nothing about it reminded him of a hospital.
Kelly raised a brow. “Oh, Jacob, you like her.” Her words crawled under his skin.
Jacob scoffed. “Wanting to treat people with decency doesn’t mean I ‘like’ them.”
“Well, not everything in business is easy, Doc.” She took a few steps closer to him. In her heels, she was nearly as tall as he was and capable of staring him down, eye to eye. “This isn’t personal —it’s business. And not everyone is going to like you.”
“I didn’t move here to make enemies.” He had enough of those back home.
Kelly’s tilted head and isn’t-that-cute? expression made him feel like a puppy or a small child.
“Jacob,” she said, “I know you’re used to saving everyone, but you might have to accept the fact that you’ve got to think about yourself sometimes.”
Jacob took a step back, putting much-needed distance between them.
“You can rip the Band-Aid off slowly and let her hang around, prolonging the inevitable, or you can tear it off quickly. It’ll sting for a minute, but she’ll be fine.”
Kelly was right. It was why he’d hired her in the first place —because she understood all the things he didn’t want to think about.
“Are we good?” she asked.
Jacob nodded.
“Good. Then let’s get started.” She pulled out a tape measure and handed it to him. “You said
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