“There’s my girl,” Vi said, pounding the side of her fist on the arm of her recliner. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  “That’s fantastic!” Phoebe grinned. “And of course you’ll need a building for that, right?”

  “Right. And I was thinking, since my best friend is a Realtor . . .”

  Phoebe reached into her bag and pulled out her laptop. “I’m on it. Like, as of right now.”

  Ashley’s heart started thumping in her chest like a baboon trying to get out of a cage. Just a few minutes ago, it had been a pipe dream, but now that Vi and Phoebe knew about it and were cheering her on, it was a reality. Or it would be once she found the place and paid for it and had customers . . . Now her stomach started to clench. She had no idea that just the thought of starting a business would make her feel so sick.

  “Here’s one,” Phoebe said a minute later, turning her laptop so Ashley could see it. “It’s not set up to be a salon right now—it’s actually a mechanic shop—but you could run sinks down this side and make it over. It’s in a great location.”

  Ashley studied the pictures. The place was completely dingy, but a few coats of paint would help it a lot, and a good exterminator, and maybe even a priest to hold an exorcism. “It’s a little too rough around the edges for me,” she replied. “Anything else?”

  “Let’s see.” Phoebe kept scrolling. “Oh, this is a lot more like it.”

  “Yes. That’s much better.” This building wasn’t right in the heart of town like the first one was, but it was still easy to get to, and it wouldn’t need nearly as many renovations. It would need sinks, of course, but that would be a given with anywhere she looked. “That seems like a lot of money, though.”

  “Commercial properties aren’t cheap,” Phoebe replied. “I actually don’t think that’s a bad price at all.”

  Ashley took the laptop and studied the pictures again. She could see herself standing in that window, watching people pass by as she cut hair, and she smiled. The first step toward making something happen was being able to see it, right? “Can you get me in for a showing?”

  “I can and I will, but you should also visit the bank and see about a loan. The seller is going to want proof that you’re looking seriously and that you aren’t just window shopping.”

  “Are there people who do that? Look at places when they can’t buy them?” Vi wanted to know.

  “It happens more often than you’d think. People get curious and want to snoop around.”

  “What do I need to take into the bank with me?” Ashley asked. She was nervous about that—what did she really have to show for the last several years of her life? A beat-up car? A fairly impressive collection of shoes?

  “Any recent pay stubs or bank statements, documentation of any stocks or bonds, stuff like that.” Phoebe paused. “You don’t have anything like that, do you?”

  “Um … no,” Ashley replied. “I have about two thousand in savings, and that’s it. No current job, nothing.”

  Phoebe’s shoulders slumped. “Oh, that’s not good. I tell you what. Go see Jan Haskell at the bank. I’ve worked with her a lot, and if anyone can get you this loan, she can. I just have to give you a heads-up, though, Ash—I’m not feeling confident about this.”

  “But it feels right! Doesn’t it feel right?” She turned to Vi. “Doesn’t it?”

  “Things will work out,” Vi replied. “The best part is seeing you get excited about something again. It’s been far too long.”

  Things might work out, but when and how and where? Ashley hated the unpredictable, the unknown. She liked knowing exactly what she was going up against. At least in modeling, she could look around and size up the competition and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. This? She was flying totally blind.

  ***

  As soon as the sun crested the mountain where they’d slept, Josh and Walt threw their camping gear in the back of the truck and headed home. They’d mixed up pancakes by the light of the Gray Wolf kerosene lantern and cooked them on a Gray Wolf skillet while sitting on Gray Wolf chairs, and Josh was beginning to feel like he had a good handle on the information for his report. “Can I use your computer when we get back to the house?”

  “Sure. Unless you need something printed. My printer has been on the fritz for months.”

  Josh groaned. “And the copy shop?”

  “Well, sure, there’s a copy shop, but it seems to me that you might wander over and see if Vi has a printer,” Walt said, a little humor in his voice. Josh had been amazed at the change in his brother that morning. He seemed lighter, more at peace. Talking to Debbie would be extremely hard, but Josh believed Walt had accepted it and was ready.

  “Is Vi likely to have a printer, or are you just trying to play matchmaker?” Josh asked.

  “Does it matter? If she doesn’t have a printer, I’m sure Ashley would be more than happy to ride with you over to the copy shop. You know, show you where it is.”

  Josh shook his head even as he grinned. “You’re pretty sly. You know that?”

  “Only when I have to be.” Walt paused. “We’re heading home so I can have the most difficult conversation of my life. If I can be brave, I think you can too.”

  Josh thought about that as he guided the truck around a hole in the road. Bravery. That’s exactly what it would take to start a new relationship—that, and maybe some stupidity. He chuckled to himself. He knew he had plenty of stupidity lying around.

  Chapter Eight

  Ashley turned her head from side to side, studying herself in the mirror. She’d woken up with an idea that morning, a crazy, crazy idea, and she’d acted on it before she could talk herself out of it. A quick trip to the drugstore and an hour later, she was now a brunette.

  “What in Sam Hill …” Vi stood in the bathroom doorway, her jaw slack. “Ashley Jacobson, what did you do?”

  “People don’t take blondes seriously,” Ashley said. “Haven’t you ever noticed that? We’re not smart enough or savvy enough to be successful. I want the loan officer at the bank to take me seriously, so I decided it was time to stop being blonde.”

  Vi shook her head. “It looks good on you, but I have to say, I’m shocked. I thought you were banking on your blondeness.”

  “I was, as a model, but now I want to be a business owner. What do you think—should I wear it up or down?”

  “You’d know a lot more about that than I would. But you’d better get a move on—aren’t you supposed to be there in twenty minutes?”

  Ashley glanced at her watch. “Oh, no. You’re right. Thanks, Vi. Wish me luck.”

  “Luck,” Vi called after her as she raced into her bedroom to change.

  Ten minutes later, dressed in a taupe skirt, cream blouse, and nude heels, Ashley stepped out of the house and nearly plowed Josh over.

  “I’m so sorry!” she said. “I was in a hurry and didn’t see you there.”

  “Ashley?” His brow furrowed. “Is that you?”

  “Yes, and I need to go—appointment in ten minutes.”

  He moved out of her way. “I’m sorry. Better hurry.”

  She climbed into her car and zoomed down the road, glancing at the dashboard clock every thirty seconds or so. If her vanity made her late for this appointment, that would just about serve her right.

  The loan officer insisted on being called Jan, and invited Ashley to step into her office as soon as she arrived. Thankfully, Ashley was only one minute late. She smoothed her skirt as she lowered herself into the chair and tried to look calm.

  “I understand you’re a friend of Phoebe’s,” Jan said. “We’ve worked together several times, and I’ve been able to help many of her clients get loans for homes or commercial property. Tell me a little about yourself and what you’d like to accomplish.”

  Ashley took a deep breath. “Well, I’d like to open my own salon. I don’t need anything very big—just a small space would do—and Phoebe found me a nice location.” She slid the information on the property across the table to Jan.

  Jan looked at the paper and nodded. “Where do you work, Ashley?”

  “Um . . . I don’t actually have a job at the moment.”

  “I see. Do you have savings from a previous job?”

  “I have two thousand in savings.”

  “Any retirement, anything like that?”

  “No.” Ashley felt like sliding farther down in her chair with every question, but that wouldn’t be very professional. “I do own my family’s land, but I’m not interested in mortgaging it. I’ve always known I’d need it to help care for my elderly aunt, who raised me.”

  “You own property, but you don’t want to consider it in the equation?” Jan asked.

  “No. See, it would feel like I was gambling with Aunt Vi’s future, and I can’t do that,” Ashley replied.

  Jan studied the paper for another moment. “Miss Jacobson, you have no money, and you don’t want me to consider the holdings you do have. I understand that you’re returning to town after a long absence, and that means you don’t have an established clientele here. I’m afraid I can’t extend you a loan. I’m the steward of the bank’s money, and this is a risk I can’t take.”

  Ashley looked down at her hands, which were clasped so tightly on her lap, she’d almost lost feeling in them. “Can you make any other suggestions?” she said at last.

  “I’d recommend getting a job and establishing a work history here in town. Come back in with some pay stubs and a business plan that shows me you’re viable. Or get a wealthy investor and bypass me altogether. Either of these plans would take a while to implement, so if you’re looking for a quick solution, I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything to suggest.”

  “Thank you.” Ashley came to her feet and shook Jan’s hand. “I appreciate your time.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help you.”

  Ashley all but stumbled out of the bank and to her car, where she leaned up against the door and took a moment to collect herself. That had gone just as horribly as she’d feared it would. Well, that wasn’t entirely accurate—Jan hadn’t laughed at her. That was one good thing at least.

  Maybe if she had agreed to mortgage the property, she’d be singing a different song right now, but that was something she could never consider. Aunt Vi had given up everything to move here and raise Ashley, and now her health was failing. Any money that could be pulled from the property would go to medical bills and anything else Vi needed. Ashley had gotten snoopy and rummaged through Vi’s paperwork while Vi was napping, and it looked like everything so far was being covered by insurance, but how long would that last, and did Vi have any kind of funeral savings?

  She needed to take care of her aunt. No question.

  In a case like that, it was time for a job.

  She got in her car, stopped by the store and bought a newspaper, then drove back to the house. Burnt River was still a little old-fashioned when it came to things like want ads—it was easier to find what you were looking for in the actual newspaper and not online.

  Vi was watching a game show in her recliner when Ashley walked into the house. “I let Josh use my computer and printer. I hope that’s all right.”

  Ashley plopped down on the couch. “Why wouldn’t that be all right? They’re your things.”

  Vi flipped off the TV and turned to face Ashley. “I just don’t want to be giving the boy any ideas. Letting him think things. You know.”

  “Um, you called him a hottie boombalottie to his face, and you think that letting him use your printer is going to give him the wrong idea?”

  Vi waved that off. “How did it go at the bank?”

  “Terrible. Absolutely terrible.” Ashley kicked off her shoes while she told Vi what had happened. “Apparently, wanna-be models don’t carry a lot of clout in the financial world.”

  “Hmmm. I guess it’s a good idea you have such a smart aunt, then.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Vi tipped her head to the side. “Don’t you think you have a smart aunt?”

  “I think I have the smartest aunt in the world, but I don’t know what that has to do with this particular situation.”

  Vi grinned. “Well, what if I told you that I had the best idea not five minutes after you walked out that door? And what if I told Josh about it, and he not only thinks it’s fantastic, but he wants to help?”

  Ashley held up a hand. “Wait, wait, wait. What’s your idea?”

  “You need property to run your business, right? Well, you happen to own some right here—you don’t need to get a loan for that.”

  Ashley leaned back a little. “Go on.”

  “The shop already has water and electricity. We forget that because it’s been so long since we’ve used it, but sure enough, it’s there. And our lane goes around our house and out to the shop—your customers could drive right up to it.”

  Ashley’s mind started to spin. “You’re right. It’s perfect. We’re close to town, and the lane’s already there . . . Holy cow, Aunt Vi, you are a genius!”

  “I did mention that already,” Vi replied. “And Josh was kind enough to bring it up again as well. He says you’ll need to go down to the city and get permission to run a business out here, because we’re zoned for residential, but he doesn’t think it will be too much of a problem because you won’t have more than one or two customers at a time, and you won’t be clogging up the road with gobs of traffic all at once.”

  “That’s a good point,” Ashley said. “And I should go out there and make a list of everything I’ll need—paint and sinks and chairs and . . . Oh, wow.” She pressed a hand to her heart, certain that it had started beating double time. “This is one of the most exciting, freakiest things I’ve ever done.”

  “And you’ll do brilliantly at it,” Vi said, reaching out to touch Ashley’s other hand.

  “But how do you know, when everything else I’ve tried has been such a failure?”

  “Because, my dear, this time you’re doing it where your roots are instead of running away from them.”

  Chapter Nine

  Josh pulled up in front of Ashley’s house but saw a lone figure down the lane a bit, so he continued going and parked, getting out to find Ashley sitting on the grass in front of the shop.

  “Hey,” he said, walking up behind her. “Envisioning what it will look like?”

  “Yeah.” She patted the grass beside her, and he plopped down too. “It’s going to be a project. A really huge project. And I don’t know what legal hoops I’ll need to jump through or anything, but I’m more excited about this than I’ve been about anything for a long time. My own business on my own land, right here with Aunt Vi so I can help take care of her . . . if she’ll let me . . .”

  Josh laughed. “She is a little bit stubborn, that one.”

  “A little bit? Oh, that’s right. You haven’t known her very long.” Ashley shook her head, and a lock of brown hair came out of her ponytail and drifted across her face. She tucked it behind her ear. “I’m sorry to say, I think stubbornness runs in the family.”

  Almost without realizing what he was doing, Josh reached out and fingered that loose lock of hair. “What’s the story here?”

  “That?” Ashley ducked her head, looking a little sheepish. “I thought maybe I’d look more trustworthy to the bank if I wasn’t blonde. Turns out, they were more interested in my finances than in what I look like. Weird, huh?”

  “Imagine that.” Josh let his hand drop. “What’s your next step?”

  “My next step is to talk to the city. I’m tempted to grab a paintbrush and get to work right away, but until I know if I can legally run a business out here, it would be silly to spend all that time on a renovation. From there, we’ll see—I imagine there will be tons of paperwork and all kinds of other delightful things.”

  “I can’t help with the tons of paperwork, but I already told Vi, I want to help with the renovations,” Josh said. “I’ve wielded a few paintbrushes in my day, and not just doodling pretty pictures, either.”

  Ashley turned to face him, and for the first time, he noticed how green her eyes were. “I’d love to see some of your art.”

  “There’s nothing left to show you. I sold off what pieces I could to pay for my wife’s treatment, and I gave the rest away when she passed. I couldn’t look at them anymore—they reminded me too much of her.”

  He expected Ashley to turn away, but instead, she continued to meet his gaze. “I wonder if painting again would help you move on.”

  He’d wondered the same thing, many times, but the thought had always terrified him. What if he tried, and it didn’t help at all? Or worse, what if it helped so much that those portions of Melody he carried with him began to fade? He wanted a future, he wanted a new path, but he didn’t want to lose everything he’d had before in order to attain it.

  “I just scared the daylights out of you, didn’t I?” Ashley chuckled. “I’m sorry—sometimes I’m too blunt. You should ignore me when I get this way.”

  “I don’t want to ignore you,” Josh said. “I want . . .”

  “What?”

  He exhaled. “I want to help you paint this shop. I want to get to know you. I want to figure out why I feel like I’ve known you forever when it’s really only been a couple of days.”

  “And do you know what I want?” she rejoined. “I want to know how your report went today.”

  He blinked, a little thrown by her change of subject. “It went great. Madeline was impressed by my observations about the kerosene lantern and the skillet, and she tells me I’m one of two being considered for the position. She’ll let me know on Monday.”

  “That’s so great!” Ashley looked like she was about to throw an arm around him, but changed her mind. He was disappointed by that. “I’ll keep all my fingers and toes crossed for you.”

  “And Monday’s only an entire weekend away, so it’s not like I have to wait a while to hear.” Josh checked his watch. “Listen, I can’t go home for another few hours. Can I take you to dinner or a movie or something?”

 

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