Page 5 of Finding Forever

“Natalie? It’s Beth Kowalski. I’m sorry to call so late.”

“Beth! It isn’t late at all. Is everything okay?” Natalie asked.

“Everything’s fine. I just…” Beth hesitated. The room seemed very bright and still. There was one last second when she could have stepped back from the edge, but she pushed herself past it. “I’m calling about the letter you gave me. If the position at the arts center is still open, I’d like to take it.”

The sound Natalie made was half laugh, half whoop. It was loud enough that Beth held the phone away from her ear.

“Open? Beth, I haven’t spoken to anyone else. Oh, you’ve just made my whole month,” Natalie told her. “With our funding deadline, I wasn’t sure we’d make it. But I kept telling myself that if you came on board, we’d be open by spring.”

Beth had been worried when Natalie told her the conditions of the grant they’d received from the council. If the center wasn’t up and running by the end of April, all the funding had to be returned.

The words should have sent Beth running. Instead, she’d started making lists in her head of all the things she imagined would have to happen.

After they agreed to meet tomorrow morning, Beth ended the call and stood at the window. The snow had stopped, and the night was sharp and clear, with stars all the way down to the dark line of the mountains.

It was done. By the end of the week, everyone in Sapphire Bay would know she was the arts center manager. After that would come budgets, deadlines, and a hundred new ways to get it wrong in front of the people she loved. Beth’s fear was real, and it wasn’t going anywhere.

But something else had come awake, something with its face turned toward morning. Half terror, half joy. The feeling of wanting something and saying so.

As she switched off the kitchen lights and went to bed, Beth said a little prayer of thanks. For the first time in longer than she could remember, she couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Chapter 4

Beth parked her truck outside the old hardware building and made herself sit for a moment before going inside.

She’d brought a notebook of ideas she’d been collecting since Natalie first mentioned the center to her. There were names of local artists, ideas for different programs the center could run, and dates throughout the year when other events were held in Sapphire Bay. It wasn’t much, but it was something she could hold onto.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the notebook and stepped out of her truck.

Natalie was waiting just inside the door. Her dark hair was pulled back, and she looked like she was holding a set of drawings. “There you are. You’re right on time.”

“I tried to be here a little earlier, but my daughter called as I was about to leave.”

“That happens to me, too, but with my mom,” Natalie said with a smile. “Let me show you what we’ve gotten ourselves into.”

She led Beth down the length of the room, talking as she went. An exhibition gallery would run along the left-hand wall, with good lighting once the skylights were added. In front of the gallery, they’d have clusters of tables and chairs for smaller programs or one large gathering. This would become the main events space, and would be the showstopper of the center.

Beth’s office would be to the right of the entryway. Close enough to keep an eye on who was coming into the center but separate from the activities.

Through the doorway at the back, two more rooms would be created for classes that required running water and lots of counter space. Beyond that, there was a kitchen that would eventually enable them to open a small café.

“Owen’s architect friend finished the full set of plans a few weeks ago,” Natalie said. “You saw the concept plans at the funding meeting, but I wanted you to have your own copy of the latest ones.” She handed Beth a large folder. “If you want to make notes on them, feel free. I can email you an electronic copy, too.”

Beth opened the plans and saw the careful lines of the rooms Natalie had just described. “Thank you. This will help when I’m allocating rooms for different programs.”

“We can always make small adjustments as we go along,” Natalie told Beth. “I keep telling myself we have enough time to finish the renovation. Most days I believe it.”

“What can I do to help?” Beth asked.

“We need to show the council that the arts center will have a positive impact on the community. There are still a couple of councilors who’d sooner use our funding to fix the roads or build another sports field. If we have people signed up for our classes before we open, it will make a big difference.”

Beth nodded. “I’ll do my best. You also mentioned keeping an eye on the budget and the remodel schedule. Do you have any spreadsheets you can send me?”

Natalie pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll email the budget, and the income and expenditure spreadsheet to you now. We need to stick to the budget. Otherwise, the council could stop any additional grant money from being released.” She touched another button and smiled. “There. You should have it soon.”

They walked back into the main room and Natalie nodded toward a man measuring a window frame.

“That’s Dave,” Natalie said. “He’s in charge of the remodel. Come on, I’ll introduce you.”