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Marissa frowned, tapping her finger against her lips. “Message friends? Upload videos to YouTube?”
Sarah nodded. “Got those features already.”
“Play games.”
“Yep…” Maybe those things really were the main focus for kids. “Anything else?”
She thought for a long moment; then she nodded slowly. “Yeah, what about something that organized toy collections digitally?”
Sarah’s ears perked up, and she pulled her laptop closer. “I’m listening.”
“Well, there’s a Funko app that allows people to add their Funkos to their collection, and it gives the value of the toys and allows people to add new ones to the wish list, that kind of thing.”
Sarah nodded. It was good, but that app already existed. How could she make it different? Relevant to SmartTech Kids. “It’s good, but unfortunately it already exists.”
Marissa pointed a finger at her, her left eyebrow raised as though she were on to something. “But only for Funkos. I collect Beanie Babies and I know some of them are worth big cash. I’d love to scan the barcodes and get an idea of the overall value… And my dad has old football cards. Some are even signed.” The more she talked, the more excited she sounded, and Sarah caught the enthusiasm as well.
“That’s actually really great.” She typed several notes into her proposal file as she listened. “I’m sure there are a million things kids collect. SmartTech could apply that technology to a lot of different things.” As a kid, she’d collected Barbie dolls. Expensive, special-edition ones. Never played with them, kept them in their boxes. They were stored at her parents’ house in Phoenix, but it would have been great to have an app like that as a kid to organize her collection and determine its value. “Marissa, I knew you were a genius,” she said.
Marissa beamed at the praise. “And you could also add a feature that lets kids send their wish list to adults for Christmas and birthday gift ideas.”
“Like an online registry of sorts.” Sarah typed frantically, ideas finally starting to take shape. She sat back, and her shoulders sagged in relief. “Thank you so much. I think you might have just saved my ass.”
Marissa laughed. “Think I could apply at that company you work for?”
Sarah wasn’t sure she’d want Marissa stuck working for a company the way she was. Corporations had a way of limiting their employees’ creativity. “I’m sure you could do anything you set your mind and heart to.”
The app store open on Marissa’s laptop screen chimed, and they both turned to look at it.
“Oh my God—someone downloaded my app,” Marissa said, awe in her voice. “It worked. It actually worked.”
Sarah turned the laptop toward her and scanned the screen. Someone had definitely downloaded it. “That’s awesome! I told you this thing was great.”
Marissa jumped up out of her chair, and her tiny arms went around Sarah’s neck. “Thank you, Sarah. You’re the best.”
Sarah’s entire world seemed to shift as emotions strangled her and made it impossible to respond. Damn. She could deny her feelings for Wes all day long, but there was no denying that she was falling for his little girl.
How inconvenient.
…
Wes knocked on the door of the B&B early Sunday evening, then opened it and went inside. He hadn’t been home to shower and change yet, coming straight from fishing, and he was painfully aware that he probably smelled of bait and fish guts, but he didn’t want to impose on Sarah longer than necessary.
Phil’s warning wasn’t far from his mind. He did need to be careful. His own feelings aside, he didn’t want his daughter getting hurt when Sarah went back to the city. He appreciated what she was doing for Marissa—maybe a little too much—but maybe he needed to put some distance there.
His little girl had been through enough loss for one lifetime, and she’d feel the sting when Sarah left. Sarah had the best of intentions saying they’d keep in touch, but once she got back to her life in the city, he wasn’t sure she’d really be able to follow through.
“Hello?” he called out as he entered the foyer.
No answer.
He made his way through the rooms and the kitchen, but they weren’t there. Taking his cell phone out of his pocket, he texted Sarah.
Hey, I’m here. Where you guys at?
Backyardcame her reply.
Outside. That was good. He’d almost expected to find them still in their pajamas from Friday night, buried under takeout containers and bleary-eyed from staring at a computer screen.
