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“You wanted to close the doors?” Shanda couldn’t believe it. Her granddad loved the shop. He’d built it up all by himself.
“Run, close, and some nights, get bloody drunk so I didn’t have to worry about it.”
“That doesn’t sound like you at all,” she said.
“Shanda, sometimes people only show you what they want you to see. But no matter what, there is always a side that no one sees except for the person they choose to share their life with. Your grandma knew and stood by me through the ups and downs. I hope you find someone who will be there for you, too.”
I hope so.“Someday, Granddad. Thank you for coming and talking to me. I feel so much better.”
“You don’t have to wait for me to show. I’m always willing to listen. I love you, Shanda. And I’m very proud of you.”
Shanda fought back the tears and said, “I know, Granddad. And I love you too.” She gave him a tight squeeze before he left.
Once alone, she sat back down, with a smile on her face. No matter what she decided to do, she was happy to know she had his love and support. She didn’t need to stress; her granddad would talk to her parents and smooth things out over there too. It didn’t solve the problem, but she felt a weight being lifted off her shoulders.
Keeping her struggles to herself had been a mistake. The only reason why she had been facing it alone, was because she hadn’t let anyone in. It’d make sense if she weren’t from a close, loving family, but they had always supported each other. And we always will.
Shanda still had a huge decision she needed to make. She loved Home Blown. It was more than just a shop to her. It held some of her more precious childhood memories. But she wasn’t a child any longer, and she needed to decide what she wanted for her future. Living someone else’s dream definitely wasn’t it. Did she want to let Home Blown go altogether? Hell no. Her passion, creativity, was here as well. But Granddad was right. She could own, yet not manage the place.
She couldn’t afford to hire a manager right now. She barely could pay Brianna. Having her off for a few weeks really was a blessing. A manager would cost so much more. Of course, with the right one, if they brought in customers, maybe their expertise would pay for their salary.
I need help.
Kenneth had given her a lot of advice, and she tried recalling it. Her brain had been in overload, and she also had been distracted by his gorgeous eyes and sexy physique. It might not be easy, but she was going to need to focus solely on what Kenneth was saying when they spoke business. Might have to do it on the phone.
There was so much she needed to think about. There were pros and cons on both sides. It’d be so easy to let it go and sell her pieces online. But there wasn’t any personal connection, like the one she had made with Krissy. If it had been a vase that she’d shipped, Krissy might never have sent Kenneth to her shop. Although he hadn’t purchased anything, and he never would, what he gave her was invaluable. She giggled and blushed. He does give it good, too.
Shanda brushed away the thoughts of their lovemaking. This was business, and Kenneth had reminded her time and time again, that business always came first. Difficult as it was, she forced herself to think solely of Home Blown. She pulled out a piece of paper and made two columns: likes and dislikes. On the ‘likes’ column she listed creativity and making people happy. In the ‘dislike’ column, she didn’t even know where to begin. That list was endless. She wrote everything else.
As she looked at the paper, there was no question in her mind what she wanted. She wasn’t walking away from Home Blown; there was a piece of her there. She was going to drive hard to make this successful, and not just for her. She wanted what she had with her granddad to be passed down to the next generation. Home Blown should, and needed to be, a family business.
The easy part was over. She had a direction, and a goal: two things on Kenneth’s list of what a businessperson needed. Now the hard work would begin. She not only needed the tools to make her dream happen, but she needed the right person, one she could trust to handle sales and marketing, by her side. Finding that person wouldn’t happen by taking out an ad in the newspaper. It was going to need to be a strategic move based on logic and need.
She was practically bubbling over with a newfound excitement. Surprisingly, it wasn’t DeeDee or her mom that she wanted to share that revelation with. It was Kenneth. They might not have known each other for very long, but he’d become special, important, to her. He was the person she wanted to tell first.
Shanda picked up her cell phone and was about to dial his number. But this type of awesome news deserved to be delivered in person. Even though it was killing her, she needed to hold off.
This is going to be the best Sunday picnic. I can’t wait to see his face.
Kenneth closed his laptop.He was pleased with himself. When you triple your profits in one sale, how could the day be anything but good?
It had started a bit rough. He had no intention of staying at Shanda’s so long. The ‘after sex snuggle’ wasn’t his thing. Last night it was different. Everything was. He didn’t want to let go of her. Having her in his arms was a feeling like nothing else. But the separation today might have done him some good. It gave him the opportunity to clear his mind, and think straight. That was something he couldn’t seem to do with her close by.
And I might not have just made 1.5 million dollars.
This was the problem with being…personally involved. Sex was one thing: you had it and then you left. Most times, they didn’t speak again. It was just a mutual understanding ahead of time. He didn’t worry about anyone having hurt feelings. That wasn’t the fucking case with Shanda. The chemistry was explosive, and unmatched by anyone he’d ever been with. That alone made it difficult to ignore. But it wasn’t all about how she rocked his world. Kenneth really liked her as a person. If he was anyone other than a Heart, he could picture himself being with her. But his family would hurt her in a way that they didn’t mean to. The need and drive for money and success would eventually smother out the spark of simple happiness and joy that filled Shanda’s spirit. He couldn’t let that happen.
Kenneth really wanted to see Shanda tonight. She was the one he wanted to call and tell about the big deal he’d just closed. She was also the last person he should see. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and he was already…missing her. Damn it Shanda. How the fuck did you get under my skin? Because he wanted to see her, was the very reason there was no way in hell he was going to.
His phone rang and it was Jerry. He wasn’t sure he wanted to talk to him either, but he answered.
“Hi Jerry. What’s up?”
“You owe me,” he said.
He laughed. “For what this time?”
“The heads up. I just got off the phone with Mother. It seems you haven’t returned her calls.”
