Finally, A Family

Jessica went into the coffee bar in a corner of the shop and he evaluated her the way he’d evaluate a model he needed to photograph. Great skin. A steady gaze and firm jawline that suggested stubborn resolve. The unusual shade of her blue eyes complemented her hair, which was brown with a coppery tone. And while she didn’t have a particularly bold figure, he preferred her slim curves.

He glanced at her ring finger and was annoyed with himself. It would be dishonest to deny he found her appealing, but he couldn’t let it be an issue. Whether she was married or single, his interest was entirely on behalf of the agency.

“Do you have your own cup?” Jessica asked.

“I forgot to bring it,” he said.

Many of the Crystal Connection customers were ecologically conscious and brought their own cups, getting a discount in return. She was probably continuing the policy.

“That’s okay.” She filled a tall paper cup and handed it to him. He added cream and fastened a lid on the top, noticing it was different than the ones Penny and Eric had stocked. He appreciated that it was biodegradable, instead of regular plastic.

Jessica went to the cash register and punched in some information. “I see we have your credit card number on file. Do you want me to continue charging your account once a month?”

“That would be great.”

“I just remembered—an advance copy of your calendar arrived a few days ago.” Jessica took out a large envelope from under the counter. “I’m sure you’ve already seen it.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know advance copies had been distributed.”

On the calendar’s thick, glossy cover was a photo of two magnificent stags, charging each other in a battle for supremacy, their breath steaming in the cold air. Logan’s signature was printed at the bottom right in bold silver ink. He hadn’t wanted his name to be so prominent, but the publisher had insisted his reputation was one of the selling points. Logan wasn’t convinced. He wasn’t an Ansel Adams or a Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer; he was best known in fashion circles.

“The photographs are stunning,” Jessica said, flipping through the pages. “I’ve shown it around and already have a waiting list for copies.”

“I loooove your pictures,” Cyndi chimed in. “My favorite is the one of the baby mountain lions. It’s splendiferous.”

The photo had taken patience, dumb luck and a huge dash of imprudence since mountain lions were notoriously protective mothers. Logan didn’t want to confess how close he’d actually gotten to the small family; he was letting everybody assume he’d used a very powerful telephoto lens.

“Thanks, Cyndi,” he said to the child. “That’s one of my favorites, too. I didn’t know the Crystal Connection was going to carry my calendars.”

Jessica chuckled. “Grams sent an order as soon as Uncle Kevin told her you had one coming out for next year.”

“Uncle Kevin? I hadn’t heard you were related.” Logan frowned. Discussions about moving the Crystal Connection would be even more sensitive if Jessica was Kevin McClaskey’s niece.

“We aren’t, but I’ve known him all my life. Grams and Kevin’s wife were childhood friends. He’s an honorary grandfather, but it was easier to call him ‘uncle.’”

The explanation wasn’t much comfort. Kevin’s anxious concern for the people he cared about could get irritating, but he was also a tireless advocate for the people in his sphere—he knew what was happening in their lives and actively promoted their interests. Retiring had made no difference in how he behaved. Though Logan still wanted to talk to Kevin about Jessica, he’d have to be careful.

With a wink at Cyndi, Logan took his coffee and headed for the agency next door. When he settled at his desk, he checked for messages before taking a sip. The coffee was as good, or better, than what he’d gotten in the past. So at least the brew hadn’t changed, though he still didn’t know what other impact there might be from the switch in ownership.

He picked up the phone, hoping to make an appointment to meet Kevin for lunch. There was only one way he could deal with a problem, and that was straight through.

* * *

JESSICA ASSEMBLED A new display cabinet, humming along with the music playing over the speaker system. She’d been planning things to do at the shop ever since Grams had explained that when the estate was settled, Jessica would get the Crystal Connection. Technically Granddad had owned the store, but they’d both wanted her to have it when he was gone.

It meant she wouldn’t have to work a regular job anywhere else, or keep paying someone for childcare. Either Cyndi would be with her great-grandmother after school, or Jessica would bring her to the store where there was a place in the stockroom to study and play. This week would have been especially hard since the school had closed unexpectedly because of a virulent virus making the rounds. So Cyndi simply came to work with her.

As deeply as Jessica missed her grandfather, she was grateful for the generous bequest. Not that it meant things would suddenly be easy. Her grandparents had made a living from the Crystal Connection and been able to save for retirement, but it was mostly because they’d lived simply...something their son had hated. Jessica’s father was devoted to making the money needed to support an extravagant lifestyle, a choice her mother appreciated, as well.

It was fine for them, but Jessica didn’t have fond memories of her childhood. Mostly she’d been lonely except for the summer-long visits with her grandparents, who’d lavished her with love instead of belongings. It hadn’t been unusual for Granddad to burst out in song or to sweep his wife and granddaughter into a dance with the sheer joy of living. He’d had a slight limp, but hadn’t let that stop him.

The memory was so happy that Jessica danced across the store to fetch a box of Austrian crystals to unpack, feeling as if Granddad was dancing right along with her.

Cyndi giggled. “I like when you’re silly, Momma. But I don’t like this.” She frowned and held up the picture she’d been drawing. Clearly it was supposed to be Logan Kensington’s mountain lion cubs. Cyndi’s interest in art had started at a young age and she’d taken as many special classes as Jessica could afford.

Jessica walked over and studied the drawing. “Your perspective is a little off, but who says artists always need the same perspective?”

“I s’pose. Do you think taking pictures is the same as regular art?”

“It’s just another type of art, the way sculpting isn’t the same as painting.”

“Yeah. Mr. Kensington’s pictures are cool.”

Jessica grinned. She loved when her daughter got enthusiastic about something, even if it meant she wanted to take a class that meant another expense.

At the display case Jessica experimented with the best way to arrange the new stock, tensing a moment when Cyndi coughed. It was hard not to listen for the wheezing that came with an asthma attack. But nothing followed the cough and Cyndi relaxed into happy activity.

The shop was fun, carrying a hodgepodge of items from around the world. Though the Crystal Connection’s coffee was popular, they were best known for their crystals, both manufactured and natural stones. Jessica especially loved the intense greenish-blue apatite crystals, but each kind had its own special appeal.

Some customers shopped there because they simply enjoyed the beauty of the rocks and crystals. Other folks had mystical beliefs about their powers. Meeting new people and discussing their ideas was one of the things she loved about the shop.

It was sad that her brothers had preferred visits with their grandparents to be brief. Maybe it was because they had other interests, but they’d never really gotten to know Granddad, and would never have the chance now. She was grateful for the move she’d made to Seattle the previous year. She’d been offered a good job at a department store during a visit and then her grandparents had insisted she move into the other side of the duplex they owned in the small community of Regen Valley. It meant she and Cyndi had spent more time with Granddad before he was gone.

There was an encouraging stream of customers in the first part of the morning, though some just came for coffee. Eventually she’d learn the names of the regulars and what they liked.

Shortly before noon, her grandmother bustled through the door. “Hello, dear,” she said. “How is everything going?”

Penelope Parrish was a lively, beautiful woman of seventy-two. She had a keen intelligence and a generous heart. A few people thought she was flaky, but Jessica figured it was from her involvement with the store and extensive knowledge about the beliefs and legends surrounding rocks and gemstones. Her grandfather had shared the same reputation, even though he had been a published anthropologist before opening the Crystal Connection.

“Pretty good so far,” Jessica replied.

“Have you had a lot of customers?”

“About what you said there’d be.”

Jessica didn’t care if she got rich, but she hoped to expand the shop’s customer base. Her grandparents hadn’t used social media to promote the business, and they’d never considered selling over the internet. By adding online sales she could save more for her daughter’s future and have a cushion to tide them through slow times.

Doing well was important to her, just not at the expense of being a good mom. Her own parents had been so intent on making money there’d been little energy left for their children; she didn’t intend to make the same mistake.

“Remember what I told you,” Penny said. “Whenever you need me to cover for you, just say the word. I plan to stay active so when I get old, I won’t feel it so much. In the meantime, I’ll take my great-granddaughter home so we can have a serious bout with a new jigsaw puzzle.”

“That’s a terrific idea.” Jigsaw puzzles had been a constant presence during Jessica’s childhood visits with her grandparents. Working on a puzzle together was a great time to talk, or just be in silent accord. She was glad her daughter would have the same experience. Though they’d lived next door since early last summer, she’d rarely accepted her grandmother’s offer of babysitting. It had been clear that Granddad was failing and she’d wanted her grandparents to have as much time together as possible.

In the early afternoon there was another flurry of customers for coffee. Several were from Moonlight Ventures and she hated feeling intimidated in their presence. For the most part they were startlingly good-looking. Who would have guessed she would someday serve coffee to Nicole George—now Nicole George Masters—or Adam Wilding, two of the hottest models in the past fifteen years? They weren’t just average attractive, they were bigger than life.

Logan Kensington came back at 2:00 p.m. Of all her customers from that morning, he stood out the most. Maybe it was because she’d taken a better look at his gorgeous calendar; there was a biography on the back, along with a thoroughly intriguing picture of him, the image of a bold adventurer. He was ruggedly handsome and had an unusual background, having grown up not just in the United States but in various countries as a diplomat’s son. It explained the faint hint of an accent in his voice. With a degree from Oxford and a postgrad stint at Harvard, he was as far removed from her realm of experience as a man could be.

She’d also noticed he was described as “committed to bachelorhood.” The remark must have come from him and she had rolled her eyes upon reading it. Some men felt the need to advertise their lack of interest in settling down.

“Where’s Cyndi?” Logan asked as she started a fresh batch of the organic medium roast coffee he wanted.

“With Grams. She’s helping me with childcare.”

“That’s nice. The coffee this morning was superb,” he said as he waited. “I admit to being skeptical when I realized someone else was making it for the shop.”

“You aren’t the only one who was concerned. With two major coffee companies having been founded here, Puget Sound residents are passionate about their brew.”

“Did your grandmother show you how to make it?”

Jessica shook her head. “Actually, I’m the one who taught her and Granddad when they decided to put in the coffee corner. I’d been working as a barista, so I kind of knew the ropes.”

“‘Kind of’ is an understatement.”

“Thanks. It’s been years since I had that job, so it’s good to know I haven’t lost my touch.” She’d enjoyed being a barista, though there’d always been a few customers each day who thought they were too busy to wait their turn. The main reason she’d looked for another job was her need for a higher income.

“Did you grow up in the Seattle area?” Logan asked.

“I visited every summer as a kid, but until moving here last year, I mostly lived in the Washington, DC, region. I saw from your biography on the calendar that you aren’t a Seattle native, either. What is it like, living outside your own country?”

Logan rested an elbow on the narrow coffee bar. She’d found it at a barn sale a couple of weeks earlier, along with four brass barstools. They’d come from an old bed-and-breakfast inn under renovation. The new setup didn’t take much room, but it helped separate the coffee corner from the rest of the shop and gave customers a place to sit if they wanted.

“Living abroad can help broaden your view of the world and its people,” Logan explained. “You realize it’s ridiculous to assume that everyone does things the way we do at home.”

“Conjuring a sense of humility?”

“In a way, I suppose. Still, it’s easy to slide back into being egocentric. My folks might have been even more successful as diplomats if they’d fully embraced other customs and viewpoints.”

Jessica was aware that her smile had become strained. “My parents have a similar problem. They know people make different choices than theirs, but usually believe those choices are foolish or wrong.”

Logan gave her a sympathetic grin. “Including the ones you’ve made yourself?”

“They would have understood me becoming a high-powered lawyer or going into a corporation and climbing the ranks. Or even if I’d become an actress. But my lack of interest in wealth or fame is a mystery to them. Instead I prefer my grandparents’ way of living. Simplicity, core values and not leaving too big of a footprint on the earth.”

“An old-fashioned girl, huh?”

Girl? She cocked her head, wondering if Logan was showing his true colors.

“I wouldn’t put it that way,” she said casually. “People claim you’re old-fashioned if you choose certain things an earlier generation valued. But there’s nothing new in the world. People have adopted the hedonism of the Romans or the wild antics of the roaring twenties without being called old-fashioned. My parents have a huge amount in common with the robber barons of the nineteenth century, yet everyone calls it the ‘modern’ way.”

“Good point,” Logan acknowledged.

The coffee had finished brewing, so she refilled the paper cup he’d brought back from earlier that morning. “Anything else?”

“No—” He stopped. “That is, not at the moment.”

Jessica frowned after he left. There had been something unusually intent about how Logan Kensington had watched her. He also seemed to be trying to make a connection. There wasn’t anything creepy about it, but it was enough to make her wonder if he had a hidden agenda.

At the same time, she was reasonably certain he wasn’t interested in her as a woman.

Why would he be?

Logan Kensington was a handsome man who’d photographed some of the most beautiful and sophisticated women in the world. She was a single mom who’d often shopped at yard sales to help make ends meet...just not for Cyndi’s school clothes. Kids could be cruel about that kind of thing and she was fortunate that she could spare her daughter having to deal with it at such a young age. Logan couldn’t possibly understand something like that. If he ever had kids, they’d probably go to private schools and shop at trendy clothing stores.

Yet it really didn’t matter that he was out of her realm of experience. She’d already made too many mistakes with relationships and wanted to focus on making the shop an even bigger success while raising her daughter. Those were the things that counted.

CHAPTER TWO

LOGAN RETURNED TO his office, wondering if he should have initiated the conversation about moving the Crystal Connection. He’d been considering possible openings the entire time he was talking to Jessica. But maybe it was just as well he hadn’t said anything because he still thought searching real estate listings beforehand was a good idea. Also talking with Kevin.

Oddly, Logan hadn’t been able to reach him after several calls and two voice mail messages suggesting they get together. Being out of contact was unusual for the agency’s former owner.

The next day an email arrived from Kevin, apologizing that he hadn’t called back and explaining he was away for a few weeks. His daughter had given birth and he was in Chicago to see the baby and help out, possibly the only thing that could have pulled him from anxiously hovering over his friends and former clients. Kevin McClaskey was a classic overachieving nurturer who wanted to help everyone he met.

Logan sorted through the rental listings he’d compiled. Several were in excellent retail locations, but they had higher rental fees than what Jessica was currently being charged. Surely that would convince her that moving to the rear of the Moonlight Ventures building would be best. That way she’d stay their tenant, expand her retail space, and they could ensure it was well worth her while.

His gut instinct said he should talk with Kevin in person, but Logan wasn’t in the mood to wait. So that afternoon he tucked the listings in his pocket and headed for the Crystal Connection, hoping to find Jessica alone. Instead, two customers were there, picking up merchandise and examining it carefully, then moving on to something else.

“Coffee?” Jessica asked.

“In a while. I’m going to look around.”

He began peering into various display cases so it wouldn’t be obvious that he was just waiting for the others to leave. The customers spent an inordinate length of time deciding which crystals spoke to them. Jessica was friendly as she dealt with their questions, while impatience welled inside of him.

“Do you have to endure that very often?” he asked once the couple had departed with their purchases.

“Excuse me?”

“I’m talking about that sort of customer. You know, looking at everything and all the discussion about healing properties and whether a crystal is speaking to them. I wouldn’t have the patience to put up with it very often.”

Her smile grew stiff. “I’m not putting up with anything. That couple has been coming to this shop since I was a kid. They’re good customers, are awfully nice and attended my grandfather’s funeral because they cared about him and my grandmother. But even if this had been their first time through the door, they were fine. I’ve heard people say a certain photograph or painting speaks to them. Why not a rock?”

Logan could have kicked himself. Despite having grown up with diplomats, sometimes he had a talent for saying the wrong thing. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sure all businesses have aspects that seem odd from the outside.”

“No doubt.”

Her manner was polite, but it lacked the easy friendliness she’d shown on his earlier visits.

“Honestly, I’m sorry. I have a big mouth,” he said, hoping to regain lost ground. “It’s one of the many reasons I didn’t follow in my parents’ footsteps.”

“Not diplomatic enough?” Her tone suggested she was sure of the answer.

“The State Department prefers people who think before they talk so you don’t inadvertently start a war. They also prefer people who don’t have a talent for sticking their foot in their mouths.”

“I see. What kind of coffee do you want today?” she asked.

“A Southwest Twist, please.” He handed her the travel mug he’d brought from his studio condo. Hopefully he wouldn’t be living there for long—though he was accustomed to hotel rooms after being on location most of the year, he was quickly starting to want more space, preferably out of the city.

As Jessica filled the cup, he wondered if he should wait another day or two to talk with her. She hadn’t said anything outright, but he was fairly sure her opinion of him wasn’t at a high point right now. On the other hand, she didn’t seem the type to turn something minor into a major incident.

As he was putting cream into his brew, the door opened. Great. More customers. Then he saw it was Jessica’s daughter, along with Penelope Parrish, which was worse. They might be planning to spend the rest of the day.

“Hi, Penny,” he called. “Hey, Cyndi.”

“Good afternoon, Logan,” Penny said, smiling. “I want to compliment you. The calendar is lovely.”

Cyndi eagerly bobbed her head. “Does it take forever to get pictures like that, Mr. Kensington?”

“Call me Logan. Some photographs take quite a while since the animals can be difficult to find. Then you have to wait and take as many as possible, hoping to get the right one.”

“Is it hard to do?”

“Yes and no. Mostly you have to be very, very patient.”

Penny’s eyes twinkled. “You have a whole-hearted admirer, Logan. My great-granddaughter has been talking about photography ever since she saw that calendar and met you. She even pulled out our old family albums and asked questions I didn’t know how to answer.”

“I like old pictures, too,” he said. “But the technology is different now, with digital cameras instead of using film. With digital, you can get an idea of what you’ve captured right away without having to wait for it to develop.”

“I have a digital camera,” Cyndi exclaimed. “Momma gave it to me for Christmas.”

“Good, so you can take plenty of pictures and get the hang of how you want them to look. You can also get books at the library about composition and how to frame a shot.”

In the back of his mind he was hoping the conversation would be a distraction from his less-than-tactful remark about Jessica’s customers. He admired her respect for others and wished he’d voiced the same respect.

Since he wanted to conduct his business with Jessica in private, he went back to his office and spent the next hour evaluating the photos he’d taken of clients that morning down by the lake. Now that he was in the Seattle area full-time, Moonlight Ventures wanted to improve their clients’ portfolios. There was a distinct difference between a standard head shot and a more creative approach that might excite a prospective advertiser.

It was late afternoon when he headed over to the Crystal Connection, the copies of the real estate listings still in his pocket.

Jessica looked up from where she was unpacking a large box. “I’m sorry. We stop making coffee at three thirty and there aren’t any leftovers.”

“I understand.” He glanced around and was glad to see she was alone. “But there’s something I’ve been wanting to discuss with you. It’s about the space you’re leasing from Moonlight Ventures.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “Is there a problem? Grams told me she’d paid the rent for three months ahead.”

“No, that isn’t it. It’s just, well, you may not have realized that the lease isn’t transferable.”

Her soft complexion went pale and Logan instantly felt like a villain in an old melodrama, threatening the beautiful heroine with eviction.

* * *

JESSICA STRAIGHTENED HER shoulders and injected steel in her spine. She’d survived setbacks before and would again. Besides, there was an option.

“If the lease isn’t transferable,” she said, “I’m sure my grandmother will be happy to continue renting the property. I’ll work it out with her.”

“Please understand, we aren’t trying to throw you out,” Logan said hurriedly. “It’s just that we need to expand the agency.”