Читать книгу: «Finally, A Family»

CHAPTER ONE

Seven months later...

LOGAN SAT IN his car, gazing through the early spring rain at the Crystal Connection. It rained a lot in Washington in every season, which must be why it was called the Evergreen State.

Even in the dark weather, the crystals in the windows moved and winked with every breath of air inside the store. Small spotlights had been focused on them so they were sure to capture attention. He didn’t understand why some people were so crazy about crystals and the New Age mysticism surrounding them, but that was their business. The problem was that he and his partners needed to expand and the crystals were directly in the way.

There was a knock on the window and he jerked; he’d been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Rachel Clarion approaching. Rachel Kessler, he reminded himself, since she’d joined the ranks of the recently married. Not only that, she was pregnant.

“What’s up?” he asked, getting out of the car.

“Nothing much. Where is your sports car?”

“Traded it in over the weekend. I enjoyed it, but I decided to get this smaller hybrid since I want a place outside the city. I’m keeping the SUV for my photo ventures into the mountains.”

“Simon has talked about getting a hybrid ever since Livvie learned about fossil fuels in school.” Her face glowed at the mention of her new husband and his daughter. “He’s a sucker when it comes to Livvie.”

“So are you.”

“True.” Rachel laughed.

She adored her stepdaughter and was happy in a way Logan had never seen his friend before. He’d worried about her after the accident that had ended both her modeling career and first marriage. But everything had changed after she moved to Seattle and met Simon Kessler. Now, except for a few bouts of morning sickness, she seemed truly at peace. Logan just hoped it would last.

“I saw you brooding over here,” Rachel added. “Is there a problem?”

“Just gathering my thoughts about the situation with the Crystal Connection. Today is my first official day as a regular agent and I need to evaluate how to approach this particular issue.”

She made a face. “Being a landlord is my least favorite part of owning Moonlight Ventures.”

He nodded.

The rapid growth of the agency had surprised him and the others. It was partly from name recognition since they were all known in the modeling world, but now they were victims of their own success. Even with Logan starting to work full-time they needed to hire junior associates, but they just didn’t have space to accommodate anyone else.

As partners they shared administrative tasks and it was his turn to take the lead. Actually, it was well past his turn. So he was evaluating options for expansion...which mostly meant seeing if there was any way to move the Crystal Connection to another location in the building.

“It’s a challenge since the new owner is Penny’s granddaughter. She has a young daughter close to Livvie’s age,” Rachel told him. “I’ve been tempted to try setting up playdates between them, but it’s tricky. I suspect we won’t be popular once we’ve broached the subject of the shop moving.”

“That makes me feel a whole lot better.”

“Sorry. On the positive side, it’s possible Jessica will like the idea of having a larger space for the same rent. We can’t know until we ask. In any case, I’ll leave you to beard the lioness in her den,” Rachel said with a sympathetic smile.

“I probably won’t do it today. First I’m going to check commercial real estate listings of rental spaces so I have other options to offer.” They’d agreed they should pay the costs of a move, along with advertising to announce a new location—even if it was just around the corner of the building—but Logan wanted to start the discussion with real estate listings in hand. For all they knew, Ms. Parrish would love the opportunity to break her long-term lease and relocate somewhere else entirely.

“Sure you aren’t being cowardly?” she teased gently. “Jessica isn’t that fierce, except maybe when it comes to her daughter.”

He gave Rachel a wry look. “I’ve faced grizzly bears, Bengal tigers, Mount Everest and prima donna models of both sexes. I’m not saying it’ll be a piece of cake, but I can handle the situation.”

Rachel said goodbye and walked toward the agency.

Logan glanced back at the Crystal Connection’s storefront. Dealing with the issue would be part of the learning curve as he shifted from fashion photographer to businessman, but he wasn’t required to enjoy every single aspect of it.

Maybe they should have anticipated a change in ownership over the eight months since Eric Parrish’s death. Penny and her husband had started the store together, so it may have been too painful for her to continue running it alone.

Logan had spent the last month in Italy, which was why he still hadn’t met the new owner. His partners had mentioned she’d been there for a couple of weeks, working alongside her grandmother, but they’d assumed she was just helping. Then, last Friday, Penny had sent a note, asking them to change the name on the lease to her granddaughter, Jessica Parrish, saying the shop now belonged to her. The lease specifically stated it wasn’t transferable, but that was a technicality. While they weren’t legally required to honor a change to the rental agreement, it seemed wrong to refuse under the circumstances.

They knew Penny, but Jessica Parrish was a lesser known quantity. Maybe he should call Kevin McClaskey—the previous owner of the agency might be able to tell him about Jessica. Kevin knew most of his former tenants the way he knew his own family.

Logan sighed. Getting more information was definitely wise before discussing business with Ms. Parrish. In the meantime, he may as well go in and get a cup of coffee.

The thought made him pause.

The Crystal Connection was known for its great coffee, but what would it be like with a new owner? Well, even if it was awful, diplomacy demanded he continue getting his coffee there for a while. In the interim, he might learn something useful.

As he came closer, he looked to see if there were any visible changes, not that Jessica Parrish would have had much time for alterations. Everything mostly looked the same except for the small spotlights in the windows.

“Hello?” Logan called as he walked inside. There was no one in sight.

“Welcome to our store,” said a small voice. “Can I help you?”

He saw a little girl sitting on the floor next to the sales counter, a sketch pad resting on her up drawn knees. From what Rachel had said, he figured she was Jessica Parrish’s daughter, which meant she was around seven or eight years old.

“Uh, hi,” he said. “Is this your place now?”

“Kind of. It used to be Grandma and Grandpa’s, but Momma has it now.”

“I see.”

“Hello. Can I help you?” another voice inquired.

He turned and saw a young woman standing behind him, holding a large box in her arms. Her striking blue eyes held a friendly glint.

“Yes, I’d like a cup of coffee. I’ve been here before. I’m one of the partners in Moonlight Ventures.”

Her smile flashed. “Are you the large Southwest Twist, the low-fat mocha latte—”

Logan shrugged. “I don’t have a usual.”

“Oh, yes, you must be the one that Grams calls Magellan.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Because you try different things and don’t like routine. But maybe you’d prefer a different nickname.”

“If anything, I’ve thought of myself as a Stanley. You know, of Stanley and Livingstone,” Logan said, surprised that Jessica’s grandmother had read him so well. He’d be bored to death following a routine every single day.

“Ah, another explorer.” Jessica put the box she was carrying on the counter. “What can I get you?”

“I’m in a plain coffee mood this morning, so a large organic medium roast. By the way, I’m Logan Kensington.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jessica Parrish. This is my daughter, Cyndi.” Jessica gestured to the child sitting nearby. “She’s helping me out because her school isn’t in session this week.”

Cyndi smiled and wiggled her fingers in a wave.

Logan smiled in return and then looked back at Cyndi’s mother. “We didn’t know the shop was changing ownership until we got Mrs. Parrish’s note.”

“There was a delay in getting everything settled. Something or other with the will. Grams prefers having her ducks in a row before making announcements.”

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.”