Carolyn’s hand, where the diamond sparkled. “I see you’ve taken care of that.”
“That’s not why we’re here,” Zach said. “If we could speak in private?”
“Of course.” Drew led the way to his office, also recently redone to reflect the store’s new color scheme. “Can I get you anything? Water? Coffee?”
“No, thank you.” Carolyn settled into a chair as Drew took a seat behind the oak desk.
“I heard about the robbery,” he said. “It must have been awful. It’s what we fear most in this business, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Carolyn agreed. She’d done her best to shrug off the effects of the robbery-turned-hostage-situation, but it haunted her. Even though it had ended well for her, Austin, and her staff, it could have been devastating. “We were fortunate it was resolved relatively quickly and peacefully.”
“I heard the robber…” Drew trailed off, which brought the image of the robber’s final seconds to Carolyn’s mind.
“Yes.” Carolyn didn’t want to think about that.
“Where were you at the time?” Zach asked Drew, drawing the focus away from Carolyn.
“Right here. It was nearly closing time. As soon as we heard, we went into lockdown mode,” Drew explained, shifting his attention to Zach. Part of being in retail was assessing your clients. Carolyn could see that Drew wasn’t sure what to make of Zach.
“A wise choice,” Zach said neutrally.
“Yes. Despite what happened,” he turned to Carolyn, “I want to reiterate my offer to purchase All That Sparkles. I know the store’s reputation may have taken a hit with the robbery and some bad reviews, but the offer I made your mother a few weeks ago still stands.”
“We’re not selling, Drew. As a matter of fact, I came to discuss those negative reviews and some other difficulties All That Sparkles has experienced in the past month. I want to know if you’re behind them.”
“What?” The other jeweler’s mouth hung open.
“You heard me. Are you trying to sabotage my store so you can lower your offer while forcing us into selling?” She’d phrased it as bluntly as she could, trying to shock Drew to see what he would reveal.
Zach was perfectly still next to her, but he missed nothing. She was sure of that.
Drew’s face turned red before going pale. Mission accomplished. She’d distressed him, knocked him temporarily speechless.
He sputtered before finding his voice. “Carolyn, I…I hope you know that I would never stoop so low. It’s true I want to buy you and your mother out so I control the jewelry market in Sheridan Falls, but…but you must have a very low opinion of me to think I’d resort to unethical activity to do so.”
“The clues I have point to you.” She wasn’t letting him off the hook too easily, even if her evidence against him was nil—except that he stood to gain from her troubles. Even so, she questioned whether the man before her was capable of orchestrating a robbery and hostage situation.
“I can see how you think they could, but I’m a businessman.” He spoke slowly, getting himself under control. “And I may get aggressive in my tactics, but I would never willfully harm anyone.”
“You can see how it might look,” Zach said.
“I can, but I assure you I have nothing to do with your misfortunes.”
She tried to evaluate Drew’s truthfulness. The jewelry business could be ruthless at times, but they’d been friendly rivals for many years. She couldn’t see a reason why that would have changed.
“Have you had any peculiar incidents in recent weeks?” she asked, wondering if this was just her store or might be a bigger issue.
“Nothing at all,” Drew confirmed. “It’s been business as usual.”
“We’ll go, then.” She stood to end the conversation, but Drew jumped to his feet.
“Perhaps you could stay a little longer. Your mother has refused to listen to my latest offers, but I thought you might be interested.”
“Why would I be?”
“You have a son to raise. You’re getting married. You must want stability in your life. I can give you that. I’m prepared to buy the name, building, and any merchandise you have on hand. It would be a tidy sum, all cash. Think of it. You could probably not work for several years, stay home with your child, have more if you want.” Drew looked between her and Zach. “You’re young, Carolyn. You could take your life in a completely different direction and not live out your mother’s.”
He had no idea, Carolyn thought—no idea at all what All That Sparkles meant to her. It was more than a livelihood,