of the yarn around her fingers, not too tight, and then every twenty spins around her hand, she turned the ball forty-five degrees to her right, and kept wrapping. Even watching the movement was soothing.
No one was talking, they were all waiting for her. “I wish I knew how to fix it. I always know the right thing to do, and I just can’t see a way forward.”
“When do you have to be out?” Viti asked. Her voice was tinged with what sounded like dread. Jane could relate.
“My lease isn’t up until the end of February, but the company that bought the building wants to offer me an incentive to leave earlier. I thought about relocating, but I don’t know where to go.”
“I heard one of the realtors in town is moving to bigger quarters,” Claire offered. “But their storefront is half the size of yours. I doubt downsizing is what you had in mind.”
“Elena stopped in and told me they were moving, but she agreed that it was too small.” Jane played with her fingers, wondering if she should share the rest. “She showed me Sail House, though.”
“Really?” Tracy’s whole face perked up. “Oh, that would be some project. I’d love to get my hands on the old girl.” By trade, Tracy was an interior designer, which was how she met her husband, who was an architect. She hadn’t been in the business for years, leaving full-time work when she had her kids. But she’d found a way to flex her creative muscle at the store. Along with designing all the seasonal decorations, she kept the art and design section full of the best books and magazines.
“Well, I have some money, and if the incentive from the buyer is good, I could probably swing the sale.”
All three women looked up, hopeful. So hopeful that Jane hated to burst their bubble. “But I’d need at least a half million dollars to bring the building up to code, and get it in shape to act as a retail space. I can either buy it, or renovate it. I can’t do both.”
She’d spent the last three days trying to figure out how to save her business, not just for herself, but for the town, and for Tara. The idea to relocate was the only one that was even remotely feasible.
“There has to be a way,” Tracy said. “What about those crowd money things…”
“Crowdfunding? That’s a lot of money to raise online.” Viti rose to get a macaron from the box. She rolled her eyes when she bit into her own creation. “God, I’m good at this.”
“Jane?” Claire had been sitting quietly, taking in all the information while winding her yarn. She’d wrapped the whole skein now, and she held the ball of yarn in both her hands. She was gentle, not applying too much pressure or tension. “What happened with Danny?”
The question caught her totally off guard. “I’m not sure I know how to answer that.”
“He came in the store today, poor man. He was at a loss for what to get his sister and nieces for Christmas. He settled on some lovely throws. He also bought each of them some knitting lessons and a basket of supplies. He wanted to give them a gift they could enjoy together.”
“Did he?” Her belly tightened just listening to Claire. “That’s very thoughtful.”
“Truly, it was. He’s really quite lovely.” Pulling a pair of long needles from the bag next to her, her friend started to cast on, continuing to talk while her hands worked. “He looked troubled though. Sad. Like, oh I don’t know…like he lost the love of his life.” Claire glanced up only for a moment, long enough to lock eyes with Jane, before putting her focus back on her work.
“He said that?” Her voice came out on a whisper, barely there because of the emotion welling up inside her.
“He didn’t have to. That kind of sadness is deep, and his eyes were giving up secrets.”
Jane saw those eyes the other day at her house. He’d apologized for not telling her, but she wasn’t hearing him. She’d lashed out at him. So afraid that he would end up as another heartbreak, Jane pushed him away. “He’s been back a little over a month. How can I love him like this? It doesn’t seem possible.”
Claire smiled gently. “It’s not always about the time, but the place we are in our lives.”
“He was gone so long…”
Tracy grasped her hand even tighter than before. “Jane, you’ve