“No, I don’t think you think. That’s right. But you’re gonna tell me. If you know what’s good for you. How and why did you come back to Las Cruces right now?”
Scott looked around, trying to find an avenue of escape. There was none. “Uh. I found out, that’s all.”
“Have you been living in Las Cruces all this time?”
“No, no, man. I’ve been living in Colorado. Vail,” said Scott.
“So, how’d you find out about a fiber craft store opening up in Las Cruces, New Mexico? That little item of news surely didn’t plant itself into the paper up in Vail, now, did it?”
“N-no. I was thinking of her and just wanted to . . .”
“Bullshit. If you’d been thinking of her, you wouldn’t have cheated on her all those years ago. Someone told you about her store – who was it?”
“Okay, okay! Some woman named Luci called me and said I needed to see Claire now that she had opened her own store. She’s lookin’ good!” Scott said with a greedy gleam in his eyes.
“The hell with that! You were willing to string her along because of her coming inheritance. You cheated on her. And now that she’s using that inheritance to build something for herself – you come back? No, no, no. I don’t think so. You destroyed her when she caught you in bed with that girl. What did Luci tell you?”
“Aww, man, I gotta tell you? Come on! I been struggling at Vail to keep a job! All I want’s to make it and she can help me, man! Okay, okay, man! I’ll tell you!” Scott backed up quickly with his hands upraised. “She told me I could wiggle my way back into Claire’s life . . . she’s always been really cute . . .”
“I see where you’re headed . . . as far as you and your greed are concerned, her inheritance is even more cute. You know, the best thing for her is if you were to disappear for good. Leave Las Cruces and don’t ever come back. Now, go.” Jeff stood outside on the hot sidewalk, watching as Scott jogged to a rental car, slipped in and disappeared. Before he drove off, Jeff ran to the car for one last warning – “If you try to come back, you will pay. Your reputation is trashed here. I’ll find out you’ve come back and I’ll help Claire find the best attorney possible to button up her inheritance so you and your kind don’t get your slimy mitts on it. Now, get the hell outta here!” Scott peeled out and left, fast.
Returning to the store, Jeff found Claire, with her parents supporting her. “Ben, I’ll talk to her. Claire, let’s go into your office.”
Jeff slipped a comforting arm around Claire’s shoulders. She was in too much shock to shove his hand off her shoulder. She followed him, walking mechanically.
“Honey, he’s gone. I read him the riot act and he won’t be back. We will have to get legal paperwork in place that keeps pond scum like him from getting to your money. Are you okay?”
Claire heard bits and pieces of Jeff’s words . . . “gone . . . riot act . . . paperwork . . . pond scum . . .”
At the words, “pond scum,” she got an irresistible image of Scott as a tiny tadpole with red hair and she began to giggle. Every time she got control of the giggles, the image came back and she broke out into new giggles.
Jeff, thinking she was dissolving into hysterics, pulled her into his arms. She went easily and her forehead rested on the front of his shoulder. Finally, she stopped giggling, so he pulled back slightly and looked at her – and was caught by the deep blue of her eyes. He felt himself being pulled closer . . . closer to her lips until his lips had covered and caressed her own. He felt her arms go around him as she responded, kissing him back.
Claire reveled in the feel of his lips firmly against hers. She wrapped her arms around him so she wouldn’t fall. Several eons later, she heard her parents gasp and pulled away from Jeff.
Jeff saw her eyes glazed with passion. Her lips were moist and swollen. He imagined he looked much the same. He stepped back from her and took a deep breath, willing a misbehaving area of his body to begin to cooperate.
“Claire! We’ll . . . we’ll . . .” stammered Mindy.
“Mindy, let’s let them . . . er, talk. Come on,” commanded Ben, pulling his wife back and shutting the door.
“Oh, boy,” groaned Claire. “Now I’m in for it.”
“You’re an adult, Claire. You make your own decisions,” said Jeff, misunderstanding.
“No! Now, they’re going to be on me about . . . about . . . well, you,” said Claire, untangling herself from Jeff’s encircling arms.
“And, what’s so bad about that?”
“I don’t want to,” said Claire primly.
“Well, for not ‘wanting to,’ you were sure involved in our kissing. Take a look at your face.”
Claire pulled a hand mirror out of her desk and gasped. “Oh, my God!” Dropping it, she refreshed her lipstick and began re-combing her hair.
“Claire. Claire, sit down and listen to me. I came by for your bookkeeping reports. I’d like to get an idea of how sales and returns are going, start a spreadsheet for you. Also, about . . . Scott. I found out that one of my colleagues tracked him down and let him know what you have here. He came back . . . for that. I’m going to talk to Mr. Bluestone on Monday morning – what Luci did breached your right to confidentiality and she needs to pay the consequences.”
“Luci . . . Luci. Isn’t she the . . . red-haired woman I met in your office that day?”
“Yeah. Good memory, by the way. That’s her.”
I don’t think this has too much bearing, but I don’t think she liked me,” said Claire.
“Whatever her motives, I’m going to see to it that she can’t bother you again,” promised Jeff.
Chapter 6On Monday, Jeff made sure he was at work early – he wanted to get his boss’s attention. Dropping his briefcase on his desk, he locked his door again and knocked on Randolph Bluestone’s door.
“Randy, you have a few minutes?” asked Jeff.
“Sure, come on in! How was your weekend?”
“Eventful, actually.” Jeff launched into the reason for his visit to Randolph’s office. “ . . . So this Scott character admitted that Luci found out about Claire’s relationship with Scott, tracked him down and brought him to Las Cruces. He came to The Love Knot on Saturday to reconnect with Claire. Her parents made him leave and I told him that, if he came back, he’d be very disappointed in what he’d be able to take from Claire. I have to plans to protect her, but that’s a whole ‘nother issue. What I’m concerned about is how Luci found out about this doofus’ existence and got him to agree to come to Cruces.”
“Serious charges, Jeff, serious charges,” said Randy.
“I know, believe me. But she’s trying to manipulate a fact of Claire’s personal life that is over and done for her own reasons, whatever they may be.”
“Did this Scott character say why he wanted to reconnect with Claire?”
“Yeah. Now that she’s become a success beyond her inheritance, he wanted in on it.”
“Ah. Now, we’re talking. I’ll talk to Luci and deal with her. Thank you for telling me this,” said Randy.
Thirty minutes later, Jeff, working at his desk, heard Luci’s raised voice.
“Sir! I did nothing! So? If I happened to know him from . . . whenever, it’s a crime to invite him to say “hi” to his ex-girlfriend?”
“Were you aware that he dated her only for her inheritance when they were in college?”
“Uh. Well, no. I . . . was told . . .”
“Whoa! I thought you knew him from before! Now, it’s ‘you were told?’ Which is it, Ms. Black?”
“Okay, okay! I found out about him and his connection to Claire Simms. So, sue me!”
“Actually, Ms. Black, it won’t be a lawsuit. I’ll leave that up to Ms. Simms. Instead, I’m firing you for cause. Effective immediately.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“I can and I am! You don’t get to use your position to mess with someone ‘just because!’ Why did you do it?”
“I just . . . just did
n’t . . . like her.”
“You’re fired. Clear your office out and leave. Now!”
***
After finishing at the store that night, Claire drove to her parents’ house, where she enjoyed a home-cooked meal. While she was there, she and her parents talked.
“Claire, your dad set me straight about what, exactly, Scott did. I didn’t know the extent of his actions while you were in school and I thought it was just a simple lover’s quarrel. I am so sorry for trying to push you back into his arms.”
“Mom, I should have told you, but I was just . . . too embarrassed. I couldn’t hold onto a man. I thought it was my fault. But it became pretty clear once I got through the anger and pain that he was dating me to get to my inheritance. But he’s gone. Jeff told me that he talked to Scott. That Scott came back to see me and find a way of getting my inheritance or funds from my store. He’s going to set something in place so Scott or any anyone else who’s tempted to try can’t get to my money.”
“Good. Your grandma and grandpa wanted you to have that money for your future. You’ve got a very good start with the store.”
“Claire, we’re here to back you up and make sure that nobody else can get to you – although I get the feeling you’ve got that already pretty much buttoned up,” said Ben.
Claire giggled. “You might say so. I’m very careful. I don’t want to get involved in any relationships . . .”
“Oh? That’s not what it looked like this past Saturday . . .” said Ben with a grin.
“Dad! Oh, my God!” Claire slumped down in her chair, wanting the floor to open up and swallow her.
“Hey, love bug. I have no problems with Jeff. He says he’s going to get an attorney to make it impossible for anyone to get to your funds. He’s someone I like. I’m not going to push you into a relationship – but I do hope you’ll at least . . . think . . . of dating him.”
Claire, unable to come back with a snippy rejoinder, simply looked at her dad. Do I want to see him? Is he different from Scott? I’m not ready! I don’t know!
“Dad, mom, I’d better go. I want to get to sleep early tonight because tomorrow’s going to be a very busy day. We’re having a one-day sale on yarns and I think I’m going to have a lot of customers coming in.” She rinsed her empty plate and put it into the dishwasher.
At home, she looked through her clothing and selected an outfit, then sat on the couch, thinking of Jeff.
What do you think and feel when you think of him, Claire? Honesty. Integrity. Good with my money . . . great kisser! Fantastic butt! At that realization, she dropped her face into her hands, groaning. “Oh, my God, I’ve got it bad!”
The next day, the yarn sale Claire had advertised brought in even more customers, many of whom promised to come back and buy supplies, becoming regular customers. When she and the staff locked the doors at the end of the day and tallied the day’s sales receipts, she found that they had increased sales significantly. Claire entered that day’s receipts into her spreadsheet so Jeff would be able to see how the store was progressing.
At home, she sat back with her feet up as she ate a salad and watched a movie. She had cleaned the kitchen and returned to the sofa, where she was beginning to nod off when her phone rang. Looking at the caller I.D. display, she saw her mother’s number.
“Hey, mom, how are you?”
“I’m good – how did your yarn sale go?” Mindy asked.
“Let’s put it this way – other than my first two days after opening, this was my biggest day in sales receipts,” Claire said with a tired but happy grin.
“That’s great! Dad’s not here, but he wanted me to ask if you were planning to have weekly sales and promotions. This would create goodwill for your store here in Las Cruces, you’d get more repeat customers and your sales will shoot through the roof, from what he says.”
“That’s what I was thinking, actually. Yarn sales, notions, patterns, you name it. Once a week, usually on the same day of the week, so I can pull in customers who’d like to see what we’re about.” A big yawn surprised Claire as she finished speaking.
Mindy laughed gently as she heard Claire’s yawn. “Honey, you don’t need to decide on this tonight. You’re really tired, so why not just listen to your body and go to bed?”
“Yeah. I think I will,” said Claire.
“First . . . please don’t think I’m interfering, but . . .”
“Mom! What?” Claire asked. She was almost too sleepy to feel irritated at her mother.
“Jeff really likes you – for you. He’s got an attorney writing up paperwork that makes it impossible for fortune-seekers to get their paws on your inheritance. I hope you’ll at least consider seeing him outside of a professional relationship. That’s all I wanted to say. I love you! ‘Night!” said Mindy.
Claire, about to respond, heard the empty air after her mother disconnected her call. Her mouth fell open and she stared at the phone, as if to will her mother to materialize through the speaker. She shook her head, ended the call and dropped her head against the back of the sofa, where she began to daydream . . .
Claire was sitting in a well-appointed office overseeing her wildly successful store. Sitting next to her at her desk was Jeff Travers, who was explaining how well her store was doing. After he finished his explanation, he decisively closed the spreadsheet and moved the computer keyboard out of the way and placed an arm behind Claire on the back of her chair.
“Claire, please look at me. We’re done with business. The Love Knot is doing very well and I don’t see anything happening that’ll stop that, unless you decide to close the store. I want to talk about us.”
Claire closed her eyes, almost afraid to hear what Jeff would say next.
“You’re a beautiful woman and I find you very attractive – and no, it’s not your money that’s attractive. I work with money every day and I’m well-off in my own way. It’s you I’m attracted to – your spirit, personality, and yes, your beauty.” Jeff took both of Claire’s hand in his and continued to speak softly. “I’d like to start seeing you socially. Take you to dinner, walking through the park, going to the movies, relaxing at your place or mine . . . just spend time getting to know each other better.”
“Je-Jeff, wait . . . You know what happened with Scott, what he . . . what he did to me. I lost my ability to trust because of him.”
“Sweetheart, please look at me. Look into my eyes. What do you see there?” Jeff asked when Claire gazed into his eyes.
“Brown. Gorgeous brown. More lashes than a man . . .” Claire tried to joke.
“Cute, Claire. Come on. What do you see?”
She gulped. “Uh . . .” The caring and, yes, love, showed plainly in his deep brown eyes. “I see . . . caring and patience.”
“And?”
“Jeff, this is scary!”
“Do you see anything in my eyes that Scott had in his?” Jeff asked.
Claire thought back to the times she’d look into Scott’s eyes. What did she see in them? Claire remembered the feelings she would get when she gazed into his eyes. She would feel as if her presence was an afterthought . . . his eyes gleamed with acquisitiveness and greed . . . Oh!
“Uh, I felt like I was the afterthought in the room when we were together, like he wanted what I could give him.” Claire made herself look into Jeff’s eyes once again. “I look into your eyes and I see gentleness and . . . love.” The last word came out in a high-pitched squeak as her heartbeat rocketed. When his lips claimed hers, her heartbeat zoomed into the danger zone.
Claire started and snorted slightly as her eyes opened. Looking around, she realized she was lying on her sofa and not in her office, kissing Jeff. “My God, I must have fallen . . . Oh, my God! No! I can’t be falling in love with him!” Her head dropped into her hands as she contemplated her traitorous heart. “Well, maybe if I shower and go to bed, I’ll come to my senses by 6 a.m.,” she decided. After her shower, she burrowed her head into her pillow, determined to get a f
ull night of restful sleep. “With no dreams of that . . . that gorgeous Jeff Travers!” she growled to herself.
***
The next morning, remembering her dream, she gave herself a strict talking-to. Mr. Jeff Travers is your investments manager. Nothing else. He’s overseeing the money part of The Love Knot, nothing else. Get your head out of the unicorn-cloud, la-la land where you’ve been! Button up your heart. With those thoughts in mind, she filled her travel mug with steaming, fragrant coffee and marched out of her house, feeling purposeful and business-like. She kept that mindset as she unlocked the store and prepared, along with her staff, to open for the day.
“Okay, we had a fantastic day’s sales yesterday, so let’s continue that today! You’re all doing great work!”
Shortly before the store closed for the day, Jeff strolled in. He browsed through the store, choosing notions, crochet hooks and some dark-colored yarns. Setting his basket by the register, he pulled his credit card out and paid for his purchases. He asked the cashier to set his bag behind the register. “I want to have a discussion with Ms. Simms.”
“Oh, she’s just over there, straightening out some of the stock,” said the young girl.
“Thanks!” Jeff walked over to Claire, who jumped slightly as his hand landed on her lower back.
“Hello, Mr. Travers! How can I help you?”
“Oh, so we’re back to ‘Mr.,’ are we? I’d like to look through the books for the past couple weeks, and see what the sales and returns look like. We can do that after you close. I’ll just browse around,” Jeff said with a friendly, patient grin.
Claire’s manager handled the closing, verifying that the day’s cash and credit receipts tallied with the register tape. Claire wrote out the deposit slip and locked the cash bag into the store safe, then escorted her employees out, locking the door.
Turning toward Jeff, she said, “Let’s go through the books and see where The Love Knot is.”
Thirty minutes later, Jeff had carefully read the store spreadsheet, noting the sales and returns trends.
“Okay, you’re doing really well on notions and yarns. I suspect your one-day yarn sale had a lot to do with that. On knitting and crochet patterns, you need to pick up sales. Your returns look really good – your staff is clearly assisting customers in finding exactly what they want. Have you considered a one-day sale for every week to boost sales in different categories?”
The Love Knot Page 3