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“We’ve got a proposition we’d like to put to you, Jasper,” Sam began.
“What’s that?” Jasper looked from Grace to Sam and back again.
“Would you consider offering me vendor finance?” Grace jumped in.
“Vendor finance?” Her boss’s bushy eyebrows rose in surprise. A thoughtful look crossed his face. “I hadn’t considered that.”
“Consider it now,” Sam suggested, although it sounded more like a command.
“I can give you a down payment,” she offered, hoping her boss wasn’t offended by Sam’s take-charge manner.
“How much?” Jasper rubbed his chin.
“Four thousand dollars.” It was all the savings she had.
“And she would pay you the rest in monthly installments,” Sam added.
“Show me some figures and we can talk,” Jasper said.
Grace nodded. Sam took her hand and towed her to the rear of the shop, where they’d sat earlier.
A tingle of electricity shot up her arm at his touch.
But when they sat at the table with the laptop, it was as if he hadn’t even noticed the small contact.
His fingers moved over the keyboard as he pulled up an amortization spreadsheet.
“If you offer him seven percent interest, your monthly payments will be five-hundred-and-fifteen-dollars over five years.”
“Really?” Grace leaned over his shoulder, his spicy citrus scent tantalizing her senses. She made more than twice that per month working twenty-five hours per week.
This was totally doable!
“Really,” he confirmed.
“And then I would own this store.” She glanced around the book-filled space, a smile blossoming on her face. “My own bookshop.” Satisfaction stole through her at the thought she’d have her own business selling something she loved – books.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat. “So let’s put this proposal to your boss right now.”
Grace followed Sam back to the front counter. It was lucky really, she mused, that there weren’t many – any – apart from Tanya – customers this morning. She just hoped that wasn’t an omen for the future.
Sam showed Jasper the spreadsheet. Grace’s current boss grinned at the figures.
“This could help me with my cashflow,” he said, shaking Grace’s hand. “It might be better to have the proceeds from this place spread out over five years than to receive it all in one hit.”
“Thanks, Jasper.” Grace smiled at him, then at Sam. For a second, the expression on Sam’s face floored her – heat, desire, tenderness. She’d never seen him look at her like that before.
She swallowed, and then the moment vanished as Sam turned his attention back to Jasper.
Grace tuned in to the conversation.
“We might be able to leave for California earlier than we expected,” Jasper remarked. “My wife’s already put in her notice, and once we get the papers drawn up for this place, there’s nothing else tying us here.”
“What about your house?” Sam asked.
“We’re renting,” Jasper replied. “We told the landlord a couple of weeks ago we were planning on moving, and he’s already got a prospective tenant, so it looks like this might work out for everyone.”
“I’ll get the agreement drafted today,” Sam stated.
Jasper nodded. “My wife is going to be thrilled.” He dug out his phone and started calling.
Grace and Sam headed toward the rear of the store – again.
“I guess I’ll have to go to a lawyer to get an agreement drawn up.” A concerned frown creased her brow. Why hadn’t she thought of that previously?
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You will?” Relief rushed through her, then she remembered she’d wanted to do this on her own.
“I’ll draft an agreement, get a lawyer to look it over, and then you and Jasper will sign it, in the presence of that lawyer, or a notary.”
“You make it sound so simple.” She looked up at him, realizing this was one of the reasons why they could never – would never – be a couple. He came from a different world – where engineering business agreements was as easy as making brownies.
“It is.” He smiled briefly.
Grace left him to draft the agreement, and served a customer who wanted the latest crime thriller. Her boss had gone into the back, no doubt talking about moving arrangements with his wife, and she was in charge of the store – until Jasper finished his phone call.
But soon this store would be hers, and all the stock as well.
Sam appeared at the counter. “How many years is there left in the store lease?”
She stared at him blankly.
“I’ll find out.” He strode toward the rear of the store.
She supposed that he’d fly back to Seattle this evening. Once everything was signed, he’d return to his sophisticated life and she’d be right here, running the bookshop and staying home in the evenings, reading.
Which was fine with her.
Perfectly fine.
Maybe he would think of her once or twice, especially if Emmett’s exhibition was a success, but then she would fade from his memory, as she must have when he’d gone overseas just before she’d inherited the ranch with her sisters.
Thirty minutes later, Sam told her the lease would continue for another three years, and he’d spoken to the landlord who’d stated he’d be reasonable when it came time to renew it. Then he left for the lawyer’s office across the square, Grace staring after him. She hadn’t thought this morning when they left the ranch that so much would be accomplished today.
After lunch, she and Jasper met Sam at the lawyer’s office, where they signed the vendor finance agreement.
“I can write you a check for the down payment right now.” Grace pulled out her checkbook and a pen.
“That would be great.” Jasper beamed.
She wrote out the check, conscious of Sam’s scrutiny. With a small rip she tore out the check and handed it to Jasper.
“Thanks.” He scanned it, then put it in his wallet. He held out his hand. “I guess the bookstore is all yours now.”
Grace swallowed. Suddenly, her ownership of the bookshop was now reality.
“I’ll be sleeping in tomorrow.” Jasper chuckled.
“It might be helpful to have a hand over period,” Sam said, standing beside Grace.
“Oh, sure.” Jasper nodded. “No problem. But Grace is used to opening up the store.”
She nodded.
“Why don’t I come in tomorrow afternoon and we can go through everything?” Jasper continued.
“That would be good.” She gave him a relieved smile.
“I’ll be there too,” Sam declared.
“You will?” She turned to him, surprised.
“Definitely.” He nodded.
“Don’t you have to go back to Seattle?” she asked.
“Not yet.”
