Protected Hearts. Bonnie Winn K.

was stunned. It was as though everything had been pushed into high gear. “Yes, that will be fine. Thank you, Mr. Dodd.”

      He stood, extending his hand. “You’ll find that we may be a small town, but we’d like to think we’re part of the twenty-first century.”

      They shook hands. “I’ve learned that small-town thinking is something to be valued.”

      Mr. Dodd’s expression showed his approval.

      Emma was optimistic as she left the bank. It was a clear, beautiful day. On impulse, she walked to her shop.

      Century-old trees lined the street, a link from Rosewood’s Victorian past to the present. A sprinkling of pedestrians strolled the shaded sidewalks and some cars rolled by. She loved the quiet, the sense of solidity. And the pace. Not frantic, not too sleepy.

      Unlike many towns in rural America, Rosewood’s downtown thrived. Although the buildings were old, they weren’t shabby reminders of better times. They housed vital businesses—the drugstore, an ice cream and soda shop that boasted original marble counters, the hardware store and others.

      As Emma examined the hardware window she’d decorated, she shook her head at the changes put in motion since she’d met Seth.

      At her own shop, she smiled at the jingle of the bell as she opened the door. Tina was with a customer, but when she spotted Emma she excused herself, practically running across the store. “Well?”

      “They said yes.”

      “Hallelujah! So when does the remodeling start?”

      Emma blinked. “I haven’t set a date yet since I didn’t know what the bank would say.”

      “Then you need to call that yummy contractor right away.”

      “Yummy?” Emma echoed.

      Tina rolled her eyes. “As though you didn’t notice. Fine. Phone that capable contractor and see when he can start.”

      There were times Emma wondered who was really in charge of the shop. But it didn’t bother her. It was good to work as a team.

      With Tina’s eyes fastened on her, Emma stowed her purse beneath the counter and reached for the phone.

      Seth answered on the second ring. He was ready to start immediately. She mouthed the word tomorrow in Tina’s direction. “Okay, then. That’ll be great.”

      Tina crossed to her side in a flash as she hung up the phone. “I can’t wait!”

      Emma smiled weakly. There was no turning back now.

      After a long night, Emma decided she had over-reacted. Growth for her business was a good thing. It didn’t mean she’d forgotten the past. She’d been forced to move away from L.A. and establish a new life, it hadn’t been her choice. Somehow, becoming too successful or happy had seemed like a betrayal, as though she was forgetting Rachel and Tom, leaving them behind.

      They deserved more. They were more than painful memories. She thought of her late husband’s smile, of baby Rachel’s laughter. That’s what she needed to remember.

      She kept that thought close as she went to the bank. She picked up the check without a hitch. Afterward, she stopped by the bakery for muffins and cookies. Suddenly, it seemed as though a celebration was in order. And she was certain Tom and Rachel would approve.

      Humming as she sailed into the shop, her eyes widened in surprise. Seth had already erected the scaffolding. As she walked deeper into the shop, she saw Tina through the open curtain of the back room. The shop wasn’t open yet, but there was a flurry of activity.

      “Hey, boss!” Tina greeted her, hands filled with a carton. “Yum, muffins. Looks like you got cranberry-orange and poppyseed.”

      “Yes.” Absently Emma placed the muffins on the counter. “What’s going on?”

      “I thought I’d get started on the things that need to go in the storage unit,” Tina replied.

      “We have a storage unit?”

      “Out back.” Tina put down her carton and reached for a muffin. “It’s portable.”

      “I see.” But she didn’t.

      “I started with stuff from the storeroom that we don’t use very often. I figured that would be your plan.” Tina glanced up from her muffin. “Isn’t it?”

      “Yes, I suppose so.” Dazed, Emma felt helpless in the ebb of change.

      “Everything go all right at the bank?” Tina asked.

      “Yes. Actually much quicker and easier than I thought.”

      “Then what’s wrong?”

      “Tina, you see too much.”

      “It’s a character flaw,” she replied, unperturbed. “Did you have other ideas about the storage unit?”

      Emma shook her head. “I’m glad you got started. I just…”

      Tina pinched a cranberry from her muffin. “You just what?”

      “I really don’t have a plan. And that’s not a very propitious beginning.”

      Tina frowned. “You drew up a great plan for the bank.”

      “That was on paper,” Emma reminded her.

      “We don’t work with a plan, and look how good business has been.”

      Emma returned the smile. It had seemed as though Tina had simply wandered into her shop the first day it opened, but Emma believed the Lord had nudged the woman her way. She was both right hand and friend.