The Best Is Yet to Come (Summer Lake 1)

Kent Bartow was from the most well-to-do family on the lake, even wealthier than they were. He was a perfectly nice, good-looking guy, but she didn't love him.

Olive had always told her sisters everything before. But now, for the first time ever, there was something she wanted to keep all to herself.

"Could you talk me through this Fair Isle pattern?" was what she finally said.

Jean talked her through the difficult first few rows of the pattern. The sweater that would keep Carlos warm--and make his blue eyes seem even bluer.

Olive had never had the patience for handiwork like this, had never enjoyed needlepoint or quilting. But here she was, sweating it out over counting stitches and alternating colors for a sweater that she wasn't sure she would ever have the guts to actually give to a stranger.

A stranger she suspected just might steal her heart.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Present day...

"Could I have a glass of water?"

Sarah was so riveted by her grandmother's story that it took her a moment to hop up from the porch and head into the kitchen. They had come back to the cottage while her grandmother had been talking. "I'll be right back with it, Grandma."

At first it had been a little bit of a shock to realize Olive had been head over heels in love with someone who wasn't her grandfather. But maybe every woman had a Carlos in her past, a man she wanted but couldn't have. Still, none of this helped Sarah understand why her grandmother was so attached to the carousel.

Coming back in with the water, Sarah waited until she finishing drinking as if she'd been walking through the desert. But then suddenly the glass fell to the ground as her grandmother began to cough--deep, hacking coughs that racked her small frame.

"Grandma!"

Their earlier roles in the garden now reversed--Sarah was the one trying to comfort her grandmother this time--she rubbed Olive's back, noticing as she did so just how much the bones in her ribs and spine pressed into her palm. Sarah hated feeling palpable proof of the fact that every year the woman she loved so much was losing more and more of the flesh that had once protected her from falls, from illness.

Fortunately, this coughing fit wasn't nearly as prolonged as the one in the store had been, and a few moments later, Olive managed to say, "The water went down the wrong pipe."

Sarah made sure none of the glass had pierced her grandmother's skin before she knelt carefully to pick up the shards. "You shouldn't have tired yourself out with all that talking."

"But you had to know, had to understand."

Didn't her grandmother realize she hadn't yet got to the part about the carousel, hadn't yet told her why it was so important? But Sarah couldn't ask her now. Not when Olive shouldn't be doing anything but resting. Especially not revisiting such emotional territory--after last night in the Tavern with Calvin, Sarah knew firsthand how fiercely all of those lost dreams and hopes ripped at your heart.

"I want you to see the doctor again."

"Pfft. I told you. The water went down the wrong pipe. Besides, your mother needs me to help her with the inventory today. I'm planning to head in soon."

"No way. I'll help Mom so that you can stay here. In bed."

Sarah refused to leave until she had her grandmother tucked into bed with a good book and another glass of water on the bedside table. Her own project workload would just have to wait.

Lakeside Stitch & Knit was calling again.

*

Denise was helping a customer when Sarah walked into the store. "Honey, would you mind coming over here to give us your opinion? We're trying to figure out the best color combination for a blanket."

Sarah walked over to the table where a dozen skeins of various colors were set up in three different groupings. She quickly pulled a skein out of each grouping. "These."

The customer said, "Perfect! Now why didn't we see that?"

"My daughter has a great eye," Denise said with pride, and Sarah wondered for half a second if it was true. She never had any problem putting together her presentations, but that seemed less about design than about content.

After her mother finished ringing up the yarn, she came over to where Sarah was sitting in the back, booting up the store's old computer where they kept their financial records.

"I'm going to take over for Grandma today if that's okay with you. I went over to her cottage for a visit this morning." And she told me all about a man named Carlos. Something told Sarah not to bring that up with her mother, who most likely wouldn't appreciate hearing that Grandpa hadn't been Olive's only love. "She started coughing again, so I sent her back to bed."

Her mother frowned. "I know it's just a nasty cold, but I hate it when she's sick."

Sarah put her hand over her mom's. "I do too. But she's going to take it easy the rest of the day, which should help."

"You're so sweet to come in again. You know how much I love having you here." Smiling now, Denise pointed to the computer screen. "Everything look okay?"

"Actually, I've been looking at your ordering and inventory systems, and I can't help but think everything would run more smoothly if you upgraded a few things."

"You're the expert. We trust you to do what's right for the store."

Sarah's fingers stilled on the keyboard as she remembered Calvin's pointed questions last night, the way he'd said she was only thinking of her career, not of her own town. Of course the condos were going to be good for the store. Her mother's trust wasn't misplaced. Sarah would never do anything to hurt their livelihood.

Although, truth be told, she was beginning to worry about how her mother and grandmother were going to cope with running the store by themselves in the coming years. Was there anyone they trusted to take over one day as manager?

"Mom, do you and Grandma have many employees?"

Her mother pulled up a chair and sat. "A few ladies who come in part-time now and again. Jenny is probably here the most. Why do you ask?"

Not wanting to tread on her mother's toes--after all, she'd been running this store with absolutely no help from her daughter for decades--Sarah proceeded carefully. "With Grandma starting to slow down, I can't help but think that running Lakeside Stitch & Knit alone has got to be a big burden for you. Have you ever thought about hiring a manager? Perhaps one of the women who already works here?"

"I've been trying to get Olive to agree to hire a manager, but so far your grandmother refuses to even consider it."

Sarah found herself staring at her mother practically openmouthed in surprise. This was the first she'd heard about problems at the store. The irony wasn't lost on her: Her job was fixing companies that were breaking. And yet, her own mother hadn't thought to come to her for help with their family business.

"How long have you been talking about this?"

"Awhile now. But Olive says the store should be run by family, not a stranger who is only working fo

r a paycheck. That it's about love and personal connection, not money. You know how she is." She smiled. "You've always reminded me a lot of her." Before Sarah could express her shock at that surprising statement, her mother added, "I'm sure it will all work out."

The bell over the door rang as a customer walked in, and Denise went out front to say hello. Because there was no one else to help the customer but her.

Which was precisely why Sarah was concerned. The only family member left to manage the store in the future was herself.

And they all knew the last thing anyone wanted Sarah to do was move back to Summer Lake to run Lakeside Stitch & Knit.

*

Later that afternoon, she caught her mother yawning for what had to be the hundredth time. It was one thing to worry about her from a distance, but it was another to watch her barely make it through the day.

"You seem tired, Mom."

"Oh, honey, it's just that ever since your father passed away, the bed has seemed too big."

Sarah was a breath away from noting that her father had rarely been there, even when he was alive, but that wasn't what her mother needed to hear. "Did you take any time off? After?"

"It's better to be busy."

Sarah knew she should agree. After all, hadn't she done the same thing? Gone to her father's funeral in Washington, DC, one day and been back at her desk in New York City the next. "Maybe I should send you off to bed, like I did with Grandma earlier. I can keep things running here until closing."

Denise's eyelids were drooping, but she still insisted, "Oh no, you've already done too much."

Was her mother kidding? Two days in the store wasn't even close to too much. Sure, Sarah was neglecting her job, but her family needed her right now.

"Please, Mom. I'm happy to take care of closing up."

"If you're absolutely sure."

"Positive."

Heck, she'd already made it through a day and a half at the store. She was feeling pretty proud of herself and of the fact that she could almost talk about yarn and patterns with customers like she had half a clue about what she was saying.

Sarah didn't see Calvin standing just inside the doorway until Denise went to get her things. As her mom walked over to say hello, Sarah stood behind the register and tried to act busy, even though she knew there was no escaping him.