Christmas in Bayberry

He made the mistake of gazing into her big green eyes. It melted away his resistance.

With a resigned sigh, he said, “Let’s see what we can come up with.”

They started with the results from last night’s sale. And he had to admit it had been a success. Kate proposed another sale, but Wes slowed her down. Too many sales, too close together, would produce diminishing returns.

“What else do you have?” he asked.

“Well, the supply contracts are up for renewal.” She slid a stack of papers in front of him. “I’ve gone over all of them, and each supplier has requested an increase. Some are asking for as much as ten percent more.”

Wes glanced down at the contracts. “Where are your quotes from competing vendors?”

“I don’t have any. My family has been doing business with these companies for years. My aunt has known most of them since she was just a girl. It wouldn’t be right to go behind their backs.”

“Kate, this is business.”

“I know that, but there’s also such a thing as loyalty.”

He paused. “I’m going to tell you something, and I know you’re not going to like it.”

She frowned at him. “Then why say it?”

“Because I think you need to hear it, and then you can do with it what you will. Sentimentality has no place in business.” When she went to protest, he held up his hand, stopping her. “Let me finish. You are amazing, and you have a generous heart. You want to see the good in everyone, even me.” He smiled reassuringly. “But when it comes to business, you have to close off your heart and think more like a shrewd businesswoman.”

“I…I don’t know. It doesn’t sound like me.”

“It’s not easy. I get that. But if you want to protect Bayberry, some tough decisions must be made.” He looked her directly in the eyes. “Are you up for the challenge?”

“I’m just not sure about upsetting our regular suppliers.”

“Trust me. They’re all familiar with this process.”

“But—”

“It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

He shouldn’t be doing any of this. Saving a company wasn’t part of his job duties. He was supposed to give an impartial report. If his boss had a clue what he was about to do, Wes could kiss his promotion goodbye.

He didn’t stop. He didn’t hesitate. Instead, his fingers moved over the keyboard of Kate’s laptop. There was something about Bayberry and its residents that had him anxious to do whatever he could to help the town survive.

He looked at Kate. Most of all, he didn’t want to let her down.

Chapter Sixteen

This went against everything she’d been taught growing up.

It had been impressed upon her from an early age that loyalty meant everything.

Kate was torn between faithfulness to the suppliers she’d been doing business with for years, and doing what was needed to save Bayberry. Sometimes adulting was so tough. Still, what would it hurt to prove that the companies she did business with wouldn’t take advantage of her?

And so they started searching the internet, looking for other suppliers from whom Kate could request quotes. And that’s exactly what she did. Each email she wrote was a challenge for her. Even though she’d told Aunt Penney that sometimes change was for the best, the truth was, she liked tradition, too. She liked loyalty. She liked believing in the good in everyone.

And things had been done this way year after year—long before Kate was a Bayberry employee. It was hard to believe her aunt would have kept renewing contracts with these firms if she didn’t have a really good reason.

“What’s wrong?” Wes’s voice drew her from her thoughts.

Kate’s fingers hovered over the keyboard. “What did you say?”

“You’re frowning. I was wondering what’s wrong.”