but I still feel like I’m settling in.” She waved her hand at the shelves. “This is going to be a challenge and that’s what I’m looking for. If you’re sure there’s a chance that I’ll be considered for the manager position, then I’m interested.”
Jenna was relieved. She’d already checked Violet’s references and had been impressed with what she’d been told. At this point someone who knew what retail was all about would be a big help. “When could you start?”
“Next week. Tuesday.”
“Perfect.”
The front door opened and a blonde woman in her late twenties walked in.
“Hi. I’m Robyn. I own the yarn store next door. Thought I’d come say hi and welcome you to the neighborhood.”
Violet moved toward her, smiling and holding out her hand. “I’m Violet Green,” she said. “I know. Crazy name. I think my mother was deep into medication when she gave birth. Anyway, this is Jenna Stevens. She owns the store.”
“Nice to meet you,” Jenna said, thinking Robyn looked familiar. Georgetown was small enough that they’d probably gone to the same school, although in different grades. Robyn looked a few years younger.
Robyn looked around. “Great space. It’s so light and bright. You’re going to love it here. I’m hoping we’ll be able to share customers.” She wrinkled her nose. “I was terrified an auto parts store would move in next door. Not that I don’t love my car, but not a lot of guys are interested in knitting.”
Violet laughed. “I’ve been in your place before. It’s beautiful. I love all the yarn.”
“Do you knit?” Robyn asked.
“No, but I’d like to learn.”
“We’ll be starting a beginner class in a few weeks. If you’re interested.”
“Thanks.”
Jenna found herself feeling shy and awkward. She reminded herself it was simple conversation. She could handle that. But the truth was, she hadn’t been out in the “girl world” for years. Most of the people in the kitchens where she’d worked had been guys. While Aaron had always had a pack of friends hanging around, she’d had more trouble finding women to relate to. When she’d lived here before, she’d had a lot of friends. She promised herself she would call them soon.
“I’m going to be doing a lot of cooking here,” she forced herself to say. “I can bring by samples.”
Robyn smiled. “This is why you’re going to be my favorite neighbor. I can already tell. When do you open?”
Jenna gave her the date.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” Robyn told them both. “Even if you just want to pop over and have some coffee to get away from the craziness.”
“Thanks,” Violet said. “We will.”
Robyn ducked out. Violet closed the door behind her and laughed.
“What an adventure. I can’t wait.”
Jenna thought about how she’d spent the past couple of months feeling like a total failure. This was a new beginning for her. A chance to prove herself.
“I can’t wait, either,” she murmured. This time, everything was going to be different.
Jenna arrived at her new rented townhouse a little after six. After pulling into the garage, she climbed the stairs to the main floor, only to find her father squinting at a power drill. He checked the mark on the wall, then carefully drove in three screws.
She waited until the drill was silent.
“Hi, Dad.”
He turned and grinned at her. “Hey, kid. Your shelves are just about done. Give me a sec and you can help me put the brackets in place.”
The shelves were decorative metal with hooks for all her pots and lids. While the townhouse had plenty of room for the average cook, Jenna traveled with a lot of cookbooks, notes and equipment. Extra storage space was required.
Her dad winked at her. “I checked with your landlord, to make sure adding the shelving was okay.”
“I’ll bet that was a tough conversation.”
“He saw my side of things.”
As the man who owned the entire complex was a close friend of her dad’s, she wasn’t surprised.
Marshall put down his drill and held out his arms. “You okay, Jenna?”
She stepped into his embrace and allowed herself to get lost in her father’s familiar strength. “I will be.”
“I’m sorry Aaron turned out to be such a jerk.”
“Me, too. I wanted what you and Mom have.” Growing up, she hadn’t thought it was too much to ask. Now, looking back at her failed years with her ex-husband, she knew finding the right man wasn’t as easy as it looked.
“You’ll get there,” her dad told her. “But do me a favor, kid. This time fall for a Texas boy.”
She grinned. “You think they’re that much better?”
“I know they are.”
“What if he’s an Aggie?” she asked in a mock whisper. Her father had gone to the University of Texas. Aggies—those who graduated from Texas A&M—were the enemy.
“Better an Aggie than someone from California.”
She laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
“That’s my girl.” He kissed the top of her head and released her.
She stepped back and watched him finish putting up her shelves.
Maybe this wasn’t exactly where she’d thought she would be at nearly thirty-two, but she could still make it okay. She’d failed at her marriage. People did that and recovered. Many of them thrived. She could thrive, as well. She could figure out how to make starting over the best thing that ever happened to her.
Two
Violet parked in front of Jenna’s store and turned off her car engine. She still had a couple of sips left of her coffee. Based on the stacks of boxes she’d seen during her interview, she would need all the caffeine she could get to keep her energy going during the unpacking phase. Getting a store up and running was a lot of work.
She could see someone moving around inside and guessed Jenna had arrived before her. Enthusiasm was important, she thought, wondering if she’d made a huge mistake, quitting a job she’d had for nearly two years to work for someone with no retail experience.
The potential upside was that if the store was successful, and Violet made manager, she would enjoy being responsible for things running smoothly. The downside was Jenna didn’t
