Best of My Love (Fool's Gold, #20)(62)

Shelby and Fran continued to work on their baskets. About an hour later Felicia returned with several guys driving trucks. The baskets were loaded up to be distributed and displayed around town. Shelby stripped off her gloves, got a bottle of water and started to walk home. She had an hour until Aidan would be by to pick her up and she wanted to shower.

But before she got to the end of the street, she heard a woman calling her name. She turned and saw Taryn Whittaker walking toward her.

Despite Taryn’s five-inch wedge heels, she moved quickly. Her white fitted dress emphasized her lithe figure. Her dark hair was pulled back in a braid that moved in time with her steps. She looked cool and elegant, not to mention totally at odds with the town. But that was Taryn. She didn’t let living in Fool’s Gold keep her from her love of all things designer.

“I’ve been looking all over for you,” Taryn said as she approached. “Were you gardening?”

Shelby glanced down at her dirty jeans and smudged T-shirt. “Does it show?”

Taryn laughed. “I garden, too. At home, where I can give Angel instructions while I watch. I do enjoy watching that man lift and tote.” She sighed. “Which isn’t why I wanted to talk to you. Do you have a second?”

“Sure.”

Taryn pointed to a bench. They walked over to it and sat down. Shelby ignored the sense of being a peasant next to a princess. For all her extensive grooming, Taryn was a regular kind of person. At least on the inside.

“So I’ve heard about you buying the bakery. I think that’s fantastic,” Taryn began. “This town is all about female power and I don’t want that to change.”

“I’m not sure buying a small business qualifies as female power, but okay.”

“It does. Trust me.” Taryn lowered her voice. “I’ve been very fortunate in my career. Score is successful and with success comes financial reward. Jack helped me when I was young. He didn’t have to, but he did. Ever since, I’ve made it a point to do the same. Help other people. Buying a business is expensive. Rumor is you want to lease the space next door and add a commercial kitchen. Also not cheap. I absolutely think you should go for it. To that end, I’d like to offer you a loan. My terms are fair, slightly better than the bank, and I require less paperwork.”

Shelby sucked in a breath. “Taryn, that’s so generous. And shocking.”

“I’ve done it before,” the other woman said. “To be honest, I have my finger in a few pies around town.” She laughed. “Pies is a fun metaphor considering you’re going to buy a bakery, but you know what I mean. It’s up to you. Just think about it. I don’t want to be your business partner. We’d make sure there was a buyout strategy. I’m just saying, if you want it, the money is yours.”

Shelby didn’t have all the numbers yet, but she’d gotten some preliminary estimates from a contractor and the remodel was going to be over seventy thousand dollars. When added to how much she would need to buy out Amber, it was a lot of money. She thought about asking Taryn if she was prepared to offer that much, then realized the question was silly. Taryn would have done her homework before seeking her out.

“You’re even more well-off than I’d thought,” Shelby admitted.

Taryn laughed. “Like I said. I’ve done well. I want to pay it forward. Or whatever that phrase is.” She smiled, then rose. “Think about it.”

“I will. I promise.”





CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“YOU’RE GOING TO let him run the meeting?” Destiny asked, her voice teasing.

As the question wasn’t directed at him, Aidan didn’t bother answering. He wasn’t concerned with what Destiny thought about him. Instead he found himself oddly relieved that she seemed so much better.

“Aidan is a very capable party planner,” Shelby murmured in a low singsong voice. “Isn’t he, my beautiful girl? Yes, he is. Yes, he is.”

Had she been anyone else, he would have totally freaked at her obvious affection for Destiny’s baby. Even from across the living room, he could hear the tick-tick of her biological clock. But it wasn’t his problem, he told himself. He and Shelby weren’t together that way. She wasn’t going to look to him to be her baby daddy.

A good thing. He wanted to improve his character. Not settle down. At least that was what he’d always told himself.

Destiny sipped what looked like a disgusting green smoothie and eyed him. “A party planner, huh? How many parties have you planned?”

“My entire business is about getting people from point A to point B and back safely, on skis or bikes or while parasailing. I can handle a birthday party for a sixteen-year-old.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Aren’t we confident?”

“Aren’t we feeling better than we were last time?”

Destiny laughed. “Okay. Point taken. I’m giving you sass because I’m feeling pretty good. I’m sorry about the meltdown the other day.”

“You’re a new mother. You have a lot going on.” Shelby touched the gurgling baby’s face. “Your mommy is a famous singer. Yes, she is.”

“I’m not famous.”

“Not yet. You will be.”

“Maybe. I’m not sure I want that,” Destiny admitted. “I saw what too much fame did to my parents. But some kind of success would be nice.” She sipped her drink and looked at Aidan. “Let’s talk about the party.”