Sisters by Choice (Blackberry Island #4)(91)

“Of course.” Amber kissed the top of her head. “You’re my baby girl.”

When Amber left, Heather leaned against the tub. Theirs was a twisted relationship, she thought. There was no reason to think it would ever be normal. She thought about what Elliot had told her about the oxygen mask. She didn’t want him to be right, but fate seemed to conspire to convince her.

  Sophie did her best to stand quietly in place, when she really wanted to dance and jump and skip. They were here! Finally!

The “here” was a business park not far from O’Hare airport. She could see the Chicago skyline in the distance and hear the nearby freeway noise. The unimpressive offices belied their importance in her business life because she and Maggie were about to meet with Bryce Green—a national distributor of upscale cat merchandise.

“Are you listening?” Maggie asked, her voice stern, her gaze direct. “I need you to be listening.”

Sophie grinned. “I know all this. It’s your meeting. You have a relationship with Bryce, not me. You’re doing all the talking. I’m just here to watch and learn.”

“As if,” Maggie said with a snort. “You’re here because you begged so much, it got embarrassing. I only brought you because I knew you’d take another flight and tail me. This way I get to keep an eye on you. Now, tell me exactly what you’re going to say to Bryce?”

“Hello and nice to meet you.”

“Anything else?”

“No.” Sophie made an X on her heart. “This is your contact and your show. You’re going to tell him about the cat tree and the custom quilts. Nothing else. We’ll have a pleasant meeting and then we’ll leave.”

They had a late-afternoon flight back to Seattle. With the two-hour time difference, they should be back on Blackberry Island in time for a late dinner.

“That all sounds good,” Maggie said slowly. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“I have no idea.”

Seconds later a slight, balding man in a worn suit walked out into the shabby waiting area. He smiled when he saw Maggie and hugged her before kissing her on both cheeks.

“I finally get to see you again,” he said. “It’s been too long. I can’t believe you jumped ships.”

“I had to.” Maggie laughed. “Bryce, this is my new boss. Sophie Lane, please meet Bryce Green.”

Sophie shook hands with him. “This is so exciting. Thank you for taking the time.” She wanted to add that she’d been trying to meet with him for three years, but caught Maggie’s warning glance and carefully pressed her lips together in a smile.

“Come on back,” Bryce said, leading the way to his cluttered office.

Sophie wasn’t the least put off by the unimpressive surroundings. Bryce put all his money where it counted—into distribution. He knew each of his customers personally. He understood what worked for them and what didn’t. If he offered something, the retailers knew it was a winner. Getting his attention was difficult. Getting into his markets was a dream come true.

When they were seated, Maggie pushed aside a pile of invoices and set her tablet on his desk.

“I know you’re a busy man, so I’ll get right to the point. CK wants to bring you two unique products.”

Bryce’s expression turned skeptical. “That’s not the CK brand.” He turned to Sophie. “You like high volume and cheap. That’s not my style.” He held up his hands. “No offense.”

Sophie’s good mood vanished. Was this jerk dissing her company? She was about to speak when she caught Maggie’s warning glance.

“New companies have to try different things to figure out what’s right for them,” Maggie said easily. “The brand is maturing and I think you’re going to like the direction.”

She tapped on her tablet, loading pictures of the cat tree, then turned the screen so Bryce could see it.

“They’re even more beautiful in person. The wood is untreated, nontoxic and sustainable. The work is done by indigenous tribes in the Amazon. It’s a cooperative partnership supported by the United Nations. We have standard sizes in stock and customizable options.”

“Nice.” Bryce flipped through the pictures. “I’ve seen a lot of cat trees in my time, but this one is excellent. I’m just not sure I have a place for it.”

Maggie’s smile never wavered. “I think you’ll change your mind when you get the sample. Most cat trees are sad little things with no padding on the perches. This one has thick layers of dreamy comfort for the cats. You know how cat parents love that.”

“Maybe. What else?”

She showed him the quilts and quickly explained how they were customized and shipped out as a kit.

“A great project for grandma and the grandkids, or mom and her kids, or for the crafter. It’s not like knitting or crochet where you’re constantly fighting the cat for your supplies.”

Bryce chuckled. “They do like to play with yarn. How long does a quilt take to put together?”

“That depends on the experience level of the quilter. We can offer them in larger printed pieces or we can do smaller pieces of fabric that require more work.”

“I don’t know. Is quilting a thing right now?”

Maggie leaned back in her chair. “Want the statistics?”