“How are you when things don’t go so smoothly?”
“I don’t get flustered or impatient, if that’s what you’re asking. I’m calm in a crisis.”
“Another plus,” he said.
“And I’m great with all ages. I love being with Jackson, but I think I’m pretty good with the older kids, too.”
Sam nodded. “All valid reasons why this would be a good fit for you. Any business reasons it’s a good choice?”
“That’s easy. The town needs a good day care. There’s some help available at one of the churches, but it’s run by volunteers and they can’t handle all the children who need a place to go. Jackson’s there a couple of days a week, but that’s all they could accommodate. That’s one reason I’ve been pitching in. Noah’s actually lucky they would take him at all. A lot of places don’t take babies.”
Sam was smiling. “You are so into this. How could your family doubt for a second that it’s exactly right for you?”
“Experience?” she suggested with a shrug. “The whole fashion thing was something I was passionate about for about a minute. Before that I worked with a sports team, also for about a minute.” She made a face. “And the big draw with both of those jobs? I was attracted to a man.”
He laughed. “Well, that’s obviously not the case with this. And it will be your business, not someone else’s.”
“They might have bought that a couple of weeks ago,” she said.
“Why wouldn’t they buy it now?”
“You,” she said candidly. “You need help with Bobby and they know what a sucker I can be for a man who needs me.”
Sudden understanding dawned on Sam’s face. “That’s why you were comparing our situation to your relationship with the fashion jerk, isn’t it?”
“Afraid so.”
“But didn’t you tell me that Luke had proposed this idea to you even before me met?”
“About fifteen minutes before, to be exact. So you see why people might be skeptical. The timing is suspicious.”
“Do you think this has anything to do with me?” he asked.
She hesitated, then shook her head. “Running into you that night might have stirred up all my maternal feelings, but the day care? After working with Julie this week, I know it’s about doing something that will make me happy, something I’ll be good at. The classes I started online are only reinforcing that. Best of all, it’s something I can do right here in Chesapeake Shores. I don’t have to go chasing all over the world to find fulfillment.”
“There you go,” he said with satisfaction. “You can clearly defend yourself against any arguments they might try.”
She ate the last bite of ice cream in the container, then put it aside. “We’re close, but we’re not there quite yet.”
“No?”
“We need that con list. That’s where things could get tricky. Let’s start with the fact that two days of volunteer work don’t exactly make me experienced. Add in that I’ve never run any kind of business before. There are rules and regulations to contend with, finding a location, advertising, hiring help.” She covered her face. “I don’t even know what I don’t know.”
“So, there’s a learning curve,” Sam said, dismissing her concern. “It won’t take forever to get up to speed. And didn’t you tell me that Julie had promised to be your mentor? You have a cousin who can help you find a location, an uncle who can help with legal work. Sounds to me as if you’re covered.”
He studied her intently, then added, “Unless you’re looking for excuses not to take a chance and possibly fail.”
Her chin shot up. “Failing’s not an option.”
And just like that, her confidence that she was making the right decision was restored. She moved quickly to give Sam a fierce hug. “Thank you!”
“I didn’t do much.”
“Yes, you did. You helped me sort through this until I could see it clearly. You made me believe I might not be making a mistake.”
“So what if you are?” he asked. “Mistakes often provide the cornerstone for getting the next phase of your life exactly right.”
“O’Briens aren’t supposed to make a lot of mistakes,” she told him.
He grinned. “Then you can be the first.”
“Not a road I particularly want to go down, but thanks for making it sound less than awful.”
“I have faith in you,” he said simply.
Surprisingly, that was just the boost her confidence needed as she made plans to face her family and the likely ruckus that was going to ensue.