The Dreammaker

“From the cash that Harvey left behind. I’ve got a little money put away, too, money I’ve saved since Harvey took everything I had. It’s not enough to replace what he stole from me. But total, it’s enough to do the repairs to the store and buy the inventory. That’s all I need to get started.”

Tripp shook his head. “I don’t know.”

“It’s called investing,” Kaitlin said. “It’s not so unusual. I’ll invest in this store, earn back my money, plus make a profit—all the money I need to make my dream come true.”

“Do you really think you can do that?”

“Of course,” Kaitlin said. “And best part is that this way I can earn the money quickly. A new store will make tons of money when it first opens. There’s no other respectable way I can do that. And I’m not willing to wait years again, working for a few dollars a week.”

Tripp stepped closer. “You intend to drop everything and move here with the wild notion of running a store?”

“Running a store can hardly be called a wild notion, Mr. Callihan,” Kaitlin said. “But I suppose you’re too busy to speculate on a blossoming business opportunity like this. You already have a business, I suppose?”

“Well…no.”

“You’re working someplace special, then?”

“Not exactly.” Tripp pushed his hat higher on his forehead. “Don’t you have a family, or a job, or something?”

“If I had a family I would have asked them for money long ago and already been living my dream,” Kaitlin said. “I do have a job that I’ll be more than happy to quit.”

She nodded toward the torn curtain in the doorway along the back wall. “There’s lots of storage space for stock. We’ll need it, once word gets out that we’re here.”

Tripp glared at her, then shook his head. “This whole idea is loco, just plain loco.”

“Suit yourself, Mr. Callihan.” She shrugged. “Of course, it would be a shame for you to miss out on this opportunity, when you were so close. Maybe I can find another partner.”

“Another partner?” Tripp’s shoulders stiffened.

She brushed past him. “Yes, someone who isn’t afraid of a little hard work.”

“Now hold on a minute. I’m not afraid of hard work. Hard work has nothing to do with this.” Tripp rounded on her. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Me!” Kaitlin’s eyes widened. “You’re worried about me?”

“Hell, yes.” Tripp pointed toward the front door. “I’m not partnering with somebody who’s going to run out on me at the first sign of trouble.”

Irritated to no end, Kaitlin stretched up until her nose was even with his chin. After what he’d seen her do in the past twenty-four hours, he thought she wasn’t committed to her goals?

“Maybe you hadn’t noticed, Mr. Callihan, but you’re the one who keeps backing away from this deal—not me!”

Tripp reeled away. Good God, she was right.

Silence hung in the still, cool room. Minutes dragged by while they contemplated each other. Finally, Tripp drew in a deep breath.

“So you intend to see this thing through?” he asked.

Kaitlin nodded confidently. “I’ll have my dream, Mr. Callihan, and not you, or Harvey Stutz, or a room full of cobwebs is going to stop me.”

She offered her hand. “So how about it? Is it a deal?”

Tripp gazed at her outstretched hand. God knows, he’d be crazy to accept an offer like this. The store was a losing proposition if he’d ever seen one. Hell, he’d be better off walking out the door now while he still could.

But Kaitlin…Kaitlin burned with determination. Kaitlin caused something to flicker inside him. That determination, surely.

Tripp grasped Kaitlin’s hand, soft, delicate, fragile. A knot jerked in his stomach.

“It’s a deal,” Tripp said, and wished to God he’d never touched her.

“A little more to the right. That’s it…just a little more. Stop. Perfect.”

Kaitlin nodded with satisfaction as Rudy Langley positioned her big oval mirror in the corner of her new bedroom. Not the biggest room in the world, or in the store, but it was perfect for her, situated off the kitchen in the back room of her new business enterprise.

“Thanks, Rudy.”

Isabelle’s harness-and-pregnancy-making brother nodded and glanced around the room. “I guess that’s everything.”

“Everything but a dose of good sense.” Isabelle pursed her lips as she opened the lid of Kaitlin’s trunk.

“Honestly, Isabelle, you worry too much.” Kaitlin grabbed a handful of pantalettes from her carpetbag and shoved them into the bureau drawer. “What can go wrong?”

“A thousand things!” Isabelle waved her arms wildly.

Kaitlin turned to Rudy. “Talk to your sister. Make her understand.”

He backed away. “I just came to drive the team and unload your things. You two can fight this out on your own.” Rudy disappeared out the door.

Kaitlin pushed more of her belongings into the bureau drawer. “Nothing will go wrong.”

“Kaitlin, listen to reason.” Isabelle followed her across the room. “You don’t know this man. What if he’s a murderer? What if he was in prison? What if he’s one of those men who…takes advantage of women?”

Kaitlin stopped at the armoire. “Mr. Callihan hardly seems the type. But if it will make you feel better, when he gets here I’ll ask him if he’s ever killed anyone.”

Isabelle shook her head frantically. “Please, be serious about this.”

“Listen, Isabelle, if Mr. Callihan were a criminal, he certainly wouldn’t have showed up in Sheriff Newell’s office to claim Harvey Stutz’s belongings, now would he?”

“Well, maybe not.” Isabelle eyes narrowed. “But how do you know he won’t run off with your money like Harvey Stutz did? Hmm? How do you know that?”

Kaitlin shook out the pink skirt she pulled from the trunk and hung it in the armoire. Tripp Callihan could have run off with everything—cash and deed—the night he’d left her in the hotel, but he hadn’t.

“He seems like an honest man. He gave me his word, and I believed him.”

“His word?” Isabelle rolled her eyes. “And I suppose you shook hands, too?”

A hot rush crackled through Kaitlin at the memory of Tripp’s big, strong hand, closing over hers. It had sealed their deal in a way she hadn’t expected.

Kaitlin turned quickly to the armoire again. “Isabelle, you worry too much.”