Page 113 of Knot in Trouble
He stops biting on a nail. “So, what do you think?”
I open my mouth, struggling to find the words that do justice to how incredible this is. “Business cards.”
He blinks at me. “Business cards?”
I nod firmly. “And you had better get a bunch of them made fast because the second people in town see what you can do, they won’t?—”
“Is it finished?” Nico’s excited call yanks both our attention toward him.
Win has finished his big order in the kitchen and is chatting with Ben at the front counter as Nico hustles over.
“Technically,” Sam says, physically bracing himself for Nico’s response. “Um. There’s storage in the daybed and under the desk, and I had some leftover wood and made photo frames. The photos are from the gift shop. You don’t have to keep them. They’re just to give you an idea of what …” At this point, he realizes he’s wasting his time and lets his voice trail off.
Nico isn’t listening. He’s in the office, pointing, laughing as he sits on the daybed, then spins in his chair, shaking his head and covering his mouth as he opens all the storage under the desk. Eventually, it proves too much excitement for him to handle alone, and he steps out of the office and shouts. “Lina! Come and look at what this incredible man has done. In fact, everyone, come and look.”
I pull Sam aside when Lina and several of Nico’s customers hurry over to check it out, then I start mentally counting down how long it will take. Even Win brings Ben over to have a look. Ben’s eyes pop and Win whistles low, impressed.
As people stick their noses into the office and gasp, Nico walks over to Sam, wraps his arms around him, and hugs him so hard that his feet leave the floor. “I can never repay you for this.Thank you.It’s the most beautiful office I have ever seen. It. Is.Perfect.”
Tears well in my eyes at the shocked surprise and happiness spreading across Sam’s face. My gaze collides with his as he returns Nico’s hug, and I mouth, “Business cards. Like, yesterday.”
Then I take another step back the second Nico releases Sam from his hug. And not a second too soon, because everyone swarms Sam with projects they've always had in mind but didn’t know who to ask.
Several minutes later, we walk back to the counter. Sam looks dazed as he clutches a fistful of names and numbers written on napkins.
“I have never been happier to tell someone that I told them so. What do you want to do now?” I ask him, grinning.
He glances at all the numbers he’s collected and the jobs people want to hire him for, then shakes his head as if struggling to believe any of it is real. “I, uh, I guess I need to talk to someone about starting my own business.”
I wrap my arm around his waist. “Funny you should say that; I knowjustthe people to talk to.”
He grins down at me. “Thanks, Rose.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
His smile fades. “You gave me the push I needed and you stayed close enough to catch me if I fell.”
Simon would have beensoproud of him. More than me, because he was pushing Sam to chase his dreams long before I started.
“You were never in any danger of falling, Sam.” I pat him on the arm. “Let me grab Ben, and we can talk with Murph and his bosses. They’ll have atonof advice for you. I snapped a picture of the office, and I bet they’d want to hire you too.”
Chapter 28
Win
“Do you want us to come meet you after I’ve taken Sam to speak with Murph’s bosses about setting up a business?” Rose asks, leaning against the front counter.
Behind her, I notice the blond man in a navy-blue Rios Fire t-shirt, sitting alone in a booth, scanning a large plastic-coated menu. Noah, Joel’s older brother. As he sets the menu down to glance at his watch, I refocus on Rose. “Um, you go ahead. I have something I need to do first.”
“Okay. I’ll see you at home later?” She kisses me.
I break the kiss fast, mentally kicking myself when her smile dims. “I’ll see you later.”
She leaves holding Ben’s hand, and Sam follows them out, shell-shocked and clutching a bundle of napkins after his wild success at fitting out Nico’s office. He’ll have work for the next two years once word spreads around Rios about what he can do.
The second the door closes behind them, I dart around the counter and rush over to Noah’s table, calling out to Lina, who’s wiping down a table, “I need five minutes.”
She gestures for me to go. The busy lunch period is over, and Nico is still admiring his new office. What I need to know won’t take long, and now is the perfect opportunity.
