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place.”
    “Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled, but I thought there were too many ghosts there for you.”
    He took my hands in his. “Carolyn, I think ghosts have gotten a bad reputation. What’s wrong with having memories of Winnie wherever I look? I loved my wife. We had too many good times together to ever forget. She poured her life into that shop, and I’m going to keep it afloat just as long as I can.”
    “But you were so worried about the competition moving in on your business,” I said.
    “Carolyn, don’t you want me to stay?”
    “Of course I do. I just want you to make the decision for the right reasons.” Honestly, he was on the money. What was I trying to do, talk him out of this? Still, when it came down to it, I wanted my shop, but not at Nate’s expense.
    “I am. Do you happen to have the owner’s number? I’d like to get this moving.”
    I dug into my pocket, since I’d been carrying the contact information around with me since I’d decided buying in myself. “It’s right here. You can use my phone, if you’d like.”
    “Thanks, but this is one call I want to make from In the Grounds. It’s probably silly, isn’t it?”
    “Not at all. I’m so happy, Nate. Thank you.”
    “I should be the one thanking you. You never put a bit of pressure on me, and I want you to know how much I appreciate it.”
    It was a good thing the man couldn’t read my thoughts, or he never would have made the deal. “Shall I tell the others?”
    “Not right away. Let’s make them sweat a little.” His smile was brighter than I had seen it in years.
    “You’re wicked, you know that, don’t you?”
    “You have no idea. In fact, I think I’m going to stop by Kendra’s and tell her I’ve nearly made up my mind and it doesn’t look good.”
    I laughed. “That’s just pure evil. Can I tag along? I want to see her face.”
    “Now who’s evil?”
    “We both are,” I said. “I really am happy about your decision.”
    “So am I.”
    After he was gone, I called Bill and told him the good news.
    His resonse was to the point. “Did you call the sellers yet?”
    “Yes, this morning, but I’ll have to call them back now that Nate’s in. Are you sure this is what you want to do? It’s your last chance to back out.”
    “You mean it’s yours. Call them, Carolyn.”
    “Fine.” I hung up on him, then dialed Melody’s number again. I was told that as soon as Nate confirmed my story, the final papers, not the preliminary ones that Rose and Kendra had signed, would be delivered by courier for my signature, and my down payment would be required as well. It looked as though I’d just bought myself a pottery studio. My hands were shaking as I wrote out the check, but in a good way. I was on my way to owning my dream, and it appeared that nothing was going to stop it now.
    At least I hoped that was the way it was going to turn out.

Chapter 3

    “Charlie Cobb, you are a pigheaded fool,” my husband shouted in the back room of Fire at Will a week later.
    “I won’t stand for that kind of talk, Bill Emerson, and you know it. You’ll either do it my way, or you won’t do it at all.”
    At least I didn’t have any customers at the moment, and closing time was just thirty minutes away. We’d signed the papers for the shop with alacrity, and before I knew what was happening, the building was mine. Bill and I had decided that no matter how tight it squeezed us, there were some changes we had to make now that Fire at Will was ours. Well, ours and the bank’s.
    “Do you two need a time-out?” I asked as I walked to the back of the shop.
    “Carolyn, stay out of this,” Bill said.
    “It’s her building,” Charlie said. “She’s entitled to an opinion. It’s got to be worth more than yours.”
    “Don’t start with me,” Bill said.
    “You know what? You’re right.” He got out some paperwork, wrote a few things, then stamped something on the sheet. Even without my glasses, I had no trouble