LITMIR.BIZ

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numbers and notes. He’d read two dozen articles about the future of retail, made estimates as to how much space Eden’s was using and wasting with some of their departments. Unfortunately for Jake, the most profitable department, women’s shoes, only stirred up thoughts of Sophie in the ones she’d been wearing today. They were some of the sexiest shoes he’d ever seen. For a moment, he had a vision of them on his shoulders and Sophie at his mercy, an idea he immediately wrenched from his mind, although he might be forced to revisit it later.

      He moved on to analyzing Eden’s online presence and the amount of company resources they were devoting to everything from marketing and advertising to store security and, yes, decorating executive offices like the inside of a snow globe.

      This was a bit like reading tea leaves, but he had to make do with what he had, and there was a great deal of satisfaction to take from the knowledge that no other money guy or investor was putting in this kind of work. Sophie would see that he was just looking out for her. He had her best interests at heart.

      And himself, of course. This deal would be the talk of developer circles for years. Decades even. And he’d grow his bank account considerably.

      But first, he had to call the one person who was on his side—Mindy Eden.

      “Jake, I told you the last time we talked, I’m not the one you need to convince. It’s all Sophie. I have zero interest in anything having to do with Eden’s. I have more than enough on my plate.”

      Jake tapped his pen on his planner and looked out his office window. The holiday market down in the park was again bustling with people. He’d never understand some people’s obsession with Christmas. “Okay. So then tell me how I get through to her. She’s not only digging in her heels about the store, she refuses to have a conversation with me.”

      Mindy laughed. “You do know you broke her heart, right?”

      Jake froze as Mindy’s words worked their way through his head. “I did not break her heart. Sophie and I had a little too much to drink one night, we had some fun, and I ended it the next day so she didn’t have to. Believe me, I was looking out for your sister. Any other guy would’ve strung her along for months.” Did Sophie truly feel as though he’d broken her heart? He’d only tried to protect her.

      “Or he might have fallen in love with my perfectly smart and beautiful sister and lived happily ever after.”

      Not this guy. Jake swallowed hard to stuff those words back inside him. It was one thing to get personal with Sophie, and quite another to talk about subjects like this with Mindy. “Something tells me she would’ve gotten tired of me real quick.”

      “Hmm. I don’t know about that.”

      “Do you think it would help to try to talk to her outside of the office? Maybe catch up with her on the weekend when she’s more relaxed?”

      “You must know that Sophie doesn’t relax. I’m not sure a weekend will help you. Plus, she’s gone this weekend.”

      “To where?”

      “Our grandmother’s house in Upstate, near Scarsdale. It’s where the family spends Christmas. She’s heading up tomorrow morning.”

      The wheels in Jake’s head were turning. Opportunity was in the air. “Is that the house where you and Sophie spent your summers?”

      “That’s the one. Eden House.”

      “Sophie used to talk about it all the time. She seemed to have a lot of great memories from being there.”

      “We both do, but yes, Sophie loves it. She goes every chance she gets.”

      “Are you going up this weekend, too?”

      “I told her I’d drive up Saturday night. The weather’s not looking good, but I think she’ll kill me if I don’t show up.”

      This might be perfect—drive up Friday and convince Sophie, Mindy arrives Saturday and they would work out the rest of the deal. The commotion of Eden’s wouldn’t be a distraction, and hopefully Sophie would be more relaxed and open to the things he had to say to her.

      Also, it was clearly time to smooth her ruffled feathers. He hated that she might have been harboring ill will toward him all these years. He’d truly had her best interests in mind when he’d called off their romance before it had a chance to start. He wasn’t about to delve into specifics or dig up his own past. There were too many unhappy memories to be found. But he could at least remind Sophie that they had once been very close. He could at least show her that they could, in fact, get along and find a way to help each other.

      “So, Mindy. I’m wondering if you can help me with something.”

      “Sure. What?”

      “I’m going to need the address for Eden House.”

       Three

      The instant Sophie turned onto the winding private drive leading to Eden House, she felt more like herself. Her Bentley Bentayga SUV crept silently ahead as the family estate came into view—graying cedar shakes trimmed in crisp white, with three stone chimneys poking up from the gable roof, all of it surrounded by a maze of manicured hedges. Sophie had nothing but the happiest of memories here—endless sunny summer days in the pool, leisurely morning strolls through the rose garden with Gram, rainy days of gin rummy and evenings spent roasting marshmallows over the fire pit on the backyard terrace. Soon this house would be hers, bequeathed to her by her grandmother. Would it ever again be filled with love and laughter? This Christmas was the first big test, and she was terrified that she’d fail.

      Sophie and Mindy had spent every Christmas of their lives at Eden House. The family tradition went back to Gram’s childhood when her parents had built the house, although it wasn’t given the name Eden until Gram inherited it years later as a married woman. Her parents had done well for themselves in the 1950s, importing and wholesaling fabrics for the garment industry. The entire country was booming then, and if you were somebody, you had to have a vacation home. It was simply what you did to show the world that you were a success.

      Sophie pulled around to the side entrance and parked her car under the porte cochere in order to ferry the groceries straight into the kitchen. As soon as she opened her car door, she was hit by a bracing cold, the wind whipping past her, picking up the tails of her coat and tossing her hair into disarray. The clean but icy smell of snow was in the air. The forecast was for a fast-moving system that would leave behind one to two inches. Sophie wasn’t too worried. In some ways, it would be a dream to get snowed in at Eden House. The power lines were buried, so the electricity rarely went out. She had her cell phone and internet if she needed to get any work done, and there was more than enough wine in the family cellar. A day or two where she was forced to stay away from the store might do her good.

      Sophie struggled with the house key, her arms loaded down with shopping bags and her fingers freezing from the cold. She nearly fell through the door and into the kitchen when the lock finally turned. She plopped her bags down on the large center island and opened the Sub-Zero fridge to put away her perishables. That was when the tears started.

      The refrigerator was nearly empty, but there on the second shelf were three bottles of Krug champagne. Gram adored champagne, especially Krug. She would’ve sipped it morning, noon and night if it were in any way socially acceptable. Sophie took one of the bottles from the shelf and smoothed her fingers over the familiar gold foil label. This was an iconic image from her childhood, when champagne was an exotic drink meant only for grown-ups. Gram had brought these bottles up in early October in anticipation of the family’s Christmas celebration. And now she wouldn’t be there to enjoy them.

      Sophie carefully slid the bottle back into place, wiped her tears from her cheeks and put away her groceries. Countless memories of her grandmother would crop up this weekend, and she needed to pace herself. Gram would want her to unwind and not dwell too much on sadness. She’d had an unwavering belief

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