Dyeing Up Loose Ends by Maggie Sefton

Author:Maggie Sefton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2018-07-02T16:00:00+00:00

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Kelly paused as she moved from column to column on her computer spreadsheet, entering revenues and expenses. Denver developer client Don Warner’s oldest mall property in the north of Denver appeared to be definitely declining in profitability. She knew her client Warner would read these monthly income statements and come to a quick decision. Probably a brutal decision. That mall was on a downward path, for sure. No doubt Warner would buy out the shop leases, then call in the bulldozers and the backhoes. Create an entirely new property. Perhaps something with middle-income apartment units. Mid-priced to high-end. Out with the old, and in with the new, was Don Warner’s oft-repeated philosophy. Kelly had witnessed spectacular growth in Fort Connor ever since she returned to her hometown.

She glanced up at the sky above her secluded garden patio table. Bright blue with white fluffy clouds. Colorado Blue. Then, she thought she heard something. When she was in the midst of concentrating on spreadsheets, her mind literally blocked out many sounds so that she never even heard them. Later in the afternoon, the café was already closed and the garden patio tables were empty.

“Kelly!” called a female voice from around the driveway.

Turning at the sound of her name, Kelly peered through the lush green leafy tree nearby. Within a few seconds she recognized Colorado cowgirl Jayleen walking through the patio garden.

“Kelly-girl!” Jayleen greeted as she strode up to the patio table.

“Hey there, Jayleen. How’re you doing? Are you keeping those alpacas in line? Your profits are looking good.” Kelly clicked her laptop into Sleep mode and shoved it to the side. She’d learned long ago that good friendships were maintained by spending time with people you cared about.

“Oh, the herd is doing fine,” Jayleen said as she turned a café chair backward and straddled it in her usual fashion. “When are you and Steve going to bring Cowpoke Jack out to my ranch to see those critters?”

“You know, that’s a good idea, Jayleen,” Kelly said. “Let me check with Steve and see what our schedule is. It usually heats up in the summer because the housing development business is going strong. They’ve got to take advantage of all that good weather.”

“That’s for sure. Curt and I just wanted to see that little young’un at the ranch. He had a high old time when you folks last brought him over to see us.”

Kelly smiled at her old friend, still amazed that Jayleen never looked her age. Silver streaked through her shoulder-length curly blond hair, and there were a fair number of lines across Jayleen’s face. Even so, she did not appear to be seventy years old.

“Jack really got a kick out of patting the alpacas. He kept saying, ‘Soft noses. Soft noses.’” Kelly laughed, remembering.

Jayleen chuckled. “You know, I have to thank you for coming up with that great suggestion for Cassie and Eric this summer and getting the rest of the Gang to go along with it. Curt and I are pleased as punch that those kids are gonna be able to earn some serious money this summer.

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