"That's a matter of opinion."
Pleased, Laura cocked a brow. "Well, then, you'd better get busy protecting our investment. You were too busy before, but now you've got time on your hands."
"So it seems."
"And by putting in some time behind the counter as well, you can take some of the pressure off Margo and me."
Kate's mouth fell open. "You expect me to clerk? Regularly? Damn it, Laura, I'm not a saleswoman."
"Neither was Margo," Laura said placidly. "And neither was I. Circumstances change. Bend or break, Kate."
She wanted to remind Laura that she had an MBA from Harvard. She'd graduated with honors a full year early. She'd been within a breath of a partnership at one of the most respected firms in the area, had handled millions of dollars a year in accounts.
She closed her mouth again because none of it was worth a damn at the moment. "I don't know an Armani from… anything."
"You'll learn."
It was self-indulgent, but she pouted anyway. "I don't even like jewelry."
"The customers do."
"I don't understand why people need to clutter up their house with dust catchers."
Laura smiled. If Kate was arguing, she thought, she was coming around. "That's easy. To keep us in business."
"Good point," Kate conceded. "I haven't done too badly the few Saturdays I've been able to help out. It's just dealing with people, day after day."
"You'll learn to live with it. We really need you on the books. We didn't push it before because we didn't want to pressure you. Actually Margo did, but I talked her out of it."
One of the many wounds she'd been planning to lick healed over. "Really?"
"No offense, Kate, but we've been open about ten months. Margo and I decided after about ten days that we really hate accounting. We hate spreadsheets. We hate percentages. We hate figuring the sales tax we have to send off every month."
Laura let out a sigh, lowered her voice. "I shouldn't tell you, she asked me not to, but…"
"What?"
"Well, Margo… We didn't think we could add to our overhead with a full-time bookkeeper, not yet anyway. So Margo's been looking into taking classes."
"Classes." Kate blinked. "Accounting classes? Margo? Jesus Christ."
"And business management, and computers." Laura winced. "Now, with the baby coming along, it seems like a lot to handle. I'm fairly computer-literate," she added, hoping to press her point. "I have to be, working conventions and special events at the hotel. But retail's a different matter entirely." Knowing the value of timing, she waited a beat, let it sink in. "I just don't see how I could squeeze any classes in myself, between working at Templeton, the shop, the girls."
"Of course not. You should have told me you were having that rough a time. I'd have picked up the ball."
"You've been cross-eyed with work for six months. It didn't seem fair."
"Fair? Hell, it's business. I'll come in first thing in the morning and take a good look at the books."
Laura managed to keep her smile pleasant rather than smug as Ann Sullivan wheeled in a tea cart. "The girls have finished their homework," Ann began. "I brought extra cups and plates so they could join you. I thought you might enjoy a little tea party."
"Thank you, Annie."
"Miss Kate, it's good to see—" Her smile of greeting faded the minute she looked into Kate's swollen, red-rimmed eyes. "What's the matter, darling?"
"Oh, Annie." Kate caught the hand Ann had lifted to her cheek, soothed herself with it. "My life's a mess."
"I'll get the girls," Laura said, rising. "And another cup," she added, nodding at Ann. "We'll have our tea party, and work on straightening it out."