Chapter One
“Today is the grand opening of the New Ebonee Business Center. Visit them on Old Street for all of your secretarial and accounting services.” The radio commercial blared from the small transistor radio atop Ashley’s desk. Another silent prayer that the advertising would pay off was sent up to heaven as she headed to the front of the office to turn the sign on the door.
Today was more than the business center’s grand opening. It was a day for a new beginning for Ashley and her daughter Mya. Every dime she now owned she was walking in and looking at. If this did not work, she had no idea what she would do.
Bigger than the risk of leaving Mya’s abusive father was following her dream of returning to the small island where she was born and opening this business.
The radio station switched from commercials to the local news of the day. Not much happened on New Ebonee and the top story was her store’s big opening. Ashley had used every bit of publicity no-how she had learned at the PR firm where she had been its top executive to let people know what she was now doing. If they did not come, it would not be because they had not heard. Her town’s walls were papered with flyers and posters. The weekly paper which came out today would also contain inserts about her business and the services they offered.
“God please make this work. I’ve done my best, now you have got to do yours.” This time her prayer was not silent. It resounded off the walls. She was desperate for a miracle and only her Creator could help her now. There was no fear in that thought. He had come through for her more times in the past five years than she dared to count. The very fact she was still breathing was a testament to that.
The telephone startled Ashley from her thoughts. She approached it and took a deep breath before answering with the mantra she had practiced so often in the past two months. “Good Morning, New Ebonee Business Center, at your service.”
“My, my we are all professional today,” was the response from the woman on the other end. “How you doing boss lady?”
“Girl, you tying up the lines. I’m running a business here,” Ashley responded with a laugh.
“So how is it going?”
“Well I have been open all of ten minutes, so it’s really hard to say and you are my first caller but I couldn’t think of a better voice to hear first thing today.”
“I wanted you to know I was thinking about you. Jimmy and I are praying for your success and we just know its going to work out so not to worry.”
“Thanks Shay. I really needed that.”
“How is my niece?”
“Mya is doing really good. She went off to school this morning without the usual drama, so I was happy. Its really been tough for her to adjust to a new school in the middle of the term so I just take it one day at a time with her.”
“She will do fine Ash. Don’t worry about her. The hardest thing for her was watching you hurt so much. Now that the pain is gone from your life, she will respond to that. God’s going to take care of it.”
The bell over the front door rang and Ashley looked up to see a man filling the frame of the door.
“Shay I have a customer. Thanks for the call. I will email you later to tell you how things turned out. Bye.”
“Bye Ash.”
The man was large. There was no other way to describe him. He made the room shrink and Ashley’s five and a half feet seem miniature.
“Good morning. Welcome to the Business Center. How may I help you?” She hoped her voice did not betray her anxiety. If his intent was to hurt her, she was not sure she could take him down. Another silent prayer and she smiled. He had not moved from the door.
“Hello, I’m Ashley; can I help you with something?” She asked as she walked towards the man.
“Are you responsible for these flyers? They are littering up the main street,” was his gruff response.
“The flyers were distributed to all the shops in town. I would never litter the street,” she responded trying not to be upset at his rudeness.
“So why did I just pick up more than 100 flyers on the corner? Your flyers never reached their destination,” he added shoving a wad of the papers in her hand.
“I paid a young man twenty bucks to put them in all of the mail boxes and doors,” she stared at the flyers in disbelief. How were people to know she was here if they never saw her promotions?
“I hope it was not Alan Smithy you asked.”
The look on her face gave him the answer.
“Make sure you file a report against him. The police chief is a friend of mine and knows Alan’s racket. Don’t assume because it’s a small island everyone can be trusted. Foreigners always make that mistake.”
“I’m not a foreigner. This is my home,” Ashley bristled back. She did not like his arrogance at all. The fact that he had not taken his eyes off her was also disconcerting. It felt like he was looking straight through her.
“You don’t speak like a local, so you’re a foreigner. Who’s your family?”
“Alain and Marie Richards were my parents. I grew up on Camden Road,”
“They left here a long time ago. What made you come back now?”
“I’m not used to answering personal questions when I don’t even know who I’m talking to,” she retorted.
“My apologies, I thought you knew who I was. I’m Michael Johns, the mayor of New Ebonee,” he answered and extended a hand.
Ashley stared at it for a moment before gripping it for a quick shake. “I had no idea. I thought Melissa Matthews was the mayor.”
“She would like to be but Melissa takes over when I am off island. I’ve been on training for the past two months, so that is why I missed your arrival. Welcome home Ashley.”
“It’s really good to be home. Well I guess I need to hit the pavement myself and try to drum up some business. Won’t get any customers standing in here,” she replied dumping the filthy flyers into a nearby bin.
“The word is out though. You were the topic of conversation when I left the Bluebird Café earlier. It will just take a little time before people come around. They are going to want to see if you will stick or just another tourist trying to make a quick buck.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I have no wh…Well, I’m here for the long run,” Ashley replied. She hoped he would just pretend that he didn’t know what she was about to say. This man had already shaken her enough for one lifetime.
“Thanks mayor for returning the flyers, I will go and check if there are any more on the streets.” She busied herself by straightening the brochures on the counter. Her hands were shaking now and she was praying that he would just leave but the bell stayed silent.
“Look, maybe I can take you to lunch at the café and introduce you around. It always helps people to loosen up if they see you with someone they are accustomed to.”
You don’t have to do that. I’m sure you have more important things to do, since you just got back to work.”
“I have to eat, so it’s no bother. Over lunch you can tell me about your business and maybe we can work out a deal as I have no secretary it seems. She left for the big island without leaving a note or a promise to return.”
Ashley wanted to turn him down but she needed to get clients and he was also offering her work. Pride aside she was going to have to pay her rent and Mya’s school fees.
“Okay, I would love to have lunch with you. Shall I meet you there at noon?”
“Let’s make it 12:30. I’ve got to run out to the cays for a meeting. That’ll give me enough to get back on time.”
“Alright, I’ll see you then. Thanks for bringing those back to me,” she said with a smile.
“No problem, nice to meet you Ashley. Much success with your business despite the set back,” he extended his hand for another shake and then turned and left.
His leaving left her both relieved and sad. Relieved because he took up way too much space in the room and in her head; and sad for again she was alone with an empty store and a bin full of flyers that had not been distributed.
Mike jogged across the street to his office. A slight drizzle had begun and he was now 30 minutes behind schedule. His secretary skipping town meant he would have to open the office every morning until he found a replacement.
Luckily no one was waiting to see him and it gave him time to put on the coffee. Elaine had been quite flaky at times but she did make a mean cup of coffee. All he could manage was the instant kind but she had known how to use that fancy coffee pot and the imported stuff that the Ladies from the League had donated to the mayor’s office.
Women. New Ebonee was full of them but none that had even intrigued him as much as the one whose presence he had just left. Ashley Richards would have been long gone by time he moved here 12 years ago, so their parts had never crossed. He’d heard about her parents. They’d started the church he now attended but left to evangelize South America shortly after Ashley was born.
She was pretty but he was not sure she knew it. Her dark brown eyes were a bit sad as if they spent more time brimming with tears than sparkling with joy. He wondered why she had no where else to go. She’d caught herself before saying it out loud but her eyes had already sent the message. The new business seemed to be a life line she needed. He’d help her as much as he could but the last thing he wanted was a woman with problems. There was no place in his life to be fixing anymore broken women. He wanted one whole, body and spirit. That was his only requirement when he knelt before God. “Just make her be whole and what you want for me God.”
Mike was a patient man. He’d learned the hard way not to rush God’s timing. Love would come when it was time and it would be right next time around.
