At Wick's End - Tim Myers [19]
Young laughed sadly. “I’m afraid that’s what you owe on the outstanding balance. Your great-aunt had only a minimal down payment, and she hadn’t been able to reduce the principal much. Here are your monthly payments.”
I nearly choked when I saw the next page. How in the world was I going to come up with that kind of money running a candle shop? “Do the other businesses bring in much in the way of rent?”
“Even at full capacity, you’re barely going to be able to make the mortgage payments. And before you think about raising the rents to give yourself some breathing room, your great-aunt locked in such low rates, against my advice, I might add, that it’s a stretch to make those payments.”
“But Belle managed, didn’t she?” The picture was getting gloomier by the minute.
He said, “Initially she had a nest egg to draw from, an emergency fund, if you will.”
“Did she leave that account to someone else? You didn’t mention that in her assets.”
Young ran a hand over his head. “That’s because it’s all gone. She used it to make up what she owed every month.”
I studied the river and thought about jumping in, Young’s words were so depressing. He must have sensed the emotions running through me. “Harrison, I know you want to succeed at this, but there’s no shame in walking away from this. Even if you could sell the place, I’m not sure how much equity you’d get out of it.”
I shook my head. “Belle wanted me to stay, so I’m going to hang on as long as I can.”
“That’s admirable, but it might not be all that practical.”
I said, “I’ll make it work. I have to.”
The attorney said, “I understand. Listen, if there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know. I hate being the bearer of bad news, but I thought you should know what you’re up against.”
“No, I appreciate the heads-up, I really do.”
He said, “Well, I’d better grab a quick bite before my next appointment.” He patted me on the shoulder and added, “If you need someone to talk to, I’ve got a special this month, all the advice you need, free of charge.”
I tried to muster a smile, but I knew it was a weak attempt. “Thanks. I might take you up on that.”
After he was gone, I found myself wondering just what Belle had gotten me into. If she couldn’t make it work, what chance did I have? I’d never held a job more than two years, let alone run a business. I tucked the papers under one arm, promising myself to study them later, then walked back to the candle shop, a great deal of the wind taken out of my sails. It appeared that I was going to have to learn the business even faster than I’d thought.
By the time we were ready to lock the door that night, I was nearly ready to call Mr. Young and have him start the paperwork to sell the place at auction. We had one customer all afternoon, a woman who bought a tea light for half a dollar.
Eve said, “Don’t worry, Harrison, our business runs in spells.”
“I hope we do better tomorrow,” I said, still thinking about that payment hanging over my head without the benefit of Belle’s nest egg.
Eve said, “There’s not enough to worry about depositing, we’ll just leave it for tomorrow. Belle and I did that on occasion.”
I said, “Fine. Thanks.”
She paused at the door, then said, “Good night, Harrison. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night.”
She added, “Try to get some sleep tonight. You’ve got a big day tomorrow.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Eve said, “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about your lesson with Mrs. Jorgenson at ten o’clock tomorrow morning. You need to be sharp for that.”
“Oh, I remember,” I said. After talking with Mr. Young, I knew that now more than ever, it was critical I succeed. I pointed to a stack of books by the register. “I’m taking these upstairs to study tonight.”
She walked back to the stack and pulled one out of the pile. “You’re just rolling candles tomorrow. Study this one.”
I took it from her and locked the door behind her after flipping the open sign to closed. Maybe I could get in a little work before going back upstairs.
No matter how hard I tried, I just