Then she hurried to the Cozy Cup for a cup of Josh’s wonderful coffee to fortify herself for the busy day to come. She thanked Josh profusely for his computer help, said hello to Chase Rollins, who owned Fluff & Stuff pet store just two doors down from her shop, and then, coffee cup in hand, hurried back toward Happy Endings. She waved to Mayor Langston across the street in front of city hall, and he saluted her with the cane he carried.
She arrived back at the store and quickly dusted the front counter. She then opened the store precisely at the stroke of ten, pleased to see Miss Ann Mars was already waiting on the sidewalk for Allison to unlock the doors.
“Well, good morning, Miss Mars,” Allison shouted so the older woman could hear her. Miss Mars, who was in her early eighties by now, had lived in Bygones for as long as Allison could remember, and was a member of the SOS Committee. She operated This ‘N’ That, a sundries/thrift/flea market–type establishment across Main Street from Happy Endings. She seemed quite content to live in an apartment over the store. Allison and Lori had loved going to Miss Mars’s shop when they were growing up to hunt for trinkets and treasures. In fact, Allison still had an inexpensive but lovely beaded purse she’d bought there with the allowance money she’d saved all summer long when she was thirteen.
“Good morning, Miss True,” Miss Mars chirped. She had her powder-white hair coiled up into a bundle on her small head and wore a flower-print dress that hung on her thin, stooped frame. But her eyes were as bright and inquisitive as ever.
“What can I help you with today?” Allison inquired.
Miss Mars waved a bony hand. “Oh, well, I saw the lights on here late last night and quite early this morning, so I wanted to come by to see how things were going. Part of my SOS Committee duties, you see.”
“I appreciate your stopping by.” Allison gestured around the store, glad she’d cleaned. “As you can see, everything is going well,” she said, trying to put a positive spin on things. Business needed to pick up, though, if the store were to stay afloat. Which it would if she had anything to say about it.
As if to punctuate that thought, the bells over the door rang, heralding the arrival of a customer. Allison looked over and observed Helen Langston, Mayor Langston’s wife and proprietor of the Hometown Grocery, enter the store, holding her head at its usual imperious angle. She was a tall, thin woman with an ever-thinner repertoire of social skills, though she ran a mean cash register at the grocery store, and had for years.
“Oh, you have a customer.” Miss Mars shooed Allison away. “Go, dear.” She pursed her thin lips. “But…could you just point me in the direction of the romance novels?”
“Why, Miss Mars, I didn’t know you were an aficionado of the romance genre.”
“Oh, well, I do like reading a good love story now and then.” Her eyes sparkled. “Who doesn’t love a happy ending?”
Allison raised her eyebrows, impressed by Miss Mars’s play on words. “Ah, very clever, Miss Mars, alluding to my store. Good one.” The old woman was sharper than she looked, and Allison hoped she had half Miss Mars’s quick wit when she was pushing eighty-five. “The romances are in the back left corner. Would you like me to take you there?”
“Oh, no, my dear. I’ll simply browse as I go, if you don’t mind. I also love a good mystery now and again, so I’ll look at those, too.”
“Excellent,” Allison said. “They’re one aisle over from the romances.”
With a wave, Miss Mars toddled away toward the back of the store.
Allison watched her go, then headed toward Mrs. Langston, thinking about what Miss Mars had said. Yes, everyone liked a happy ending in a romance novel, herself included, Allison mused. But she was determined to keep any romantic happy endings where they belonged—firmly entrenched between the covers of the books she sold.
*
On Saturday evening, Sam left the kids at home with Shawna so he could run a few errands solo. Dragging the kids shopping didn’t make much sense, especially when time was short with most of the stores in town closing soon.
He parked at the Hometown Grocery, went in and picked up a few staples, noting as he did that Helen Langston was her usual stiff self and had her eye on the clock the whole time he was there. Yeah, close to quitting time. She had her brunette hair pulled back into a bun, which to Sam always looked so tight it was a wonder she could smile. Maybe that was why she never did.
As he shopped, feeling funny pushing the teeny-tiny cart around the store, he found himself wishing that the shop hadn’t shut down its butchery department when the town had started its downward spiral. But with people pulling up stakes and other businesses shutting their doors, the Langstons’ decision about closing down the butchery made sense. Unfortunately, Sam now had to go into the town of Manhattan for meat. Guess grilled cheese would have to do for a while. Fortunately, the twins loved that meal, along with boxed macaroni and cheese, which the Hometown Grocery fortunately carried.
With the time still in mind, he paid and left, then threw the groceries in the back of his SUV and walked hastily by city hall. He headed across the intersection of Main Street and Bronson Avenue on his way to the Fixer-Upper to pick up a few items he needed for around the house. At this hour on a Saturday, Main Street was quiet, save for a few kids at the far end skateboarding.
Once on Main Street he determinedly kept on going right past Happy Endings—he wasn’t in need of reading material, now, was he?—and arrived at the Fixer-Upper right before closing.
Patrick Fogerty, a man about Sam’s age, was the proprietor of the store, and, as such, a newcomer to Bygones. Sam had met him at one of the preseason basketball games recently and liked him fine. Patrick greeted him with a firm handshake and, after discussing the basketball team’s prospects that year, eagerly helped Sam find the items he needed. Sam was impressed by the selection at the store and wished Patrick well before he left.
Then he headed back to his SUV, doggedly keeping himself from looking in the window of Happy Endings to get a glimpse of Allison, though he was certain she was in there because the lights were on.
He reached his vehicle, got in and put his parcel on the passenger seat, noticing a flash of red on the floor. He looked more closely and discovered Allison’s scarf lying there, half under the passenger seat. She must have forgotten it when she’d left his SUV last night.
Unable to help himself, he raised the soft scarf to his nose and inhaled. The scent of freshly picked peaches hit him, and he stopped a noisy sigh just in time.
The scent brought to mind her ready smile, and without thinking much about what he was doing, he got back out of the SUV, scarf in hand, and retraced his steps to Main Street.
Soon he found himself standing outside Happy Endings. A closed sign hung in the front window, but he noted again that the lights were still on. Maybe Allison was missing her scarf? He knocked.
She opened the door. “Why, Sam. I didn’t expect to see you here.” She wore a well-fitting pair of black pants and a blue top that highlighted the lovely color of her eyes. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but he thought he saw some very faint dark circles shadowing the tops of her cheeks. She was obviously working some very long hours.
He held up the scarf. “You left this in my car.”
“Ah, I was wondering where that went.”
He handed it to her. “I thought you might be.”
“Thanks,” she said, taking the scarf. “How are the kids?”
“Good. They’re home with a sitter so I can get some errands done.”
“Oh, I see.” She stepped back. “Actually, I got a new shipment of books recently and found a couple I’d like to send home with you for the twins.” She gestured him in.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said, following her lead. What a thoughtful woman.
She shut the door behind him. “I know, but I wanted to.”
He paused, amazed at how quickly the kids had become included in her circle. “Well, they love to be spoiled.”<
br />
As she headed over to the front counter, she turned and said, “And I love spoiling them.” She put the scarf on the counter, went behind it and bent down, then came back up with a bag in her hands.
He moved closer as a thought occurred to him. “Wouldn’t you like to give these to them yourself?”
“I…um, would that be okay?”
“Of course.” He furrowed his brow. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I don’t know.” One hand came up and fiddled with a lock of hair near her chin. “I just don’t want to…step on any toes.”
He thought on that a moment, and then her reasoning became clear. And he didn’t like what he’d deduced. “Ah, I see where this is going. You’re worried about Teresa.”
“A bit, maybe.”
“While I appreciate your concern, I told you that you could see the kids anytime you wanted, and I meant it.” He was the one who needed to stay uninvolved with Allison. Not Nicky and Rosie. “They adore you.” And he couldn’t blame them.
Allison chewed on her bottom lip. “I know—maybe I could give the books to them at church tomorrow.”
He stiffened. “I don’t take the kids to church.”
“O-oh.” A frown marred her brow. “I didn’t know. I haven’t seen you at the Sunday service, so I just assumed you went to the Wednesday night service.”
“Nope.” He flattened his lips. “I haven’t gone to church in a really long time.”
“What? Why?” She shook her head. “You and Lori and your dad went to church all the time when we were growing up—I went to services with you since my parents didn’t have time. In fact, I remember wanting to go to youth group just because I knew you’d be there.”
He swallowed. “See, the thing is, ever since Teresa left, I don’t have much faith in God anymore.” He missed God, but didn’t know how to reconnect.
“Oh, wow,” Allison said, her brow crinkling. “What happened?”
Sam thought about that. “When my mom left, all of us hung on to our faith for dear life. But when Teresa abandoned me and the kids, all I could think about was that a truly merciful God wouldn’t let the same thing happen to me again.”
“So…it sounds like you’re angry with God?”
He considered that. “Yes, I guess I am.” In fact, just after Teresa left, he’d been downright furious with Him.
“I get that,” she said, her voice soft and edged with empathy.
“You do?” he asked, surprised she understood.
“Oh, yeah.” She leaned a hip against the counter. “About the time I graduated from high school and my parents were nowhere to be found, I went through a period when I felt sorry for myself, and I was mad at God, too, for not answering my prayers about my home situation.” She drew in a shaky breath. “But then I realized my anger was creating distance between me and God, and that because of that distance, I felt more alone than ever.”
“I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” She understood, though, more than he’d realized, and that warmed some places inside him that had felt numb for months.
“Thanks,” she said. “But I’m in a better place now that I’ve let myself rely on God. I don’t feel as…alone.”
“I get the alone thing. I’ve felt that way since Teresa left.” Of course, he was surrounded by people every day at work, and he had the twins at home some of the time. But emotionally, he’d been on his own for a long time. “Sometimes I wonder if my faith has deserted me.”
“Your faith is still there, Sam. It never went anywhere.”
His breathing stalled.
She went on. “I’ve learned by my experiences that faith, by its very nature, never leaves someone who truly believes in the Lord.”
He digested what she’d said. “I…I do believe in God.” That had never changed, never wavered.
“Then look inside for your faith and you’ll be fine.”
“What you’ve said makes a lot of sense.” He smiled, feeling a weight lift from his heart. “Thank you for helping me figure some of this out.”
“Glad I could help. But it might help more if you came to church tomorrow.” She pressed her lips into an impish grin. “It is God’s house, after all. What better place to reconnect with Him?”
“You might be right.” Sam nodded as the idea grew on him just a bit.
“And I’m sure the kids would love Sunday school. It would be a bonus for those two darling munchkins.”
His heart turned over at her mention of the twins, but, then, her concern for them always touched him. “You know, you’re right.”
“And I’d enjoy seeing them to give them their books.” She held up the bag. “I’ll take them with me, and if you guys are there, I’ll be sure and come over and say hi.”
“I’ll have to think on it.” And he would. Long and hard. Probably well into the night.
For in the back of his mind he realized that going to church would not only hopefully help him build a stronger bond with God, but it would also allow him to see Allison again. And thoughts like those treaded dangerously close to swirling waters he had to avoid.
*
The next morning, Allison arrived at church a bit early, the bag holding the twins’ books in hand.
Lily Bronson, a tall willowy blonde around Allison’s age, hailed her down in the church’s small vestibule. “Allison. I haven’t seen you in a while. I’ve been meaning to come by and get another look at what you’ve done with your store.” Lily, a lawyer by training turned fabulous florist, had moved to Bygones from Boston in July, the last of the SOS shop owners to arrive in town.
Allison had liked Lily from the moment she met her, and since they were around the same age, planned on getting to know her better when she had more time to focus on something other than getting Happy Endings up and running. “Please do stop by. I’ve ordered a few books on flower design you might be interested in.”
Lily pushed her tortoiseshell glasses back onto their perch on her nose. “How nice of you! I’ll make it a priority to stop by soon. Actually, I also wanted to ask you what kind of flowers you’d like in your bouquet this week.”
Since Lily had opened Love in Bloom, she’d impressed the whole town with her unique flower arrangements, including an inspired concoction she’d made for Happy Endings for the grand opening of all the businesses. The bouquet had been comprised of flowers spilling out of an old typewriter Lily had unearthed at the This ‘N’ That. Allison had decided to put in a weekly order to refresh the bouquet, and she liked to switch up the flowers she used.
“Well, I was thinking since the harvest festival is just around the corner, I’d like to have a fall theme in the bouquet this week.”
Lily smiled. “Oh, what an excellent idea. I’ve ordered some lovely mums that would look beautiful in that kind of arrangement.”
“Whatever you want to do, I know it will be spectacular.”
Tate Bronson, Lily’s brand-new husband—they’d been married at the beginning of the month after a short engagement—arrived on the scene, dressed in his Sunday best. “She does have a way with flowers, doesn’t she?” he asked, his eyes lingering on Lily’s face as he put his arm around her narrow shoulders.
Tate, who’d been widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their daughter, Isabella, was a descendant of the Bronson brothers who’d founded Bygones back in 1870. He was tall and strong looking, and had short, thick, dark brown hair and clear coffee-colored eyes. And he was obviously madly in love with his new wife, whom he’d met while serving as her SOS Committee liaison when she’d arrived in Bygones in July. Love had followed, and now they were the happiest set of newlyweds around, and Lily, Allison knew, was thrilled to be Isabella’s new mom.
Another happy ending, Allison thought with a familiar pang.
“I also want to stop by and look at some books for Isabella. I’ve told her about Nancy Drew, and she’s interested in reading those,” Lily said.
“Oh, I love Nancy Drew.” Allison grin
ned. “I devoured those books when I was a girl. I have several copies of The Secret of the Old Clock in stock, so I’ll set one aside for her.”
“Thank you so much,” Lily said. “They might be a little above her reading level, but I thought it would be fun to read the books together, just to give her a taste.”
“Excellent idea,” Allison replied. “Seems like you’ve taken to motherhood like a pro.”
Tate piped in, “She’s a wonderful mother.” He rubbed the top of Lily’s arm. “I couldn’t have asked for a better mom for Isabella.”
She talked to Lily and Tate for a few more minutes and finished up the conversation awed and a little envious of the love they’d found. Maybe someday she could hope to find something like they had. Down the road, perhaps, after she’d succeeded at the challenge of making Happy Endings a resounding success. But until then, she had to keep her attention on her business.
She looked at her watch, noting that the service was about to start. She went into the half-full sanctuary and sat in one of the wooden pews, her eyes on the rough wooden cross in back of the pulpit, which stood to one side. She did her best to focus on getting in a worshipping frame of mind, but once she was seated, her thoughts kept returning to Sam and the discussion they’d had last night when he’d brought her scarf back to her.
She’d been undeniably happy to see him, and had been so relieved when he’d confirmed that she was free to see the twins. But it was their conversation about God that had really made an impression on her. Hearing about Sam’s struggles in that area had just about broken her heart. He obviously felt alone without the Lord in his life, and that made her sad.
She hoped he’d come to church, but she was determined not to expect him to show up or be too disappointed if he didn’t. He had to do things on his own timeline, in his own way, and she wasn’t going to push. But she could pray for Sam, so she folded her hands in her lap and closed her eyes.
Lord, help Sam to find his way back to You, and help me to stay focused on the challenge I’ve been given with the bookstore.
Someone slid in next to her.
Storybook Romance (9781460320433) Page 11
