“I didn’t have a chance to talk to Sarah before I left the cabin this morning, so when I ran into Eli, I asked him for a recommendation. He was kind enough to give me one.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t come in here very much,” the woman said with a regretful tone in her voice.
“I’m Anna, by the way,” Arianna said. “I’m staying in one of their cabins for the next week or so.”
The woman—Arianna could see from her nametag that her name was Cecelia—tilted her head as her eyes narrowed briefly. “I thought they were closed for the next month in order to get some work done on the cabins.”
“They were,” Arianna said with a nod. “But they kindly opened one of them back up for me.”
The woman stared at her for a moment before smiling again, though this one looked a lot less real than the one a few minutes ago. Inwardly, Arianna sighed. Win some, lose some. She’d made a friend at the bookstore, but it looked like she hadn’t gained one at the bake shop.
“That was nice of them,” Cecelia said as she turned to begin preparing Arianna’s coffee. From her tone of voice, however, it seemed she didn’t think it was anything of the sort.
CHAPTER TEN
Arianna continued to look through the cases, keeping one eye on the woman to make sure she didn’t do anything to her drink. Not that she really thought she would, but the flip from friendly to not-so-friendly once she realized that Arianna was staying in close proximity to Eli, had been a little disconcerting. After the woman finished making the drink, she set it on the counter then moved to a large glass jar that contained stacks of chocolate chip cookies.
“Just one?” she asked, glancing over at Arianna.
“Um…make it a half dozen.” Maybe the extra sales would sweeten the woman up.
However, she wasn’t dropping nearly the amount of money at the bakery as she had at the bookstore. While it may have been difficult to spend that much money there, she certainly could have spent more, but the woman’s attitude was a bit of a turn-off.
“There you go,” she said, pushing both the drink and white bag with a bakery seal on it toward her. She gave her the total then waited as Arianna used her debit card to pay. “Thanks for stopping by.”
That’s what the woman’s words said, but her tone was more like I hope I never see you again. Things couldn’t be too solid in her relationship with Eli—if she had one—if she was that jealous over Arianna staying in one of the cabins and simply talking to him.
She wasn’t one hundred percent sold on the idea of them being in a relationship. If they were, wouldn’t Eli have mentioned that his girlfriend worked there? And wouldn’t he have had more personal recommendations if he had such a close connection to the shop?
As Arianna walked down the sidewalk toward the grocery store, she decided that maybe it was a case of Cecelia having a crush on Eli, and her feelings not being reciprocated. Not that it mattered. She wasn’t here for a boyfriend. She’d already had one of those—even if it had been fake—and was in no hurry to find a real one.
She walked into the grocery store with fairly low expectations, and at first glance, she thought maybe a trip to Seattle was going to be in her near future. However, though the interior had a distinctly country store look to it, as she pushed her small cart around, she found the shelves were stocked with all the basics and more. By the time she made it to the checkouts at the front, she was confident she’d be okay shopping there while she was in town.
“Did you find everything you needed?” the teenage boy at the cash register asked as he began to scan her items and put them into bags.
“I did, thank you,” Arianna told him as she finished up the last of her coffee. “It’s very well-stocked.”
“Yeah, the owner tries to make sure that we carry a good assortment of products. He wants to keep the people around here coming back, so we try to keep what they want in stock.”
“Excellent plan,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll be back even though I’m not in town for very long.”
“Just visiting?” the teen asked, his expression open and friendly. He was tall and lanky, with dark brown hair that hung in loose curls around his face. However, it was his beautiful skin tone and light-colored eyes that drew her attention. He reminded her a lot of models she’d seen on the catwalk during Fashion Week in New York.
“Yep. Just here for a couple of weeks.”
“You look kind of familiar.” His brow furrowed as his light grey eyes regarded her. “Are you famous or something?”
She fought to keep her smile from faltering as she gave a quick shake of her head. “I’ve never been on TV or in the movies. I guess I just have one of those faces.”
If anyone were to discover who she was, Arianna was pretty sure it would be a teen, but she’d be surprised if it was a guy, considering her audience was primarily female.
“Do you need a hand getting the bags to your car?” he asked as she finalized the purchase on her debit card.
Arianna looked at him in surprise but then shook her head. “I think I can handle them. Thank you for the offer, though.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “Have a good day.”
“You, too.” She returned his smile as she lifted the paper bags containing her groceries.
Back out on the sidewalk, Arianna headed for her car. She put her things in the trunk then climbed behind the wheel. She sat for a moment, watching the smattering of people make their way in and out of the various stores and Norma’s restaurant.
By far the most imposing building was the one that housed the bookstore. At three stories high, it was taller than most the other buildings. The one with the dance studio was nearly as tall, but the bakery and the grocery store were only single-story buildings. It certainly made for an interesting landscape.
Arianna knew she needed to stop procrastinating and head back to the cabin. For the first time in what felt like forever, she needed to set up her equipment and film. She didn’t know why she was nervous. It wasn’t like she was doing a live stream.
Although maybe that would be a good idea.
She considered it for a couple of minutes, weighing the pros and cons. People wouldn’t be able to say she was reading from a script. The problem with doing a live stream was the chat would likely go by so fast she wouldn’t be able to keep up with it. Without her assistant there to help field the questions and comments for her, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. And given that she was currently trying to recover from one screw-up, it didn’t seem smart to court a second one.
With a sigh, Arianna started the car and backed out of her spot. She just needed to stick to her plan and get it done. Once she was over this hurdle, she’d have some idea of which direction she should take. And after she’d decided that, then it would be time to approach her team.
She didn’t rush the drive back to the cabin, taking time to appreciate the forest that gradually thickened as she left the town behind her. The multitude of colors inspired her. It made her want to create a whole line of bedding in the autumnal colors that surrounded her. Before the scandal, she would have been confident that she could add that to her line of home-style goods, but now…
As she drove down the narrow road between the cabins, Arianna saw Eli’s truck parked out in front of one of them. She wanted to stop and see what he was doing but recognized the idea for the stall tactic that it was.
After she’d parked at her cabin, Arianna got out of the car and began to unload her purchases. The books were a powerful draw, but one she ignored as she put her groceries away. After she was done setting up her camera equipment, she went into the bathroom to freshen up.
She’d found another plaque that morning, hanging next to the mirror in the bathroom. As she plugged in her flat iron, her gaze wandered to it again.
This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
It was a timely reminder, because when the bad days piled up, she tended to lose sight of that fact. And really
, when it came right down to it, her bad days, of late, were nowhere near as bad as what many other people experienced. She still had her health. Her parents were still alive and healthy. And even if her business did fail, she had money to keep her financially afloat. She had plenty more things to be grateful for than reasons to be upset.
So even though she was struggling with the whole business situation and how to deal with it, she was thankful for the reminder to rejoice. And hopefully, she’d keep that in mind, no matter what else might come her way in the upcoming days.
With a sigh, Arianna looked into the mirror, meeting her own gaze.
“You can do this. You were raised to be strong and to meet struggles head-on. You’ll never get to the other side of this if you don’t take the first step. You know it’s the right thing to do. It’s what God wants you to do. Make this right.”
Arianna bent her head forward, waiting for the words to settle into her mind, to calm her and give her the courage to face what lay ahead.
***
Eli drove along the road past the cabins, winding his way up the mountain to his own place. It was close enough to the lodge that he could be there if his mom needed him, but also far enough away that he had privacy. When his cabin came into view, a familiar sense of peace descended over him.
He’d built the cabin with the help of a few friends, calling in professionals only for the things he would have needed to be certified to do, like the plumbing and electrical. It had been a slow journey—almost two years from start to finish—during which he’d had to continue to live with his mom and the twins, but the sense of satisfaction he’d had over each step of the process had been immense.
After parking his truck, he climbed the porch steps to his front door. Even though he wasn’t sure he’d ever get married or have kids, he’d built his cabin with three bedrooms and a small office. Two of the bedrooms were on the second floor with a bathroom, but he hadn’t decorated any of it. The rooms were still empty, the walls painted a simple white.
The master bedroom and office on the main floor, however, were completely finished and furnished. The kitchen was modern with a large window over the sink looking out at the forest. Several more large windows lined the walls, giving the house an open feel. Everywhere was nature, and it was exactly what Eli had wanted when he’d built it.
His favorite place of all, however, was his workshop. Built off to the side, it had lots of windows to let in the light, and the room was spacious enough that he never felt cramped as he worked. There was plenty of room for the large pieces he worked on as well as the smaller ones.
Though he would have loved to go into his workshop, he didn’t have the time. He’d been painting all day at the first cabin, and now he needed to take a shower before supper. Thankfully, the first full day of painting hadn’t gone as badly as he’d thought it might. Sarah had gotten tied up with a rush project that she needed to finish, so it had been just him and Leah working at the cabin.
Leah could be moody and antagonistic at times, but mainly, she just liked to be left alone. That meant that working with her didn’t require a lot of conversation. Sarah was non-stop talking, which could be annoying at times, particularly if she wanted him to reply. If she did all the talking, Eli was much happier.
He never ceased to be amazed at just how much she found to talk about. Both girls were curious, and the internet was definitely their friend. But while Leah kept most of what she learned to herself, Sarah was an endless fount of information on everything from politics to entertainment. Most of it held no interest for Eli, so he usually just tuned her out. She was well aware of that but still chose to talk his ear off.
Within half an hour, he had showered and was on his way back to his mom’s. She’d mentioned that Anna would be joining them that night, unlike the night before. As far as he knew, she’d stayed holed up in her cabin all day. He would have heard her car if she’d driven past, so unless she’d walked to town, which was unlikely, she’d stayed at the cabin.
Her presence was still a mystery to Eli, as was her curiosity about the town. Was it simple interest, or did she have a motive for it? Part of him wondered if—despite what she’d said—she was some sort of movie producer looking for a place to film a Hallmark movie. He couldn’t blame her if she was. With fall bearing down on them, New Hope Falls was a beautiful place to be. And Christmas wasn’t bad either. The decorations that lined Main Street—not to mention the way a lot of the residents went all out to decorate their homes—gave the town a real festive feel.
After pulling his truck to a stop in front of the lodge, Eli got out, running a hand through his still damp hair as he headed up the steps to the front door. He had noticed Anna’s car was still parked in front of her cabin, so she would probably be coming in a few minutes.
As soon as he stepped through the front door, he could hear the murmur of conversation coming from the kitchen. He made his way along the hallway, past the front desk, and stepped into the kitchen. Surprisingly, Anna was already there, standing at the island counter with the ingredients for a garden salad in front of her.
Eli paused for a moment, unused to seeing a guest helping out the way Anna was. Generally speaking, his mom was fairly protective of her kitchen. He and the twins—and occasionally, his aunt—were allowed there, but paying guests weren’t. He wasn’t sure what made Anna different, but clearly his mom had connected with her as more than just a guest.
“Hello, son,” his mom said as he continued into the kitchen.
He went to her side and kissed her cheek. “What can I do to help?”
“You can pour the water then get the salad dressings out of the fridge.”
“Hi,” Anna said with a smile as he turned in her direction.
He noticed immediately that her smile wasn’t as bright as it had been the last time he’d seen her, and she had circles under her eyes that hadn’t been there before. It left him wondering what had happened after he’d run into her in front of the hardware store the previous day.
Maybe she’d reveal what had transpired if he just asked, although why he cared so much, he wasn’t sure. Except it just seemed wrong to see anything but the joy and excitement he’d seen on her face the day before. “Hey. How has your day been?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Anna shrugged then her shoulders slumped. “From what I hear, it wasn’t nearly as productive as yours.”
So she was going to dodge the question. Eli couldn’t really blame her. He was still basically a stranger to her, after all. “We did get a good chunk of painting done. Leah likes to work instead of chat, so the two of us working together get a lot done.”
Sarah snapped him with the towel she held. “But working with me is a lot more fun. I just know you love to hear what all the stars are up to.”
“Yep. That’s me, all right,” Eli said as he went to the fridge and pulled out the glass pitcher of water his mom had put there earlier.
Leah was focused on a pot on the stove, which he was pretty sure contained chicken and dumplings. At least, he hoped it did. After working all day, he was starving, and that was a meal always guaranteed to fill him up.
Sarah continued to talk as they finished up the last of the supper preparations. His mom and Anna interjected a few comments, but as usual, Sarah could pretty much hold her own without much input.
When they finally sat down and gave thanks for the food—which was, indeed, chicken and dumplings—Sarah’s monologue finally slowed. His mom talked more then, asking how things had gone at the cabin. Anna also shared a bit about her time the previous day as she’d visited a few of the stores in town.
“I loved the bookstore. Adam was very helpful in sharing what types of books they carried and then gave me space to browse on my own. I really appreciated that.”
“Adam’s a sweetheart. Eli mentioned you’d asked for suggestions from the bakery,” Sarah said. “Did you go by there?”
“Yes, I did, and I got what he suggested. The chocolat
e chip cookie and the coffee were both great. I actually ended up bringing a half dozen of the cookies home with me.”
Eli noticed that she didn’t enthuse at all about the customer service there, and it made him wonder who had been working. If it was Cecelia, once she realized Anna was staying at the cabins, she’d probably given her a rather frosty reception. Her assumption would most likely be that because his mom had made an exception for Anna to stay at the cabins that she was a personal family friend. And a pretty one, at that.
“And then I went to the grocery store where the cashier there offered to help me out to the car with my bags. The customer service there was much different than the store where I go for groceries in LA.”
“Stanley Overmeier prides himself on keeping his customers happy. He listens to what they want and gives them a positive experience when they come to the store. That means his employees are well-trained, and he keeps them happy as well.”
Anna nodded. “I certainly left the store feeling like I wanted to go back again.” She smiled. “And I probably will.”
“I’ll be sure to pass that on to him the next time I see him. He’ll be happy to hear that.”
“Are all the stores so customer-oriented?”
“For the most part, I think you’ll find that to be true. First of all, being a tourist town, we want visitors to our town to have a good experience. Secondly, we’re close to other bigger towns and cities with stores that could easily replace the ones we have here. If the store owners here want to keep town residents as loyal customers, they have to treat them well. Give them something they might not necessarily get from bigger, more generic stores.”
“That makes a lot of sense,” Anna said as she picked up her glass then took a drink. “When you live in the big cities, it seems that a lot of the stores aren’t as concerned with customer loyalty. Or at least they’re not trying to build it through customer service. Most likely it would be because they offer good deals.”
A Love So Real: A Christian Romance (New Hope Falls Book 1) Page 7
