"I'll give you Tracy's phone number," Connie said to Gallagher. "That way you can reach out to her and offer your help for Tiffany."
"I'd like that."
Grace's animated voice came bounding across the store. "Come on, you four. It's time for the Wall of Fame."
"Let's go," Connie said to the others. "She's been waiting for this moment all day."
Penelope had finished printing the photos she took at the grand opening. They would pick out a few of the best and hang them on what Connie and Grace had dubbed the Wall of Fame. The wall, which ran the length of the oak table, would be the Just Jewelry family album, visible for everyone to see.
Connie had purchased twenty-five frames of various shapes and sizes that would lend elegance to the collage. The plan was to start with about seven or eight and build as time went on.
Grace had already made a discreet pencil mark to indicate the center of the wall, and it was a given that Concetta's photo would be in the center. Without Concetta leaving the condo to Connie, none of this would have been possible, so with Grace's help, Connie had chosen the perfect picture. Since Concetta had been an actress for most of her adult life, the photo was of her on the set of one of her last movies.
The next to be hung captured Connie with her first friends in Sapphire Beach - Grace, Stephanie, Zach, Elyse, Emma, Josh, and Gertrude. It had been taken at Connie's condo on the night she signed the lease for the shop. Without good friends, this new adventure Connie was embarking on wouldn't be nearly as sweet.
Above that was a picture of Connie's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and twin niece and nephew back in Boston. They would always be a part of everything she did, no matter where Connie found herself.
Then she hung a picture of Natasha, Victoria, Gallagher, and Penelope, because they were a part of the store's history, and Connie hoped the latter three would be part of its future, as well.
Next to that was a picture of Victoria as a toddler in the store, courtesy again of Penelope.
Around those, Connie scattered various pictures from the grand opening, since the store would be non-existent without its customers. Connie was sure to include among them one with Fr. Paul, since his words helped her to make the decision to open the shop, and one of herself with Gallagher, Penelope, Ruby, and Emily, the owner of Friendly Scoops. She knew the support and encouragement of other area business owners would prove to be important, as well.
When the last photo was hung, Connie went out back to the refrigerator and returned with a bottle of champagne and some glasses she had brought for the occasion. She smiled at Zach as she handed him the bottle to do the honors.
While Josh and Gallagher handed out champagne, Connie watched Elyse, beaming with pride at her two girls. It was hard to believe that only three months before, she and Elyse were standing in that same shop, and Elyse was planting the idea in Connie's heart to turn it into a jewelry store.
As Connie reached for her glass, she caught a glimpse of Gallagher's tattoo, and the words of Natasha's diary came flooding back. He got a tattoo of a majestic eagle to remind himself of how we soared above so many challenges.
In their own personal way, everyone present was doing just that.
Connie raised her glass. "To new beginnings."
"To new beginnings," they responded heartily.
The End
Other Books in this Series
Free Prequel: Vacations and Victims
(Meet Concetta and Bethany in Vacations and Victims, the Sapphire Beach Prequel)
Book 1: Condos and Corpses
Book 3: Piers, Pliers and Problems
Book 4: Candy Canes and Cadavers:
Coming in early November!
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Angela K. Ryan, John Paul Publishing, P.O. Box 283, Tewksbury, MA 01876
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Angela K. Ryan, author of the Sapphire Beach Cozy Mystery Series, writes clean, feel-good stories that uplift and inspire, with mysteries that will keep you guessing.
When she is not writing, Angela enjoys the outdoors, especially kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snowshoeing, and skiing. She lives near Boston and loves the change of seasons in New England, but, like her main character, she looks forward brief escapes to the white, sandy beaches of southwest Florida, where her mother resides.
Angela dreams of one day owning a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel like Ginger, but isn’t home enough to take care of one. So, for now, she lives vicariously through her main character, Connie.
Surf, Sand and Skeletons Page 13
