by Nancy Naigle
“My husband has been looking for a piece like this for as long as I’ve known him.” The woman’s white hair was perfectly coiffed and she wore an outfit that was pretty snazzy for a car ride home.
“It’s true,” he said. “Years. This is a Porter Swan Elite Music Box.” He ran his fingers gently across the grain of the highly polished wood. “Gorgeous.”
The woman hugged her husband’s arm.
“Yes, it is,” Angela said. “Made in Randolf, Vermont. It’s been in my family for years.”
“Please don’t say it’s not for sale,” his wife begged.
Angela paused. “Actually…”
The man closed his eyes, listening to the perfect pitch of the Christmas tune. “Fifty-four teeth on each comb make the distinctive sweet sound and full range of four octaves. Remarkable. Before you say anything, let me just make you an offer.”
“You know a lot more about this music box than I do,” Angela said. “I just love the sound.”
“Do you have a piece of paper?” he asked.
Angela dug into the pocket of her apron. “Sure.” She handed it to him.
He snatched a pen from his shirt pocket. “Thank you.” He scribbled something on the slip of paper and handed it back to her. “Go ahead. Look at it,” he said.
She glanced over at the man’s wife, who gave Angela a zealous smile.
Angela looked at the paper. On it was written $7000.00. She looked back in his direction and then back at the number, trying to not look too stunned.
“You can’t be serious,” she said. There was no way he meant to write seven thousand dollars. Sure, it was an amazing piece, but that was a crazy price. She’d thought she might get one thousand for it and had been pretty excited about that.
“Fine. I can go another five hundred.” He pulled his checkbook out of his pocket. “I can write you a check right now, and if you’re not comfortable with a check, you can ship me the music box once it clears.”
“Or we can put it on a credit card,” his wife offered, hope hanging to each word.
Seventy-five hundred dollars? That would surely come in handy.
“Whatever works for you,” his wife said. “This would be the best Christmas present ever. I can never find something special enough for him.”
Angela heard Chrissy yell goodbye near the door. She raised her hand and waved as she and her parents left, then glanced between the husband and wife.
“Yes. Sold.” Angela’s heart pounded. “Check or credit card is fine.”
The poised woman let out a wild whoop then leapt into the air. “I’m so happy for you, honey!”
He kissed her full on the mouth. “Never would have found this had you not insisted on stopping here on the way home.”
Angela rang up the sale personally. “I think I can find a box for you, and Jeremy can carry it out to the car.”
“Not necessary,” the man said. “I can carry it. We’re driving straight home from here and I know exactly where I’m putting it. We don’t need a box.” His enthusiasm was contagious. “Thank you so much. You’ve made our Christmas.”
“You’re welcome. It couldn’t have gone to a better home.” Angela would’ve never gotten that kind of money for it locally, even if it was worth it. She looked toward heaven. Thanks, Momma Grace. There’s no way she hadn’t had a little something to do with those people happening into the store today.
* * *
At the end of the night the store was in a total state of disarray. Some of the shelves looked bare, and it had been a good day, even not including the sale of the music box.
Angela called her team out to Snow Valley. “Thanks for an awesome day. There’s only one last thing we need to do today.” She paused. “Snowball fight!” And she was the first one to throw a snowball.
“You’re on my team, Stephanie,” Emma yelled.
They burned off the stress and weariness through a flurry of snowballs and laughter until they were all breathless.
“Man, I haven’t had this much fun in years,” Jeremy said. “This is my dream job.”
Stephanie’s nose was bright red. “I should have brought a coat!”
“You guys are the best team ever,” Angela said. “Thank you for everything.”
They walked back into the store, stomping the snow from their shoes on the carpet mats as they did.
“Snow Valley was a big hit. People loved it,” Angela said. “I’m not sure Snow Valley really helped with sales, but at least it was a memorable day for a lot of people. Including me. And that’s something we can be proud of.”
“Sure is,” Emma agreed.
“How do y’all feel about putting off straightening up the store until tomorrow morning before we open?”
“Don’t have to ask me twice,” Jeremy said. “I’m beat.”
“Yeah, me too,” Angela said. “Y’all head on out.”
As soon as Stephanie and Jeremy left, Emma and Angela closed out the register and carried the till back to her office.
“Here we go.” Emma reached across the desk and placed her hand on top of Angela’s. “No matter what happens, this store is a landmark in this town. Heart of Christmas will always be remembered.”
Angela’s lips quivered. She stared out her office door into the store. The lights still twinkled brightly, and beautiful holiday ornaments and decorations showed their festive colors next to framed black-and-white photos of Pleasant Sands’ history, including those of the lighthouse in its working days.
Her throat tightened, making it difficult to swallow, much less talk, so she just nodded her thanks.
Together she and Emma counted out the money and balanced the tape.
Angela pulled out her ledger from last year to compare sales numbers, but when Emma slid the final numbers across the table to her, Angela didn’t even have to look.
“It’s not enough.” Angela dropped her chin to her chest.
Emma lowered her head. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” Angela balled her hands in her lap. “But I kind of already knew it wouldn’t be.”
“If only Christmas Galore had never come to this town,” Emma said.
“If only.” Angela swallowed hard. “Emma, I’m closing the store. New Year’s Eve will be the last day Heart of Christmas will be open.”
She had no idea what she would do now. Liquidating the inventory would buy her some time, but she wasn’t sure how she’d get through December with a smile on her face, much less in her heart. Letting go of Heart of Christmas would be just like losing Momma Grace all over again.
Chapter Eleven
DID YOU KNOW?
In 1970, Pleasant Sands’ year-round population was 414. Today, the year-round population hovers around 2,800, making it one of the most populated beach towns along the Outer Banks.
With Black Friday behind her, Angela decided to get an early start cleaning up and restocking before the others got to work.
As Angela put her key in the lock, Emma opened the door. “Good morning, my dear friend.”
Angela stumbled back. “You scared me to death. What are you doing here so early?”
“I wanted to help, not give you a heart attack. Sorry.”
Angela let a nervous giggle escape. “I’m fine.”
“I remember you telling me how you and your grandmother would come extra early to the store in the mornings and the two of you would drink chocolate coffee.”
“We did. Momma Grace made the best chocolate coffee.”
Emma counted off the ingredients. “A scoop of cocoa, a splash of vanilla, a teaspoon of sugar and black coffee? Did I remember that correctly?”
“You did. What was Momma Grace thinking? I bet I was a maniac on those days. Chocolate and coffee. Talk about winding a kid up.”
“But you loved it.” Emma walked inside toward the counter, and Angela followed.
“I did,” Angela said. “More than anything.”
“I made you some.” Emma turned and picked up
two dainty bone china cups.
Angela’s eyes teared. “In the pretty dishes?”
“Yes. I thought you might need some cheering up this morning.”
“This is really thoughtful. Thank you so much.” She raised the teacup to her lips.
“I know this is hard, but you should think of this as a shift in your life, not an end to the store. We’re best friends. I know you are so much more than this store. Let this be an opportunity to spread your wings and try something new. Let it be a blessing.”
Angela took a sip of the chocolate coffee. “It tastes just like Momma Grace used to make. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Emma approached the table set with fine china, and a Christmas bear in each chair. She moved one of the bears and sat down. “Come sit.”
Angela took her cup and set it down on the table. She lowered herself onto the chair, and put her folded hands between her knees. “This is nice.”
“Did you get any sleep last night?”
“Some.” Angela ran her fingers under her eyes. Did she look that tired? “I kept thinking about how I flat turned down that offer from Sheetz to build a gas station and restaurant here last year. That almost-too-good-to-turn-down offer. I didn’t even consider it. Did you know that my sister didn’t speak to me for a week after that?”
“Why was she so mad?”
“She said I was living my life by my heart instead of using my business sense.”
“Well, there’s really nothing wrong with going with your heart.”
Angela wasn’t so sure about that anymore. “You know, my great-great-grandmother bought this place and the land for less than we’d pay for a car these days.”
Emma nodded. “That was still a lot of money back then.”
“True. I should’ve at least considered that offer last year. I was thinking about the memories this place holds for Momma Grace and me, but I’ll always have those memories. I wouldn’t be worrying about what I was going to do for a job next year if I’d made a different decision back then.”
“That’s easy to say now, Angela. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Besides, would you really want a gas station right in front of your house?”
“You’ve got a point.”
“Exactly, and closing the business is one thing, but the lighthouse is still yours. You could do something else with it. Rent it out for office space, maybe?”
She’d never really thought of doing something else here. “It’s only ever been Heart of Christmas for as long as I’ve lived.”
“But it was a lighthouse first. So it’s not like you’d be doing anything different than what your great-great-grandmother did. You told me yourself she started Heart of Christmas to make ends meet.”
“True.” Angela hadn’t really considered that. “After she bought the lighthouse, she had all this junk that had been stored in it. Wicks and lanterns. That’s what became the first ornaments and decorations she sold. It hadn’t been out of artistry or a big love for the holiday. It had been out of necessity.”
“She was smart.”
“Very. Momma Grace used to say she wished she’d been crafty like that. She wasn’t, but she loved this town as much as she loved Christmas. That’s how I learned so much about it. Marie used to hate it when Momma Grace started one of her stories. Kind of like on The Golden Girls when Blanche and Dorothy cringe when Rose starts one of those ‘back in St. Olaf’ stories. Only it was always here in Pleasant Sands…” Angela loved hearing those stories. “It was like story hour at the library for me. I didn’t even care that I’d heard them all a hundred times.”
“I love it when I hear you telling our customers stories about the old photos in the store. You come alive. It’s like you were there.”
“Hearing my grandmother tell those stories was just like being there. She was a wonderful storyteller.” Angela sipped her chocolate coffee. “Thank you for doing this.”
“It was nothing really.” Emma smiled gently. “It was the best thing I could think of.”
“It’s perfect.” Angela took the last sip from her cup. “I’m going to tell the others that I’ll be closing the store. I figure I should do it this morning. Any closer to Christmas just seems wrong.”
“Let me know how I can help.”
“I think we’ll start with an extra thirty percent off this week. Then we’ll work on putting together an exclusive, by-invitation-only shopping day for our regular customers. They should be rewarded for being so dedicated all of these years.”
“That’s a great idea.”
* * *
“Enough reminiscing. Let’s get these shelves restocked.” Stephanie and Jeremy would be there in about an hour, but she and Emma worked well together. Emma moved things that had been laid around in random spots back to their places while Angela pulled stock from the back room.
By the time Jeremy and Stephanie got there, things were in pretty good shape.
“Did y’all ever leave last night?” Jeremy asked.
“We did,” Angela said. “But I do have something I need to discuss with you both before we get our day started.”
Jeremy looked worried.
“Look, I’ve been putting this off. Hoping something would change, but it hasn’t and I don’t want to leave you hanging.” Angela’s hands unconsciously twisted together. “I’m going to have to close the store after Christmas.”
“No.” Jeremy slumped and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I love working here.”
“I’m sorry.” Not only was she failing Momma Grace, and dropping the ball on generations of hard work, but she was letting down three dedicated employees.
Stephanie tsked. “This is because of Christmas Galore, isn’t it?”
Jeremy cracked his knuckles. “You can’t tell me that billboard a block up the road wasn’t a deliberate attempt to steal our customers. People new to town will think Christmas Galore is the local Christmas shop.”
“Their Christmas stuff is cheap. My mom went. She said everything she picked up was made overseas, and will probably break before it makes it home,” Stephanie said. “Totally different from us.”
“Completely,” agreed Emma.
“They have crazy deals, though,” Stephanie said. “Appliqued stockings two for five bucks. Mom bought enough for all the ladies in her book club. I hope Christmas Galore lost money on them.”
Angela glanced at the mantel that displayed intricately cross-stitched stockings, some adorned with Swarovski crystals, and even a Western-themed boot made from real cowhide. Not a one was under forty dollars. She was determined to take the high road. “We sell quality. They sell quantity.”
“They discount,” Jeremy said. “For a hundred bucks you can get a whole lighted winter town scene, and people. Here, you can’t even get one building for that.”
“Not true,” Angela said. “You can get the carolers, and they are quality heirloom pieces. They even have legible sheet music in their hands.”
Emma added, “The Christmas carol booklets are affordable, and we have a lot of ornaments under ten dollars.”
Angela understood how they felt. She’d rather be in bed with the covers over her head right now, but that was just not how a good Carson girl behaved. “Quality products are what we sell, and top-notch service is our way.”
“I don’t know what other job I’ll like as much as this one,” Jeremy said, sounding a bit beaten.
“I’ll give you all glowing recommendations elsewhere. I hope you’ll be able to work through the season with me. Jeremy, I wouldn’t be surprised if the ski lodge wants to hire you, the way you have that snow machine mastered.”
“That would be amazing. Summer at the beach. Winter in the mountains.” Jeremy looked delighted at the prospect. Little did he know she had the contacts to make that happen, especially with her recommendation.
“After we close there will be a few weeks of work to shut down everything.”
Emma piped up. “You know, we could move excess
inventory over the internet. I know you were against it as a business model, but it’s a good way to get our products into the right hands. People that appreciate quality and art.”
“I wish I’d explored your idea sooner,” Angela said quietly. “But yes, your help on that would be great.”
“Count me in,” Jeremy said. “I’ll be here with you as long as you need me.”
“I’m in until the end too,” Stephanie said.
Emma placed her hand on Angela’s shoulder. “I’m in too.”
“Thank you.” Angela clapped her hands together. “Now, there will be no pouting. We’re proud of the work we do here. We have no apologies to make. We will do this with style and grace.”
“Right,” they said.
“Great. Emma, how many people do we have signed up for the reindeer cork ornament session this afternoon?”
Emma opened the scheduling book. “We had a couple of cancellations earlier in the week. That leaves the Madison twins, and Reva is bringing her daughter. Janice Johnson is down for three.”
“Six,” Angela said, trying not to show her disappointment. “Okay, well, we’ll be able to give lots of hands-on attention, then. A good thing.”
“Right!” Emma exclaimed. “I’ll get everything set up for you in the craft room.”
“Great. Well, it’s time to open the doors. Are we ready for a wonderful day?” Angela raised her hands in the air. “Let’s do this.”
Angela unlocked the front door and turned the sign to OPEN.
Emma turned on the twinkle lights and Jeremy started the train as Stephanie straightened the money in the till and turned on the credit card machine, before hitting the button for the music.
Angela turned around, taking in the store as if she were a stranger coming in for the first time. The old building had charm. Every display sparkled, and the cheerful colors of Christmas brought warmth to the place.
Jeremy grabbed his jacket. “Off to get the fresh snow going.”
“Thanks, Jeremy!” Angela went to the back and grabbed a stack of eight-inch starburst sale signs that had been sitting on a shelf in the storage room for years and a fat marker and carried them to the front counter. She took the cap off of the marker and the strong odor flooded the room. She’d better be quick about it before the smell drowned out the cinnamon and pine they were known for. The marker squeaked against the shiny cardboard stock as she printed 30 % OFF on each one. Great. Now her store was going to look just like Christmas Galore, with all these sale signs.
