by Olivia Swift
“I was thinking,” she said, “that if we have extra staff, would you be prepared to be the manager and deal with that side of things?” Cherie was delighted and said that it would be a pleasure. She never asked about money, but Kim added that the pay would be higher to compensate for the responsibility.
“Oh, thanks, Kim,” Cherie answered. “I would love to be the manager.” And she did a little dance around the floor to celebrate. As other customers came to the checkout, Cherie went back to the register, and Kim heard the noise of machinery outside. The enormous digger was trundling behind the shop to where the new parking lot would be and then it was parked. The long, lean form of Rob Manners could be seen jumping down from the cab.
“You starting early, Rob?” Kim called as he strolled across to the buildings. He moved with the easy grace of a long-legged cowboy, and she mused that maybe the heavy-machinery guys were the cowboys of today. Rob Manners was classically good-looking with dark hair and brown eyes. He stood at just under six feet tall and would have genuinely laughed out loud if he heard himself described as handsome.
“Just brought the digger over so that I can drive straight here tomorrow,” he answered. “I need a lift back, or I’ll have to drive the monster back again.” He grinned at her, and she said that she would drive him back and then offered him coffee and cake. The man was always ready to eat. The two of them walked toward the house in the comfortable way of old friends, and she told him that she was excited and worried at the same time.
“Easy peasy,” he reassured her. “The parking lot is a piece of cake, and we will then be able to start on the building. It’s a concrete base, and it comes ready to slot together. The manufacturers send a team to construct it, and I am told it will be up in less than a week.”
“Trust you to think of it like cake,” she answered.
“What kind have you got today?” He grinned at her and whistled when she told him carrot cake.
“Oh my,” he said. “My idea of heaven. Is there cream-cheese icing?”
“Would I give you carrot cake without cream cheese? Heaven forbid.” They stepped inside, and he sank into an easy chair. He waved at the quilting frame.
“How are you going to get quilting into the shop?” he asked, and she explained about the crafting area.
“It is so popular,” she told him, “but people do card making and scrapbooking as well. Loads of stuff to source yet,” she finished and then ate some cake herself. “I’ve just offered to make Cherie shop manager because we are going to need more staff.”
“That’s a good idea,” he agreed. “She knows the job inside out.” Kim nodded and told him she would order the crafting stuff herself until they saw what would sell and what wouldn’t.
“I have three antique quilts that can be sold, but I will need to see if I can find more. The patchwork never seems to go out of style.” Rob stopped eating and remembered that he had a message.
“Forgot to say that my mom found a different shop that she hadn’t seen before, and there were several old quilts lying on a shelf. She said to tell you.” He fished in his pocket. “This is the name and address. She wrote it down for you.”
“Oh, thanks.” Kim took the paper. “That is really good of her.” She looked at the address. “I haven’t seen this place before.”
“She says it was down a sort-of alleyway. Not somewhere you would just notice going past, but when we looked, they did have a website.”
Kim turned on the tablet that was lying on the table and typed in the address. “Fascinating,” she said. I know approximately where it is but have never been down there. Looks like something out of a child’s storybook. Did your mom buy anything?”
“Does a duck like water? She found salt and pepper sets that she had never seen before and only paid a few dollars for them. That’s Mom’s idea of a great day out,” he laughed.
“Mine as well, but for quilts—not salt and pepper shakers. How many has she got now?”
“Heaven only knows, but they cover all the shelves of a dresser.
Kim said that she would have to get some Christmas ones for the shop. “I am quite looking forward to stocking a Christmas shop.” She stood up and found a plastic box. “I’ll send your mom some cake—and do not eat it on the way back.”
“As if I would,” he answered, “but you could add an extra slice.” Kim laughed, as she had already done that.
“Extra piece included,” she said, and handed him the box. “I’ll get the car keys to run you to the yard.” He watched her go and looked at the quilt on the frame.
“For somebody who wields a wheelbarrow like a laborer, you sure make delicate stitches,” he said as she came back.
“Women can do lots of different things,” she told him. “Multitasking is one of our greatest skills.” She popped her head in the shop to say where she was going, and then they went to the car. “Hard to believe that this parking lot will be all building in a few weeks.”
“Easy peasy. I told you,” he said from the passenger seat. The yard where he kept the machinery and piles of stone and gravel he needed for the job was quiet because everyone was away on jobs. The little office was locked up.
“Got something to show you though,” he said as he opened up the office.
She snorted, “Heard that one before.”
He just grinned and handed her a roll of paper. “Oh my!” She was taken completely by surprise because there, in beautifully executed precision, was the floor plan and layout of the whole site. It showed the new parking lot with trees around it and the building incorporating the old shop. It looked wonderful.
“Thanks, Rob,” she managed at last. “What a fantastic idea. I must frame it and keep it somewhere safe.”
“See what a good carrot cake gets you?” He laughed.
2
When she returned, Kim walked back into the shop to show Cherie the plan on paper and found that quite a lot of customers were still browsing. She put the plan to one side and started to work at the checkout counter. With a break in the stream of customers, she showed the picture to her assistant, and Cherie exclaimed that it was great.
Cherie said, “How good to see it laid out properly. I can see it in my mind’s eye now. Did Rob draw this himself?”
“Yes. He hides his light under a bushel. He was always good at drawing plans to scale, but this is artwork as well. Showing his arty side,” Kim laughed.
“He would move a hundred parking lots if you asked him to,” Cherie joked, but Kim shook her head.
“He probably would, because he is a such a good guy, but we have been friends forever.”
“Mmm,” Cherie said and made no more comment. The plan was on the counter, and a customer was taking a quick peek.
“The plans for the new layout,” Kim told her and unrolled it properly.
“I heard you might have a craft and quilt section,” the woman said with a question in her voice.
“Yes, that’s right. Are you interested in quilting?” Kim asked. The woman held out a hand.
“Corby Santana,” the customer answered, “and yes, I love my quilts.” This, of course, led to a discussion about what sorts of quilts they both made, and it turned out that Corby also loved the history of patchwork. “I spend far too much time and money on it, but it has turned into an obsession.” Kim laughed and invited her in to see the one she had on the frame. The shop was starting to empty, and Cherie was tidying up as Kim took Corby into the house.
“Oh, wow,” Corby said and rushed over to the frame. “How old is this frame? It’s just fabulous.” Then she ran her hand over the quilt in progress. “You must have some patience to do this. I sew patches on a machine with the odd bit of hand finishing.”
“The frame was my grandmother’s,” Kim said, “and we still have some of the quilts she made on it.”
“I am so jealous,” Corby told her. “It will be exciting to have a place devoted to quilts so close by. I will be one of your first customers.”
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br /> “I don’t suppose you would be interested in being a part-time salesperson in the quilting area?” Kim took a leap of faith and asked the question. There was a pause as Corby took in what she had said, and then a grin the size of a banana spread across the woman’s face. Kim even thought that there was the possibility of a tear squeezing out onto her cheek. Corby threw her arms around Kim’s neck and said that it would be a lifesaver.
“Sit down and have coffee,” Kim invited and handed her a tissue, because her newest employee was dabbing at her eyes. She started the coffee and asked why it would be a lifesaver.
“My husband left me two weeks ago, and I knew I would have to find a job. This one would be perfect. I would love it. Thank you so much. I can start anytime you like.” Cherie knocked on the door and told them that the shop was locked up, and she was ready to go.
“Come in for a second,” Kim said. “This is Corby Santana—Cherie Long. Corby has just agreed to be an assistant with the quilts. She’s a bit of an enthusiast. Cherie is the shop manager.”
“Welcome to what will be chaos for some time—and then we have Christmas,” Cherie answered. “And I do need the help.” Cherie stayed for a few minutes and then left for the mall. Corby gave her address and phone number and agreed to start the next week.
“Out of interest, have you ever heard of this shop?” Kim showed her the paper that Rob had brought from his mom. Corby looked and then nodded.
“I’ve been there once. It has a feel to it. Can’t explain it really. If I believed in such stuff, I would say it felt like some sort of spell around the place,” she laughed. “That sounds crazy. I just have too vivid an imagination.”
“Interesting though. My friend’s mom bought some salt and pepper sets that she collects and said the shop was hard to find.”
Corby left for home, and Kim checked to see that the nursery was locked up, and the plants were watered. There was quite a lot to go over, and the place was always very quiet when everyone had gone home.
“You are all doing well,” she told the plants and smiled. She knew other people talked to their plants as well, but she hoped nobody would hear her doing it. She pulled out her cell and called Rob.
“Is your mom there?” she asked, and he passed the phone to his mother. Jenny Manners was a family friend as well as Rob’s mom, and the families had always been close. Her own parents had passed away, but Jenny Manners was always there if she was needed.
“Can I come over and ask you about this shop, Jenny?” she asked, and her friend’s mom told her to come straightaway because the pasta was almost ready. Kim laughed and went to grab a jacket and car keys. She locked the house and drove away. The house where Rob still lived with his mom was as familiar to Kim as her own. She knocked and then opened the door as the smell of cooking pasta sauce filled her senses.
“Mmm,” she said and kissed Jenny on the cheek.
“Sit down. Sit down. You need a good meal anyway,” Jenny told her and ladled out a bowlful of food. Rob, of course, already had an enormous plate of pasta in front of him and grinned at Kim.
“We both stay thin because we work so hard,” he said to his mom. “It is good pasta though.”
“Thanks for the cake,” Jenny said as she sat to eat her own meal. “I did manage to save some before he gobbled the whole lot.”
“What was it like, this mysterious little shop?” Kim queried, and Jenny stopped eating.
“You know,” she said, “I didn’t really think about it at the time, but it was a bit peculiar.” Rob asked what she meant. “I felt as if it sort of just appeared. I’m sure it wasn’t there very long, because I know this town inside out. It must have opened quite recently.” She hesitated. “But it looked as if it was ancient, and the stuff had been there for a long time. Does that sound weird?” Kim told her what Corby had said about a spell and then laughed at her own half believing it. But Jenny said that it was exactly how she felt about it. “The people were very friendly though, and helpful, and the prices were very good.” She went and found the two sets of salt and pepper shakers. “She only charged me ten dollars for both sets.” Kim turned them over in her hands.
“And these are real porcelain, I think,” Kim grinned. “Now I have got to go and see this place. Did you say there were quilts on a shelf?” Jenny nodded and said they looked okay, but she hadn’t picked them up or anything.
Rob had finished his pasta. “I’ll go with you, Kim. It sounds a bit strange to me.” Kim smiled at him and accepted.
“That would be great, Rob. What about the parking lot?”
“I’ll do the bulk in the morning and get Jimbo to come and take over after lunch.” He looked at her. “I’ll treat you to a lunch if you like.” The tone suggested that he thought she might refuse, but Kim said that would be lovely. He beamed and asked his mom if she had any ice cream. Jenny shook her head in despair and went to the freezer. Kim followed and thanked her for the pasta.
“I’ll let you know about the quilts and the shop,” she said and waved a hand at Rob as she went to the door. He jumped up and followed her out.
“See you in the morning,” he said and watched as she drove away.
“You’re still sweet on that girl, aren’t you?” his mother asked as she handed him some pecan and maple ice cream. He smiled and took the ice cream to eat in front of the television. He had long ago stopped rising to the bait.
Kim detoured off to Chestnut Hall to tell her sister about the plan to be framed, and the trip planned to the mysterious shop. Jazz was delighted to sit and hear the news as Evan brewed some coffee. Molly Kim was in a little buggy thing that she could push with her feet and careened around the enormous kitchen bumping into everything.
“How is Jenny? I haven’t seen her for ages,” Jazz asked.
“Same as ever. Fed me pasta. She would love to see Molly Kim. She thinks she is a stand-in granny.” Kim smiled. “Rob starts the parking lot tomorrow. The plan is finally about to start. I am so looking forward to the Christmas grotto.”
“Would you like me to come to this shop with you?” Jazz asked. “It is down some odd alleyway.”
“Kind of you, sister mine, but Rob stepped in and offered the same.” She laughed. “He even offered to buy me lunch.”
“Woohoo,” Jazz replied. “Enjoy yourselves. That will make his year.”
Kim finished her coffee. “You never give up do you?” She laughed. “We’ve been friends too many years to change now.”
When her sister had left, Jazz wrapped her arms around Evan’s waist. “I wish she would see what is right in front of her face. He has doted on her since he was about ten years old.”
“What will be, will be,” Evan replied. “And if you interfere, you will not be popular.”
“I just want her to be as happy as I am,” she told him and pecked his cheek. “I am one lucky woman.”
“Perhaps the shop really does have a magic spell, and it will grant your wish. I am really curious about the place myself now,” Evan replied.
3
Kim considered doing some quilting, but was just too tired and rolled into bed. The early morning was light and bright, and she grabbed some breakfast before opening up the greenhouses. She checked for watering areas and made sure that the plants were being kept clean. The ones in bloom were looking good enough to go to the sales areas, and she opened up the shop as well to check what space needed to be filled. Jamie came in, and she told him what needed to be done. Then Cherie, and the other part-time lady, came in to tidy the shop, and make sure everything looked spotless.
Jamie told her that the other man who worked part-time had not been well the day before, and he would be surprised if he arrived for work.
“Will you manage?” she asked. “I’ll move the flowering stuff to the sales areas if you can water and tidy the rest.” Jamie agreed and set off into the potting area. The first customers started to appear, and she heard the sound of the digger roaring into action. Looking through the glasshouse
windows, she and Jamie watched as the first huge amounts of soil were moved and systematically compacted.
“It’s underway,” she said and asked Jamie to check that the Christmas pot plants were on order. She almost felt like skipping as she went into her tiny office to check emails. The morning slipped away in a flurry of work, and then Kim started to think about what to wear to visit this shop. She chose jeans and a pretty top with a new jacket that she had been looking for an excuse to wear. She gave in to vanity and chose some killer heels and long dangling earrings. She heard Rob downstairs, and he called to ask if it was okay to change in the bathroom. She ran downstairs and told him to help himself as she grabbed a big satchel in case the quilts were worth buying. She slipped out to tell the others she was going out. He was waiting in the living room when she came back and told her she looked fantastic.
“Thank you, kind sir. You look pretty good yourself,” she answered. “Let’s go and eat before we find this weird shop.” They decided on steak and fries as the restaurant was not very far away. Settled with the food in front of them, Rob asked how many different departments she had in mind for the new store.
“Starting with pot plants and garden things as we have now but extended. I think a floral art section, crafts in general, and quilts separate. I would really like a small coffee shop, but we might not manage that in time,” she hesitated. “And I’m not sure what the extra cost would be. We have to cover an area for Christmas as well.” Rob stopped eating and pulled out his phone. He flicked to a website and brought up a picture.
“I knew you were thinking about this and found this place where a system is already in use.” The picture was not a garden center. It was a clothing store, but the divisions were made with the same modular sections that she had in mind.
