with, and if the Burly Boy people put more pressure on him, he might change his mind. I couldn’t really blame him.”
“But he’d have to have approval first from the planning and zoning commission and the council before that kind of deal could go through,” Ian reminded her.
“I know. So I figure you’ll know about it if anything changes.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “All right. If I hear any news like that, I’ll let you know. Meanwhile, you keep those eyes open.”
“I will.”
Again he patted her shoulder. “And don’t worry—OK?”
“Thanks.”
She shut the front door after him and turned around to find Mandy right behind her.
“Oh!”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, Miss Brock. I’m done though, and I thought you’d want to take a look.”
Mary Beth forced a smile, not sure what her book wall would look like now, but the smile soon widened into a genuine grin.
“That looks great, Mandy. Everything is so neat and well organized.”
Mandy fairly beamed under the praise. “Thanks. I hope I did it all right.”
Mary Beth wrapped one arm around the girl’s shoulders. “You did it perfectly. Now, if you still want to help, I’ve been wanting to reorganize my patterns too. I think between the two of us, we can just get it done before closing time. Can you stay that long?”
“Sure. Just let me call my mom and let her know.”
While Mandy was calling home, Mary Beth was surprised to see Kate come into the shop.
“Hi there!” Mary Beth hugged her. “I didn’t expect you in today.”
“I’ve been busy during my time off.” Kate held up an overstuffed tote bag. “I’ve printed up a bunch of copies of my new patterns, and I was hoping you’d have room for them in the display.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Mary Beth hugged her again, almost in tears. “Thank you for being so understanding about this whole mess, Kate. You don’t know how much I miss having you in the shop every day. I hope it won’t be long before I can bring you back full-time.”
Kate gave her a hopeful little smile. “I was thinking about that. I’ve been busy working on patterns and packaging them for sale. I thought—if you don’t object, that is—I could do that here as easily as at home. Then I could help out with customers, too, if you needed me to. No wages required. What do you think?”
“Oh, Kate, really?”
Kate nodded eagerly.
“No, I couldn’t.” Mary Beth shook her head. “I couldn’t take advantage of you like that.”
“What advantage? I told you I’d be doing exactly what I’m doing at home right now. Only it’s not nearly as fun doing it by myself and without someone to bounce ideas off of. You’ve always been such a help to me when I’m working up a new idea. What do you say?”
Mary Beth gave her an enormous hug. “Welcome back!”
6
The rest of the afternoon flew by, but Mary Beth was pleased with how neat and appealing the shop looked after a little straightening up, and she was thrilled to have Kate in the shop again. By the time she got home, her telephone was ringing. She tossed her purse into a chair and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“You know, Mary Beth, I really don’t appreciate you using Amy to try to manipulate me!”
“Melanie?”
“I know you’ve always felt like I had it easier than you, but I’ve worked for everything I have. I took chances to make it big instead of being satisfied with a one-off little craft store in a town nobody ever heard of. Now you think I’m the one who has to bail you out? You could have gotten into the business when I did. Mother would’ve found a place for you somewhere, I guess. But you had to waltz over to Hickville in the backwoods and be on your own. Well, this is the ‘on your own’ part, sister.”
“Well, how nice to hear from you, Melanie. How have you been?”
“Don’t be cute. You’re not the type. And I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do.”
Mary Beth clamped her
“But he’d have to have approval first from the planning and zoning commission and the council before that kind of deal could go through,” Ian reminded her.
“I know. So I figure you’ll know about it if anything changes.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “All right. If I hear any news like that, I’ll let you know. Meanwhile, you keep those eyes open.”
“I will.”
Again he patted her shoulder. “And don’t worry—OK?”
“Thanks.”
She shut the front door after him and turned around to find Mandy right behind her.
“Oh!”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, Miss Brock. I’m done though, and I thought you’d want to take a look.”
Mary Beth forced a smile, not sure what her book wall would look like now, but the smile soon widened into a genuine grin.
“That looks great, Mandy. Everything is so neat and well organized.”
Mandy fairly beamed under the praise. “Thanks. I hope I did it all right.”
Mary Beth wrapped one arm around the girl’s shoulders. “You did it perfectly. Now, if you still want to help, I’ve been wanting to reorganize my patterns too. I think between the two of us, we can just get it done before closing time. Can you stay that long?”
“Sure. Just let me call my mom and let her know.”
While Mandy was calling home, Mary Beth was surprised to see Kate come into the shop.
“Hi there!” Mary Beth hugged her. “I didn’t expect you in today.”
“I’ve been busy during my time off.” Kate held up an overstuffed tote bag. “I’ve printed up a bunch of copies of my new patterns, and I was hoping you’d have room for them in the display.”
“Oh, wonderful!” Mary Beth hugged her again, almost in tears. “Thank you for being so understanding about this whole mess, Kate. You don’t know how much I miss having you in the shop every day. I hope it won’t be long before I can bring you back full-time.”
Kate gave her a hopeful little smile. “I was thinking about that. I’ve been busy working on patterns and packaging them for sale. I thought—if you don’t object, that is—I could do that here as easily as at home. Then I could help out with customers, too, if you needed me to. No wages required. What do you think?”
“Oh, Kate, really?”
Kate nodded eagerly.
“No, I couldn’t.” Mary Beth shook her head. “I couldn’t take advantage of you like that.”
“What advantage? I told you I’d be doing exactly what I’m doing at home right now. Only it’s not nearly as fun doing it by myself and without someone to bounce ideas off of. You’ve always been such a help to me when I’m working up a new idea. What do you say?”
Mary Beth gave her an enormous hug. “Welcome back!”
6
The rest of the afternoon flew by, but Mary Beth was pleased with how neat and appealing the shop looked after a little straightening up, and she was thrilled to have Kate in the shop again. By the time she got home, her telephone was ringing. She tossed her purse into a chair and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“You know, Mary Beth, I really don’t appreciate you using Amy to try to manipulate me!”
“Melanie?”
“I know you’ve always felt like I had it easier than you, but I’ve worked for everything I have. I took chances to make it big instead of being satisfied with a one-off little craft store in a town nobody ever heard of. Now you think I’m the one who has to bail you out? You could have gotten into the business when I did. Mother would’ve found a place for you somewhere, I guess. But you had to waltz over to Hickville in the backwoods and be on your own. Well, this is the ‘on your own’ part, sister.”
“Well, how nice to hear from you, Melanie. How have you been?”
“Don’t be cute. You’re not the type. And I don’t appreciate what you’re trying to do.”
Mary Beth clamped her
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