Nick’s gaze followed the old man, and Jules could see how much Nick loved him reflected in his eyes. “He sure does.”
“I wonder if it has something to do with that letter,” Jules mused.
“Letter?”
“We found an envelope in Gram’s things. It was addressed to your grandfather, but she never sent it. Rose gave it to him.”
Nick’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Interesting. He didn’t mention anything about a letter. Maybe that explains his recent happiness. What did it say?”
Jules shrugged. “No idea. It was sealed.”
Nick glanced out at his grandfather just as the four seniors burst out laughing. “Well, whatever it was, it seems to have done him a world of good.”
Jules straightened the loan papers into a neat pile in front of her. “I’m sure my cousins will be happy to sign this, but we’ll probably run it by Gram’s lawyer first.”
“Sure, no problem.” Nick hesitated, seeming nervous. “Maybe once it’s signed, I could take you to dinner to celebrate.”
Jules smiled. “I think I’d like that.”
Chapter Forty-Three
“You did great!” Rose hugged Gina, almost causing her to spill her coffee. “Imagine lasting to the final round.”
“I knew you could master baking pies just like your grandmother.” Pearl winked at Gina.
“Be careful what you wish for. Now everyone will be expecting you to bring fabulous pies to the town potluck events,” Leena said.
“Well, who knows if I can keep that up?” Gina grimaced. “Some of those wins were just luck. Andy burned his crust, and Brad was distracted.”
Gina was shrugging off the praise, but Maddie could tell she was secretly pleased.
“And look at how the town has been transformed.” Rose gestured toward the groups of tourists who were milling about. The town did look a lot better. It was more inviting with its fresh paint, flowers, and new awnings. The shops seemed brighter, too, and the tourists strolling along with colorful shopping bags added to the bustling vibe.
“The baking contest really did bring a lot of people here. It’s been amazing, and we have a few reservations for next week at the motel. It’s definitely brought awareness of our town, but I’m not sure it will last,” Maddie said.
“Oh, it won’t.” Rose sat down next to her on the bench. “We need to create a buzz about the town. Give tourists a reason to come here.”
“We kind of lucked out with the baking contest, but now we need to be more deliberate,” Pearl said.
Pearl and Rose exchanged a glance.
“What do you mean? What’s going on?” Maddie asked.
The ladies were clearly holding back about something.
“We need to take specific action,” Pearl said.
“And we need a specific person to take that action,” Leena added.
Rose turned to Maddie. “And that person is you. We’ve spoken to the mayor, and he’s agreed to open up the chamber of commerce position again. We want you to fill it.”
Maddie didn’t know what to say. She was busy at the motel, but the new position was intriguing. “What does that entail? I do have responsibilities at the motel.”
“Don’t worry about that. It’s just part time. You can manage the motel and head the chamber of commerce, but you’d have more clout with the chamber of commerce title,” Pearl said.
“And a budget.” Leena rubbed her forefinger and thumb together.
“Don’t get too excited about the budget though. It’s only a small sum from the permit fees that the baking show paid. But you’ll be able to use it for advertising and setting things up,” Rose said. “So basically you just need to organize the town events. Reaching out to vendors and putting ads in papers will go smoother with your new title. What do you say?”
