Noel grabbed Mrs.Madelyn’s glove-covered hand and pulled her into the warm store.
“What’s wrong, Noel?”
“I forgot,” she realized out loud, her energy instantly sagging.
“Forgot what?”
“The cinnamon rolls, the social media posts—everything,” she exclaimed in one rushed phrase.
“Calm down, sweetie, we will take care of all of it, and no one will ever know the difference.”
“I thought I remembered all the details this year,” Noel claimed, standing near the register and staring at the time which was shouting to her that the eight o’clock tune would sound in less than ten minutes.“I wrote check-off lists so I wouldn’t drop any balls.How did I forget to invite the first fifty customers for the complimentary cinnamon rolls that I also forgot to bake?”
As the words spilled out of Noel’s mouth, the bell on the door jingled.
“I even forgot to lock the door,” she uttered louder than intended.
A gentleman around her age wearing a dark full-length overcoat let the door close behind him but stopped his gait just inside as he apparently tried to decipher the meaning of her comment.
“Good morning, handsome,” Mrs.Madelyn greeted with a smile.“Welcome to Beaufort Candy Company.”
“Morning, ma’am.It sounds like I may have shown up at an inconvenient time.If you will be kind enough to point me in the right direction, I can come back later for some of your delicious-smelling candy,” the customer responded.“I just arrived in town and was wondering where I might find the best breakfast Beaufort, North Carolina has to offer.I tried the restaurant across the street, but apparently they aren’t open.”
“We aren’t open yet either,” Noel spouted.
“Yes, we are,” Mrs.Madelyn countered wondering if Noel even heard a word the guy spoke.
The man with slicked-back black hair stood there appearing confused.He glanced back and forth between them seemingly waiting for a conclusive response.
“How does a complimentary cinnamon roll for breakfast sound?”Mrs.Madelyn invited.
“It sounds delicious,” the man accepted.
“But,” Noel started then she stopped glancing at the customer and back to Mrs.Madelyn.“We don’t have cinnamon rolls.”
“Sweetie, we have cinnamon rolls.I placed them in the refrigerator last night before I left for the evening.We just need to turn on the oven and bake them.”
The man furrowed his brow.“I can come back another time,” he mentioned again wondering what he stepped into the middle of.
“That might—” Noel began.
Mrs.Madelyn immediately cut her off.“Absolutely not, you are our first Black Friday customer, and you and the next forty-nine guests receive a complimentary cinnamon roll.”
Mrs.Madelyn set her purse on the counter, reached in for her wallet, and turned back to the man.“What is your name, sir?”
As soon as the question reached his ears, cackles erupted from the stairway as Levi and Laney ran down exuberantly making a grand entrance.“Mrs.Madelyn,” they hollered in unison.“It’s Black Friday,” Laney shouted.
All eyes focused on the children as they hurried in for hugs.
“Good morning, Levi and Laney, my Santa hat darlings.”
A moment later the customer interjected, “Apparently, you are Mrs.Madelyn, a very special person to these two beautiful children.”He paused temporarily to smile as the attention turned to him.“I am Cavin Dawson,” he shared, answering her previous question.
“Kevin,” Levi called out as Mrs.Madelyn reached for his outstretched hand.“You are wearing your Black Friday coat.”
Cavin glanced down at the black overcoat he picked out this morning.
“It’s not a Black Friday coat,” Noel corrected.“That’s not a thing.”
