“There’s something you should know about Laurel—”
“Nope. Not doing this now,” Ava snapped.
“Ava—”
“Finally, he’s going.” Scarf in mouth, Ed turned and trotted into the woods with agonizing slowness. “I really liked that scarf.”
“I’ll buy you another,” Kinley offered. “Let’s go. I’m frozen.”
The heater in Ava’s sedan waited until the last block to the Forget Me Not to kick out warm air. Hardly enough to thaw her frigid fingers. She blamed Ed for scrambling her brain and causing her to forget about her auto start. She yearned to wrap her hands around a steaming cup of coffee from Black Bear. But such frivolities were less and less in the budget until she turned things around. She’d save her next coffee splurge for after she sold her first hundred baskets.
“Is that Brayden’s truck?” Kinley pointed down the street at the blue quad cab driving away from the Forget Me Not.
“Yeah. He dropped off the gift baskets and some boxes for the display.”
“Fake, huh?”
“He’shelping. That’s all. He brought some baskets because it would’ve taken me five trips in my car.”
“Sure, okay.”
Ava parked her car. She’d been with Kinley nearly two hours. She couldn’t imagine it took that long to unload everything. Unless he had to make two trips. Or if something was damaged.Please let nothing be broken. In order to make that balloon payment next week, she needed every basket sale she could get. She couldn’t afford to lose a single one to human error. “You don’t have to stick around if you’re busy. After I get this display together, I have to print flyers and pester every business in town.”
“The baskets sound like a little bit of a big deal,” Kinley said, holding the door open for Ava.
“Just last minute,” Ava admitted. “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” floated faintly out the door. Ava wished she could play Christmas music in her shop all year long, but she wouldn’t torture anyone else with her guilty pleasure. “I didn’t get all the supplies in until yesterday. So now I have a whole lot of inventory and only a few days to sell them.”
“You could probably put the leftovers on clearanceafterChristmas,” Kinley said, pulling the door closed behind her. The bells clamored harder with the gust of wind, saving Ava from explaining she might not have that luxury this year.
“Maybe.”
Ava braced for the chaos inside the door, but she was met with soft Christmas music and laughter. Maybe even clapping, though with Glenda it was hard to tell. She clapped at everything. “Ava, look!” Glenda waved her over to the corner she’d cleared for the display.
“I’ll say it again,” Kinley said. “Fake, huh?”
Where she expected a pile of boxes and baskets to cover the floor, a beautifully crafted display was in its place. She wasn’t sure how he managed it, but Brayden worked fast. The wooden boxes he promised were stacked in diagonal patterns that offered multiple shelves and levels for her assortment. The red tablecloths she’d set aside draped over the boxes. Every landing held two or three baskets. The various colored cellophane wrapping was sprinkled throughout, like Christmas lights on a tree.
“Glenda, did you and Becca—”
“Oh, no!” Glenda’s enormous smile had to hurt her cheeks. “Brayden did all this. I was swamped with customers while he was here. Couldn’t even help him unload anything. Isn’t it wonderful? We’ve already sold four of them!”
Ava walked a full circle around the display, astonished that Brayden’s quick work looked so much better than the display she had envisioned in her mind. “Man of many hidden talents,” she murmured under her breath, impressed.
“You should bring him dinner tonight when you get home,” Kinley suggested. “Food’s better than a simple thank you.”
“Oh, Brayden won’t be home tonight,” Glenda said, the surprise of her declaration too quick for Ava to mask her disappointment from Kinley. She’d never hear the end of this. “He had to make a delivery in Girdwood. Said to tell you he won’t be back until late.”
“We could catch him now,” Kinley said. “Before he leaves town.”
Ava shook her head, the gesture warring with her internal yearning to do as Kinley said. But one kindness didn’t change anything. Brayden said it himself, he had the time to help. Nothing more. “I’ll see him tomorrow. Thank him with donuts or something. I need to print off flyers.”
“Donuts?” Kinley questioned. “This is worth more than donuts, don’t you think?”
“The flyers are on your desk,” Glenda said, saving Ava an embarrassing explanation.
“But I haven’t printed them yet.” Before Glenda could say it, Ava cut in, “Brayden?”
Glenda nodded as eagerly as her smile was bright. “You’ve really snagged a good one, Ava. Make sure you invite me to your wedding.”
