“Do you think he’s up for the job?”
I waved my head back and forth, continuing to flip through the prints lined up against the wall. “He seemed to know what he was talking about. I guess we’ll find out.”
Letting go of the last frame, I stepped back. “None of these fit the vibe I’m going for.”
“Yeah, I’m feeling the same thing over here.” Claire flipped through the last few pictures, then turned away from the wall.
“Let’s head out front.” I grabbed a sheet from my tote that I brought to put on the floor. Anything I planned to keep would go on it.
Claire called the dogs, and we headed up front.
Unfolding the sheet, I let it fan out and settle on the floor in an empty corner.
“You know, you were right. These are in pretty good shape.”
I looked up from straightening the sheet’s edges to see Claire walking through the displays.
“You could put a notice on the windows and talk to the other shopkeepers tomorrow. Let them know they can come by and grab any of them they want.” She looked at me. “It would save some dumpster space.”
“True. But then I’d either have to leave the coffeeshop to let people in or pay someone to sit here for several hours.”
“I could probably do it. I have an open house from two to four, but I could hang out here from say, ten until noon?”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“I mean, if you want to do that, I won’t say no.” Sending her a quick smile, I headed for a bank of art. “Whatever doesn’t get taken, I can have Luke’s crew put out on Monday and hold a sidewalk sale. I’ll just put my staff on a rotation to man it.”
“That works. It’s really not a problem for me to sit here tomorrow. It just feels like a waste to—Betty! Pebbles! Oh my goodness.”
At Claire’s exclamation, I glanced over. The dogs each had a corner of the sheet I just laid down in their mouths and were backing up, pulling it across the floor.
Laughing, I moved to help Claire wrestle it away from them.
Pebbles dodged Claire’s outstretched hands, quickly circling around to grab a different corner. Betty stumbled when Pebbles let go, falling sideways.
I laughed harder. “Who knew Pebbles would be the difficult one?”
Claire’s laughter joined mine. “Me. She’s always been the problem child. It’s how Ozzie and I first met, remember?”
“True.” I wish I’d seen my friend running down the sidewalk in her fuzzy, hot-pink slippers after her little dog and stumbling into the hunk of man that was Oscar Quartermaine. But I’d heard all about it after the fact. It amused me how little regard she had for him in the beginning. Now he was living in her house, and I wouldn’t be surprised to hear wedding bells ring soon.
“Oh, come here, you little turd.” Claire reached for Pebbles again, but once more the dog scampered away.
Straightening, Claire sighed and propped her hands on her hips. “Perhaps the sheet was a bad idea.”
Chuckling, I nodded. “It’s fine. Let them have it. We can just pile everything right there. I can cover it up with the sheet before we leave or move it onto it tomorrow.”
With a huff, Claire gave her dog one last glare and moved toward a stash of knick-knacks in one of the display cases.
The front room took us longer to go through, but we still made quick work of it. I found a few art prints and a flowerpot I wanted to keep. Not even enough to be worthy of spreading the sheet out again. It would all fit in my car. So, we toted it to the back room and left it near the door. I would take it all home with me tonight.
“You ready to tackle this basement?” I tipped my head toward the stairs, still leery of what awaited.
She swept an arm out. “Lead the way.”
Mouth twisting, I moved the picture frame out of the way, then bent down and scooped up Betty. I figured both dogs would want to follow us, and I didn’t want the puppy to fall down the stairs.
