thirteen
BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON,Wendy had a whole army of angels and several other attractive shell items spread out around the house. And feeling rather clever and innovative, she had an idea. It was probably a long shot, but she thought it was worth a try. Especially for Jackson’s sake—she saw how much he loved his new school. What if she really could make a living in Seaside? What if Caleb was right about the potential in selling beach-style home décor items?
The things she’d created so far looked just as nice—maybe nicer—than those in the catalogues. She carefully set the mirror she’d labored over into a large box. The frame was a pleasant combination of interesting seashells, pretty stones, small pieces of smooth driftwood, and even a few sand dollars.
She’d planned to take this mirror back to Ohio with them. But if she could sell it, along with her other creations—and this was the long shot—perhaps it would be enough to keep her and Jackson in Seaside! She laid a tea towel over the mirror, layering a number of sand dollar angels and another tea towel. Not wanting to overwhelm Caleb, she’d decided against taking in all her recently made items, but she had taken photos and felt certain he’d be impressed. As she drove to town she felt hopeful. Even so, she said a prayer.
Her hope diminished slightly when she realized Caleb’s shop was closed. But seeing that She Sells Sea Shells was open, she decided to give that a try. Hopefully Ashley was in. Ashley had good taste and might appreciate Wendy’s craftsmanship. Wendy was barely through the door when she spied Crystal behind the counter. Ready to make a quick getaway, she turned to leave.
“Wendy.” Crystal’s tone was flat but too loud to ignore.
“Hey, Crystal.” Wendy grimaced.
“What can I do for you?”
“I, uh, I was hoping to see Caleb.”
“Weren’t we all.” Crystal emerged from behind the counter. As usual, her appearance was impeccable. “Caleb is on a business trip. Didn’t he mention that to you?”
“Come to think of it, he did say he hoped to deliver the dining room set this week. Is that what he’s doing?”
“Yes.” Crystal’s mouth twisted to one side. “I know that you’re interested in him, Wendy. I mean, most of the single women in town are.” She laughed, but not in a friendly way. “So it’s only fair to tell you that he’s pretty much a confirmed bachelor.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“He’s more married to his business than anything else.”
“Yes, I know.”
“Well, it only seemed fair for you to know.” Crystal pointed to the box in Wendy’s arms with a bored expression. “What have you got there? Not peddling your wares again, are you?”
“It was just something to show Caleb.” Wendy backed away.
“Let’s see.” Crystal removed the tea towel and made what looked like a smug smirk. “Well now, what have we here?”
“Those are Christmas ornaments,” Wendy said stiffly.
“Did little children make these?” She picked one up, frowning at it.
“Actually, some were made by kids.”
“And did you honestly think we could sell something like this here?”She dangled the angel ornaments from her little finger with a look of total disdain.
“Oh, I didn’t know for sure. Although they do look better hanging from a tree with lights and—”
“I’m sorry, but I really don’t think Ashley would be interested.” She dropped the angel back into the box. “The Coltons, as you’ve probably noticed”—she waved a hand toward an elegant display of jewelry—“have exquisite taste. And no offense, Wendy, but these seem a little childish.” She dropped the towel back onto the box. “Sorry.”
Wendy muttered “that’s okay” as she hurried from the shop. She suspected that Crystal was not the least bit sorry and that she’d enjoyed embarrassing her. But Crystal was probably right—the sand dollar ornaments really did look childish and out of place in the sleek, stylish shop. Really, what had Wendy been thinking? Thankful that Caleb hadn’t been around to see her humiliation—or to deliver his own verdict, which she knew he would’ve done much more kindly—she got in her car and drove back home with fresh resolve. The cottage had to be sold.
For the next two days, while Jackson was at school, Wendy worked hard to get everything shipshape. The solution to her financial challenges was to stick to her original plan. Sell the cottage, return to Ohio, and be back at her job as promised shortly before Christmas. To that end, she did all she could to make the place sparkle and shine. She even set out the shell items she’d created as accent pieces. And when she was done, she felt the effect was truly charming.
On Friday afternoon, she’d just finished installing the red-and-blue bandana curtains and matching throw cushions in Jackson’s room when Sandi Atkins showed up. The cottage, in Wendy’s opinion, had never looked better. She almost couldn’t believe how much she and Jackson had accomplished with just two weeks and a very meager budget. And for the most part, it was done. As she hurried downstairs to open the front door, she felt a flush of pride.
She greeted Sandi and welcomed her into the house, starting the tour in the living room and explaining about the various improvements she and Jackson had made. Although Sandi was complimentary as she snapped photos, she was also good at pointing out things that still needed a little work. “The fireplace is lovely, but that mantel should be bigger—more prominent.” She pointed to the ancestor photos that Jackson had put up there. “And it’s usually better not to have family photos around when the buyers are looking. It’s a distraction.”
“Oh, yes, I know that. My son put those there.”
“Do you mind removing them for my photo? I really want to get this fireplace.”
