"Sorry to disappoint you," she said with a chuckle.
"I wasn't disappointed. It was very welcoming. I don't think you could've picked a better one."
"Thanks. That's what I love to send, especially if I know it's going to be lit before people get there. There's nothing like warm baked bread, is there?"
"No. Definitely made the house feel welcoming. You're very good at it, like I said."
"Thanks. I think sometimes when things stop being a hobby andstart being something that you have to depend on in order for your livelihood, you have a tendency to... maybe not enjoy them as much."
"I see. So you work because you have to, not because you want to?"
"I'm blessed to be able to do something I love. But... I guess this wasn't exactly my dream." She lifted a shoulder and went back to work, looking at her hands, and while he was curious as to what her dream actually was, he wasn't sure it was something she wanted to talk about.
"I actually was here on a little bit of business."
"Okay," she said, glancing up and seeming interested.
"Mrs. Tucker told me that you typically provide special order candles for the church. That does have to be approved by the church committee, but I figured I would just drop in and check to make sure that we were still on the same page."
"I was wondering that myself. Pastor Johnson has been very generous to me. I'm sure part of it was that he wanted to support the single mom with twin boys who was trying to make a living, and part of it is because the candles really were a huge asset to the church. They lit them on Christmas Eve, and then used them almost the entire month of January. Some services they did entirely by candlelight. It makes January a much cozier, happier month."
"I would imagine it would. Pastor Johnson gave me a heads up on a lot of things, but he hadn't mentioned that."
"I'm sure there were much more important things he needed to talk about."
"So you're still able to provide the candles as you normally do?"
"Yes. I haven't started making them yet, because I wasn't sure where we were. I also know that the church was trying to cut the budget in some areas so they could send more money to missions this year, and I wasn't sure whether the candles, which are an extra, unnecessary, expense, were on the chopping block or not."
"The meeting is tomorrow. I should be able to tell you by Wednesday at the very latest."
"That'll be fine. I have plenty of time to make them. They are always a labor of love."
She seemed happy and content, and not pressured at all. Although, she did seem to work an awful lot. He’d noticed her light on until late in the night the night before, even though it was Sunday.
"Your shop is not open on Sunday, but you still worked."
"I did. I know we're supposed to take a day of rest, but this time of year, I need to do everything I can, because the sales from the Christmas season make up almost half of my budget for the year."
"Wow. That's a lot."
"Yeah. So you can see why I might work seven days a week just to make sure that I can stay solvent the rest of the year. I try not to make it a habit."
"I'm glad to hear that. Everyone needs rest."
"You work on Sundays."
Her voice sounded reasonable and conversational, not accusatory. She wasn't trying to do a gotcha on him. At least he didn't get that impression.
"But I take another day of the week off. Usually Tuesday or Thursday. But I'll settle into a schedule here."
"Your previous pastorate wasn't that far away, was it?"
"No. It wasn't."
He wondered why Noah had never mentioned Olivia as someone the Secret Saint could help. He had been helping Noah Parker with Secret Saint activities for more than a year. Almost two years. It was a fun thing that someone in Mistletoe Meadows had started, and they had passed the baton around until there was a huge network of people who told other people who told other people about anyone who might need anything. The town was practically famous for their Secret Saint tradition every Christmas. But to his knowledge Olivia's name had never come up.
"I imagine your parents probably help you a good bit with the children."
