“Carl, that’s amazing. But...”All Seasons?I shook my head to clear the dollar signs dancing in my brain. “We’re not big enough.”
“They don’t want big. They’re looking for local. Anyway, Abby was talking about expanding. Before she got sick, I mean.”
“But wouldn’t she need...”Inventory. Employees.“A business plan?”
He smiled. “I reckoned you’d be helping her with that.”
My mind spun. “I could.” Icould. The prospect made me dizzy. “I’d have to talk it over with her first.”
“Sure. You decide you want to go for it, I’d be happy to walk you through the process.”
“That... That’s incredibly generous of you.”
He winked. “Hey, you’re helping me. I’m just returning the favor.”
My mother needed money. Getting into All Seasons was like an answer to a prayer. A solution to all her problems. If I could do it.
Daisy was feeding Cheerios one by one to DJ.
“Excuse me, are you open?” a woman asked.
“Yes, ma’am. What would you like to try?”
“You’re Coach Brooke’s wife, aren’t you?” she asked as I rang up her purchase.
“I’m just the car guy,”John had said the night of Sallie’s party.
I smiled. “Meg Brooke. Yes. Hi.”
She nodded in satisfaction. “I thought I recognized you fromPatrick’s season. I’m Lisa Roberts,” she added. “Patrick’s mom. His brother Jason is a freshman on the team now.”
“Nice to see you again. Good luck in the tournament today.”
“Oh, I don’t go to the matches anymore.” She leaned forward confidingly. “I can’t stand to watch Jason compete. He’s so small compared to the other boys.”
“You do know they wrestle by weight class,” I said.
“That’s what Coach says. But Jason is my baby. Thank God your husband’s there.”
“Yes. I mean, thank you. That’ll be fourteen dollars.”
“So, I’ll see you at the athletic banquet?” she said as I handed her her change. “After States?”
“I’m not sure. That’s in...”
“February,” she said.
Months away. I couldn’t look beyond Christmas, couldn’t see past every day’s list of Things To Do.
“I’ll have to talk to John,” I said.
At the next break in the line, Connie dashed from her bakery stall with fresh baguettes and cookies for the kids.
“You have to let me pay you,” I said.
“No, no. You sent a ton of business my way last week.”
“Cookie,” DJ said, crawling out from under the play table.
