“Of course, I do.” Cassie pushed aside her worries. She’d have enough time to think about Noah while she was hiking. “The meat for the barbecue is marinating and I have enough ice cream to sink a battleship.”
“In that case,” Brooke said with a grin. “We’ll be there at six o’clock to celebrate your birthday.”
Megan hugged Cassie. “And don’t worry. It will all work out the way it’s supposed to.”
Cassie hoped so because, right now, she didn’t know what was going to happen.
Noah wasglad Cassie had told him to take the first parking space he saw. The traffic was every bit as chaotic as she’d said.
Yesterday, Sapphire Bay looked like any other small Montana town. But today, vehicles drove bumper-to-bumper along Main Street. People zig-zagged between the traffic to cross the road, and the sidewalks were overflowing with eager shoppers.
While he was in town, he thought he’d take a look at what Sapphire Bay had to offer. Unlike a lot of places in America, this town had steered clear of the big box retailers. Boutique stores offered everything from hand-knitted jumpers to one-of-a-kind ball gowns. There were art galleries, antique stores, and flower shops. Everything was designed to give visitors a memorable experience of life in a small town.
And if someone could solve Sapphire Bay’s parking issues, they’d double the number of people shopping in the stores.
After an hour of dodging screaming toddlers and people who thought the sidewalk belonged to them, Noah found somewhere he didn’t mind waiting.
Sweet Treats was halfway down Main Street and, in his humble opinion, one of the best candy stores he’d ever seen. The smell of rich, chocolate fudge had pulled him into the store, but it wasn’t the only product that kept him there. The sample trays of other candy tantalized his taste buds and kept everyone busy as they stood in line, waiting to purchase their candy.
Whoever owned the store had created a gold mine. Each piece of candy was delicious. The packaging and branding were what you’d expect from a high-end retail store. If anyone needed another enticement to buy the candy, all they needed to do was look at the prices. Compared to what he’d pay in Manhattan, the candy was ridiculously cheap.
He sent a quick email to his procurement team, then took another box of maple fudge off the counter. His brother had a mile-wide sweet tooth. If Noah ever needed Jack’s help, a box or two of this fudge would give him a definite advantage.
By the time he made it to the front of the line, his arms were full.
The woman behind the counter smiled as she helped him stack the boxes. “You’re going to be busy.”
He returned her smile. “They aren’t all for me. It was hard to choose which candy to take home.”
“That’s what everyone says. I think that’s why most people become regular customers. Each time they visit the store or shop online, they can try something new.” The woman packed his candy and rung up his sale. “Do you like marshmallow?”
He nodded, not sure why she’d asked.
“I have something you might enjoy.” She reached into the display case and placed a gift-wrapped cellophane bag on the counter. “We’ve just started making boysenberry ripple marshmallow dipped in dark chocolate. Try it and tell me what you think.”
He was taken aback by her generosity. “I’m happy to pay for it.”
She waved away his offer. “And I’m equally happy to give it to you. If you’re only in Sapphire Bay for the market, you can leave a review on our website. If you want to reorder anything, we mail candy around the world.”
“You’ve made it easy for people to become loyal customers.”
“It’s easy when you have a wonderful product. Enjoy your time in Sapphire Bay.”
“I will. Thanks for the marshmallow.” And before he was tempted to buy more candy, he left the store. He had one more thing to do before he walked to the market, and it was only a few steps away.
Chapter 4
The people crowding the sidewalk outside Sweet Treats almost hid Noah’s next destination. The small, red-brick building was the home of Davis Jewelers. Nothing about the exterior stood out as special. It could have been another art gallery or fashion boutique, but Noah knew better.
With his nose pressed against the large front window, he felt like he was seven years old, shopping for Christmas presents with his mom. The same sense of wonder, the same overwhelming need to touch everything he saw was bubbling inside him. Because, regardless of what the store looked like from the outside, Davis Jewelry had some of the most exquisite pendants, bracelets, and earrings he’d ever seen.
“The store isn’t open today. It’s the owner’s birthday.”
Noah looked at the woman standing beside him. “Do you know the owner?”
“Everyone knows Cassie,” the woman said with a smile. “I’m Mabel Terry. My husband and I own the general store.”
Noah stilled. “Are you talking about Cassie Harper?”