Katie ranher hands along a roll of tinsel and smiled. She’d always loved visiting her parents’ general store at Christmas. Her mom, Mabel, loved anything and everything to do with the festive season. As well as selling pretty decorations and gifts made by the residents of Sapphire Bay, there were colorful displays of power tools, building materials, and DIY necessities—all covered in tinsel and Christmas baubles. Even the Christmas music playing softly in the background gave the store a festive spirit.
The workroom door opened and her dad walked toward the front of the store holding a large box.
Mabel appeared from behind him. “Over here, Allan. It needs to go beside the power tools.”
“But it’s a sewing machine. It should go with the ladies Christmas ideas.”
“It has a motor. It goes with the power tools.”
Katie smiled as her dad sighed. After forty years of marriage, he’d learned to pick his battles—and the placement of a sewing machine wasn’t worth the effort it took to disagree with his wife.
Mabel looked across the store and saw Katie. With a wide smile, she beckoned her forward. “Come and have a look at this amazing sewing and quilting machine. A friend bought one last week and I had to have one in the store. Isn’t it a beauty?”
Katie held the bottom of the box while her dad lifted the machine onto a table. “It’s big.”
“But not too big,” Mabel assured her. “It has more than fourteen thousand five-star reviews on Amazon. If anyone in town wants a reasonably priced gift for a sewing enthusiast, this will do nicely.”
Allan slid the empty box under the table and let the Christmas-themed tablecloth drop into place to hide it. “What brings you into town today, Katie? I thought you’d be writing.”
She gave her mom and dad a hug. “Everyone liked how I decorated the inn for Thanksgiving, so I’ve been given the job of decorating it for Christmas. I found a lot of things in the garage, but I need more tinsel, a tree, and something special for our guests’ bedrooms.”
The doorbell jingled as Mabel reached for Katie’s hand. “Come with me. Your dad added more tinsel to our display this morning.”
A man in a blue ski jacket and black beanie walked into the store.
Katie didn’t think she’d seen him around town. “I can wait if you want to serve the person who came into the store.”
“Your dad will help him.”
Allan smiled at his wife. “Anything for you, my love.” And with a wink, he walked across to the stranger.
Katie followed her mom to the other side of the room. At least a dozen different shades of tinsel were hanging from the shelves. “These are lovely. I didn’t know you could get peach colored tinsel.”
“Neither did I until I saw them in the catalog. What colors are you using to decorate the inn?”
Tilting her head to the side, Katie considered her options. “Grandma used to decorate the house in gold and red, but I’d like a rainbow of colors. Can I buy three rolls of each color?”
“Of course, you can.”
Katie looked around for a basket. With that many rolls, she was bound to drop something on the floor.
“Are you looking for one of these?” her dad asked.
“I was. Thanks.” She took the basket and added as much tinsel as she could without leaving the stand bare. While she was hanging it on the inn’s walls, she’d have to be careful not to leave it dangling where Charlie, their goofy Golden Lab, could pull it down and eat it.
Her dad reached around her shoulders and took two rolls of green tinsel off the display. “I’d better take these before they’re all gone. Have you met, Peter, Katie? He’s staying with Zac for a few weeks.”
Katie automatically smiled at the visitor who was standing behind her dad. His blue eyes connected with hers and, for a few seconds, she forgot where she was. Her mom cleared her throat, jarring Katie out of her brain freeze.
Standing taller, she held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Peter returned her smile. “Nice to meet you, too. You have a lot of tinsel in your basket.”
Katie’s hand tightened on the handle. “I’ll probably need more before I’ve finished. I have a big house to decorate.”
“Willow and Zac have already decorated their home, but I thought I’d add a little more Christmas cheer to the office where I’m working.”
Katie looked at the tinsel her dad was holding. “You can’t go wrong with green tinsel.”
