“Barbara!”her mom said from behind the front counter.“It’s lovely to see you.I thought you were going to Polson with Penny?”
“The county rescheduled the meeting at the last minute.It’s not until Wednesday.”
“At least it wasn’t postponed for longer.”
That’s what she thought, too.For the last few weeks, her sister had been working with the county to change the designation of eight cottages from residential to commercial.Because they were so close to Main Street, the county was keen to repurpose the old buildings into small businesses.Everyone was excited, including Barbara.
With limited employment opportunities, remodeling the cottages was a way to give something back to the community they loved.And, along the way, they might make someone else’s dreams come true.
Barbara’s gaze wandered across the store.Her parents already had some Thanksgiving decorations sitting on the shelves and hanging from the ceiling.“You’ve moved your merchandise around.”
“You know what your dad’s like.If something isn’t selling, he’ll place it at the front of the store so no one misses it.”
“And it works,” her dad said with a smile.Allan opened his arms and hugged Barbara tight.“How’s my girl?”
“I’m good.I wanted to check that you and Mom are still coming to dinner tonight.”
“We’ll be there.Are you sure there’s nothing we can bring?”
“Positive.Katie’s already prepared most of the food.All we have to do is turn on the barbecue after you arrive.”
“I can help with that,” her dad said.
Barbara grinned.“I was hoping you’d offer.Katie’s a great cook, but she gets distracted too easily.”
Mabel looked over Barbara’s shoulder and smiled.“Hello, Theo.What a lovely surprise.We don’t often see you in the store.”
“I need a soldering iron to fix something in my studio.”He looked at Barbara and smiled.“Hi.”
She returned his smile.Since he’d moved here, Theo’s radio station had become an important part of the community.Whether people wanted to talk about their business, what was happening in town, or the latest weather forecast, Theo was willing to speak to them.She’d listened to a few of the longer interviews and had enjoyed each one.
“Hi, Theo.I’ll leave you to organize what you need with Mom and Dad.I have to get back to work.”
“Are you busy?”
“Not as much as I was two weeks ago, but it’s still frantic.”
A frown appeared between his eyes.
He must want to do a follow-up story after he’d spoken to their mom about the letter they’d found.“If you want to interview someone about the letter, I could ask Penny or Diana if they’re available?”
“I wanted to ask you about something else, but it doesn’t matter.”
Barbara had no idea what it could be.“If you change your mind, you know where I am.”After giving her mom and dad a quick hug, she left the store.It wasn’t until she’d driven halfway down Main Street that she remembered the happy news she was supposed to share with her parents.With a deep sigh, she turned around.If she didn’t tell them about Penny and Wyatt’s wedding date, she would never be forgiven.
Although, knowing how fast her parents heard about what was happening in the community, she wouldn’t be surprised if they already knew.
CHAPTER 2
With a new soldering iron in his hands, Theo left the general store and headed back to The Welcome Center.Hopefully, Pastor John was in his office.
He walked into the reception area and smiled at Andrea.She was one of the first people he’d met when he arrived in Sapphire Bay.Working part-time for the church was as much a new beginning for her as the radio station was for him.
“Hi, Andrea.Is Pastor John in his office?”
“He’s with the hospitality class.They had a competition to see who could make the best pizza and he’s the judge.”
“Sounds like fun.How are your boys?”
