Nate helped Adele choose a bag, then took one for himself. “Do you need me to help in the store?”
“That would be great. If you could wrap people’s purchases, Jackie will ring up the sales.”
“If you need me to refill the candy table, I can do that,” Joseph said. “Adele could help me.”
“That sounds wonderful. Try to encourage people to take the candy home instead of eating it in the store.” Shona looked at the large bag in Jackie’s hand. “If you’ve brought your baby clothes with you, I’d love to look at them.”
“Only if you have time,” she said uncertainly.
“I have more than enough time.” As soon as she saw the gorgeous clothes, she knew she had to sell them. “These are beautiful.”
“I read the information you gave me and priced each item to include your percentage of the sale. If you aren’t happy with the prices, I’ll change them.”
Shona looked at the tags and frowned. “If we sell your knitting at these prices, it will barely cover your time. I think we should charge more.”
“You do?”
“Definitely.” Shona found a pen and some sales tags from behind the front counter.
Jackie frowned at the prices Shona had written on the tags. “Are you sure people will buy them at that price?”
“I know they will.”
“Okay. Let’s give it a go.”
With Jackie adding new tags to her knitting, and Joseph checking how much candy was in the kitchen, they were almost ready. All she had to do was turn the ‘Closed’ sign to ‘Open,’ and her dream of owning a quilting store would finally come true.
* * *
If there wasone thing Joseph didn't enjoy, it was shopping. But being in Shona’s store and helping people find gifts for their family and friends was more enjoyable than he’d thought.
He couldn't believe the number of people who’d come to The Cozy Quilt Shop. Some of the faces he recognized, but most were visiting Sapphire Bay. Everyone was full of praise for the beautiful quilts and they loved the other crafts Shona had found.
Whoever thought of providing each visitor with a bag of candy deserved a medal. It gave people something to enjoy on the way home and helped them remember what a great experience they’d had in the store.
“Goodness me,” Mabel said as she bustled into the store. “I never imagined so many people would be here. Shona must be thrilled.”
Joseph offered her a bag of fudge. “It's been like this for the last two hours.” He nodded at her cell phone. “I saw you taking some photos. Will they be on the community Facebook page?”
“They’re already there. Theo’s reminding everyone about the opening on his radio station. The interview he did with Shona was lovely. Have you had a chance to listen to it?”
“I did. I'm not surprised by how many people are here. It was a great interview.”
“Shona has a heart of gold, and it came across in every word she spoke. What happened to her husband was such a tragedy. We're just lucky she survived her injuries.”
He hadn't asked Shona too many questions about the accident that killed her husband. When she was ready, he was sure she'd tell him more. “I'm glad she did, too. How's Allan?”
“I left him working hard in the general store. Katie was happy to help him while I'm here.”
Mabel's daughter, Katie, was a children's author. She ran the writing workshops at The Welcome Center that Adele attended. “The last time I spoke to Katie, she said she was running late with a manuscript. Did she manage to finish it?”
“She did, but it took a few late nights to get everything to the editor on time. Sometimes, I don't know how she does it. Her imagination must never stop.”
Joseph offered a bag of candy to a customer who was leaving. “Adele thinks she's wonderful. Most of the children in her writing group would have given up ages ago if it wasn't for Katie’s enthusiasm. She's making a difference in a lot of children's lives.”
A blush warmed Mabel's cheeks. “I'm very proud of her. She never gave up, even when the publishing houses didn't want to consider her stories.” She looked across the store and smiled. “I’d better talk to Shona before someone else does. A little quote with a photo makes all the difference to the number of people reading a Facebook post. Tell Adele I'm very impressed with her singing. She's memorized all the words to the Christmas carols. She’s such a pleasure to have in the choir.”
“I’ll tell her. Enjoy looking around the store.”
