* * *
Half an hour later,Jackie grabbed her coat and scarf and met Aidan outside the cottage on Anchor Lane.
“Are you ready?” he asked as he opened the passenger door for her.
Jackie nodded and climbed in, eager to get out of the cold wind. When Aidan was inside the cab, she smiled. Along with a thick padded jacket, he was wearing a black beanie with the New York Yankees logo on the cuff. “You look ready for anything the weather can throw at us.”
He smiled back at her. “Before I flew to Sapphire Bay, David told me to bring the warmest clothes I own. When I first arrived, I thought he was exaggerating about how cold it gets, but not anymore. It’s freezing outside.”
She pulled on her seatbelt. “I’m guessing the reason you told me to dress warm is because we’ll be outside?”
“Only for some of the time.”
As Jackie tried to think of any places Aidan had talked about wanting to visit, he started the truck and turned onto Main Street. “The steamboats won’t be running if we’re going to Polson. It’s too late in the year.”
“We aren’t going that far away. It’ll only take us twenty minutes to get there.”
Jackie had been living in Sapphire Bay for long enough to know what was within a twenty-minute drive of where they were. Apart from the stores in town, The Fairy Forest, the church, and the old steamboat museum, there were only homes and a few businesses that organized outdoor adventures that close to town.
Aidan grinned. “Do you want to guess where we’re going, or do you want me to tell you?”
Jackie smiled at the teasing note in his voice. “You know I don’t like surprises, don’t you.”
“Yeah, I do. But, sometimes, it pays to live a little dangerously. I’m taking you to The Horseshoe Adventure Camp.”
It took Jackie a few seconds to work out what he meant. “Is that the camp you’re creating for children who wear prosthetics?”
Aidan nodded. “There were a few issues BioTech’s lawyers had to sort out with the vendors, but the sale’s finally gone unconditional.”
“You must be relieved.”
“More happy than relieved. The issues they were dealing with weren’t huge, but they would’ve made a difference to the activities we can offer. How’s the store going?”
Jackie smiled. “I’m getting there. Paris has been an amazing help with my marketing plan. I’m still trying to find furniture that has bucket-loads of character but doesn’t cost a fortune.”
“What are you looking for?”
Jackie thought about the antique dressers, overstuffed furniture, and secondhand tables she’d seen in a catalog. “Something that’s worn and dented with age, but still charming. I want A Stitch in Time to look and feel like somewhere you can sit with your friends and enjoy an hour of knitting together.”
Aidan glanced across the cab. “That sounds very relaxing. We’re going for the rustic farmhouse look for the camp.”
“That’ll be perfect. The children will already be imagining spending time with cowboys. Something with rustic charm will only add to their experience.”
“That’s what the architect and interior designer said, too.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “You’re really going all out to include an interior designer in your plans.”
“We’re spending a lot of money to get the camp up and running. The better we can meet the needs of the children, the more popular it’ll be.”
As they drove farther out of town, Jackie enjoyed the winter wonderland around her. The snow-covered mountains and trees reminded her of every Christmas card she’d seen when she was younger. “Living in Montana is so different from anywhere else I’ve been. How does it compare to Manhattan?”
Aidan kept his gaze on the road. “Apart from being cold and more remote?” he asked half-jokingly.
“A lot of people come here for those things.”
“That’s something I’m beginning to appreciate. I haven’t seen a lot of Montana, but Sapphire Bay has a relaxed feel to it. I’m enjoying the scenery and meeting different people. I can’t visit my favorite Manhattan restaurants and stores but, the longer I’m here, the less it matters. Winter is more restricting than I thought, and I have no idea what will happen when it gets really cold.”
Jackie smiled. “Wait until a big storm hits us. The first time for me was terrifying. I thought the roof of The Welcome Center was going to blow off.”
