Aidan lifted his hand to her face and wiped a tear off her face. “What should we do?”
Jackie forced a smile. “We keep baking the cookies and talk about something else. At the moment, I’m feeling too overwhelmed to talk about what we should do.” She picked up his rolling pin and handed it to him. “Have you made cookies before?”
Aidan sighed. “Not for a few years.”
Jackie kissed his cheek. “Well, you’ve come at the right time, then.” And with a gentle smile, she picked up a cookie cutter and pushed it into the dough in front of her.
For now, they were two friends enjoying each other’s company, and trying to forget about the uncertainty that lay ahead of them.
CHAPTER18
Jackie took a moment to look around A Stitch in Time at the colorful yarns and knitting supplies that filled the shelves. Her heart swelled with pride as she watched people hunt through the books and magazines, compare different colored skeins of yarn, and admire the beautiful hand-knitting.
Vanessa, one of Andrea’s part-time staff from The Starlight Café, was helping customers at the sales counter while Jackie answered questions and greeted familiar faces. The community had come together to support her dream, making today’s grand opening even more special.
Andrea walked in and smiled. “I can’t believe how many people are still here,” she exclaimed. “You must be thrilled.”
“More than I can say,” Jackie admitted. For most of the morning, the store had been buzzing with the chatter of people as they searched the shelves for Christmas gifts and supplies to restock their knitting baskets. She’d sold many more things than she thought she would, making the extra effort she’d gone to even more worthwhile.
Andrea looked around at the people in the store. “Is Aidan still here?”
“He had to leave for a few minutes, but he’ll be back soon.” Aidan had arrived before the store opened and stayed for the worst of the rush. Jackie couldn’t have managed without him restocking the shelves and helping with anything that was needed.
“I’m glad he’s here.” Andrea glanced over her shoulder and moved closer. “How are you holding up?” she whispered. “Opening day is a huge deal.”
“It’s better than I thought it’d be. Everyone has been so kind. People from as far away as Bigfork have driven here to support me.”
Andrea hugged her. “That’s because you’ve started something amazing. Have you heard from your mom?”
“She called me last night and had the flowers on the front counter delivered to the store. At least she didn’t forget.”
Andrea sent her a sad smile. “That’s better than nothing, I suppose. I’d better get back to the café. Come to my place for dinner tonight and bring Aidan. We can celebrate the opening of the store.”
Jackie smiled at a lady she’d spoken to before Andrea arrived. “I’m not sure what he’s doing, but I’ll let him know.”
“Make sure you do,” Andrea said with a worried frown. “Good luck for the rest of the afternoon.”
As soon as Andrea left, Aidan walked into the store. Beside him was a woman in her seventies with kind blue eyes and a warm smile.
Jackie’s eyes widened and filled with tears. “Mrs. Green!” Wrapping her arms around her wonderful friend, she whispered, “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“You have Aidan to thank for that. He found me at my retirement home and brought me to Sapphire Bay,” Mrs. Green explained, her voice quivering with emotion. “I wanted to see your lovely store.”
“Where are you staying?”
“Aidan booked me into The Lakeside Inn. I’m flying back to Florida tomorrow night.” She pulled Jackie into another hug. “Don’t look so disappointed. You’ll be too busy to spend more time with me. Can you spare a few minutes to show me around?”
“You can have as much of my time as you like,” Jackie said as she wiped her eyes. She sighed at the gentle expression on Aidan’s face. “Thanks for bringing Mrs. Green to Sapphire Bay. It was a really nice thing to do.”
Aidan smiled. “It took a little detective work to find Esme, but it worked out in the end.”
Jackie would have to ask him later how he’d found her. For now, she’d show Mrs. Green around the store and enjoy having her close.
“I’ll help Vanessa at the sales counter,” Aidan murmured as three women headed toward the front counter with baskets full of wool. “Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like me to do.”
“I will.” Jackie watched Aidan maneuver through the crowd.She’d never met anyone like him. He was everything anyone could ever want, but he didn’t want to live in a small Montana town.
“He’s a keeper,” Mrs. Green whispered.
