With a sad smile, Jackie held her arm. “A keeper who wants to live somewhere else.”
Mrs. Green patted her hand. “Don’t let a few miles stand in the way of your happiness.”
It was more than the miles. It was the fear of losing the magic that happened when they were together. The way Aidan made her feel when he laughed or held her hand. It wouldn’t matter whether it was fifty miles or a thousand, a long-distance relationship wasn’t what she needed.
As they made their way past the knitted scarves on display, Mrs. Green stopped to admire them. “Seeing these reminds me of the first scarf you ever knitted, Jackie,” she reminisced fondly. “You were so careful to keep the tension even and not drop a stitch.”
“It had to be perfect,” Jackie said softly. Even from a young age, she didn’t want to disappoint the people she cared about. Opening A Stitch in Time was the first thing she’d ever done that pushed her comfort zone to the limit. The only person she could disappoint was herself and, this time, it wouldn’t happen. She’d worked hard, researched what people wanted to buy, and found niche markets no one else was supplying.
The front door opened and a group of tourists entered the store.
Mrs. Green turned to Jackie with a determined gleam in her eye. “Would you like some help?” she asked. “I don’t know how to use your cash register, but I do know a thing or two about knitting.”
Jackie chuckled, grateful for the offer. “That’d be wonderful, Mrs. Green. If you have any questions, just ask Vanessa, Aidan, or me.”
As the day wore on, and the grand opening of A Stitch in Time continued to be a success, Jackie felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the support of her friends, her mother’s distant but thoughtful gesture and, most of all, having Mrs. Green and Aidan by her side.
* * *
Jackie hurriedinto The Starlight Café, eager to get out of the bitterly cold wind. When she’d first moved to Montana, she didn’t know if she’d ever get used to wearing three layers of clothes to keep warm but, like most things in life, it hadn’t taken long to adjust to the winter temperatures.
She stood beside the front counter, scanning the tables inside the busy room for Mrs. Green. Spotting her friend sitting by the window, Jackie said hello and gave her a heartfelt hug. “It’s good to see you, Mrs. Green. Have you been waiting for long?”
“I only arrived a few minutes ago. It was so nice of Aidan to drive me here this morning.”
Jackie looked around the café, half-expecting him to be having breakfast at another table.
“He’s not here. He wanted to see his boss. I think his name’s David—to talk about the job he’s been offered.”
Jackie’s eyebrows rose. “You know about the job in Miami?”
“Aidan told me about it when we were in Florida. It sounds like an incredible opportunity.”
“Aidan thought so.”
Esme frowned. “But you don’t?”
Andrea stopped beside Jackie and smiled. “It’s wonderful to see you again, Esme. Welcome to The Starlight Café.”
Last night, Mrs. Green and Aidan had joined Jackie at Andrea and David’s home for dinner. With Andrea’s boys and two of their friends there, it was like a mini party, complete with a cake Andrea had made to celebrate the opening of Jackie’s store.
Esme smiled at her new friend. “It’s lovely to be here. You’ve created a wonderful café. It’s perfect in every way.”
“I tried to make it as welcoming as possible.” Andrea looked at Jackie. “How’s the new business owner?”
“A little tired after everything that happened yesterday. I’m just happy everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.”
Andrea chuckled. “They definitely loved the store. A lot of your customers came here after they’d seen you. Everyone was super excited about what they bought and the knitting you’re selling.”
Jackie took the menu Andrea handed to her. “I had six people ask if they can submit a sample of their knitting to me. If everyone knits one garment a week, I’ll have more than enough stock to keep everyone happy.”
“They’ll knit more than one thing,” Esme told her. “I was talking to a woman who’s selling baby clothes in your store. She said she could knit three or four jackets a week.”
Jackie handed Esme another menu. “That’s even better. Are you ready for breakfast, Mrs. Green?”
“I’m more than ready, but I wish you’d call me Esme. You’ve been calling me Mrs. Green since you were eleven years old. It makes me feel old.”
Jackie smiled. They had this discussion at least once a year. “It wouldn’t seem right calling you anything other than Mrs. Green. Besides, it suits you.”
