On the first Saturday of each month, they joined the other stall holders to bring the best local produce into town.
Before dawn, they were on the lake with a group of friends who enjoyed fishing. Whatever they caught was brought into town to sell at the market. They didn’t earn a lot, but it was a great way for Tommy to earn extra pocket money and learn valuable life lessons.
No one had realized how popular their early morning ritual would become or how much they’d enjoy working together.
Tommy handed Mabel her parcel. “Thanks, Mrs. Terry. I hope you enjoy your fish.”
“I’m sure I will,” Mabel said. “Did you enjoy going on the lake this morning?”
Tommy nodded. “It was awesome. Mr. Devlin caught a huge brown trout. He nearly fell in the water when he took a photo of it.”
Mabel’s face broke into a smile. “Now, that would be a great picture for the community Facebook page. Did you and your grandpa come here because you’d been fishing on Flathead Lake before?”
Tommy shrugged. “Grandpa said I came here when I was a baby, but I don’t remember it.”
Frank busied himself with the cash box, avoiding the look Mabel was sending him. As the general store owner, she considered it her duty to keep track of everyone’s comings and goings in Sapphire Bay.
Mabel wasn’t the only one. Eighteen months in town, and some people still asked him why they’d moved here. He’d learned to deflect their well-meaning questions with a smile, a change of subject, or a little white lie.
“Beautiful morning for the market,” he said to Mabel, nodding toward the growing crowd. “It looks like the summer tourist season is picking up.”
“Let’s hope so. With everything that’s happening in the world, I’m glad people still want to travel.” Mabel leaned in conspiratorially. “I heard something interesting yesterday. Did you know Margaret’s looking to sell the bookstore?” She barely paused for Frank’s nod. “One of Kathleen Armstrong’s friends was in my store asking about local business licenses. Word is she might be interested in buying Henderson’s.”
Frank’s hand slipped on the ice scoop. “The bookstore? Are you sure?”
Before Mabel could respond, Frank noticed a woman moving between the stalls. She was wearing a blue sundress that caught the morning breeze, and her silvery/blonde hair was twisted into a casual knot at her nape. She paused to chat with vendors, clearly enjoying the market’s bustling atmosphere. When she laughed at something a vendor said, the sound carried toward them, making him smile without knowing why.
“That’s her now,” Mabel said, following his gaze. “Isabel Stewart. She’s been friends with Kathleen since they first met at summer camp.” Mabel pointed to another trout fillet. “I’ll take one of those, too, Frank. Isabel seems like a nice woman.”
Frank wrapped Mabel’s fish and handed it to her. “I’m sure she is. Thanks for the update, Mabel. Enjoy the fish.”
“Oh, we will,” Mabel said with a smile. “You should introduce yourself to Isabel, Frank. If she’s looking at buying the bookstore, she might appreciate some advice. Penny saved a lot of money after listening to what you told her about the last property she bought.”
Frank hadn’t done much, but he was glad his advice had helped. “Your daughter’s an experienced property developer. She would have identified the issues I saw before she purchased the property.”
“Grandpa’s the best lawyer,” Tommy chimed in, then caught Frank’s warning look. “I mean, he’s really good at reading contracts and stuff.”
Mabel’s eyebrows rose with interest, but Isabel approached their stall before she could ask more questions. Up close, Frank noticed her eyes first—warm brown with laughter lines at the corners, the kind that suggested a life well-lived. She studied the fish they’d caught with obvious interest.
When Frank didn’t immediately introduce himself, Mabel stepped forward and placed her hand on Isabel’s arm. “Isabel, I’d like to introduce you to Frank George, and the young man beside him is his grandson, Tommy. Frank, this is Isabel Stewart.”
Isabel’s eyes filled with warmth. “Hi, you two. I’m impressed with the fish you’ve caught.”
“It’s not just our fish, but we help sell them,” Tommy said excitedly. “We were on the lake before the sun came up this morning. It was so calm there were no ripples anywhere.”
Isabel glanced at the serene lake. “It’s a beautiful place to go fishing.”
Tommy nodded and looked up at Frank.
With his grandson waiting for him to say something, he cleared his throat and said the first thing that popped into his brain. “Is this your first visit to Sapphire Bay?”
Isabel’s smile was open and genuine. “Not the first, but it’s been a couple of years since I was last here. It’s much busier than I thought it would be.”
Frank nodded. “Mabel and I were just saying the same thing.”
After Tommy had finished wrapping another customer’s fish, he looked up at Isabel. “When it’s busy, we sell all our fish in double-quick time. Would you like to buy something? The fish are super delicious, and they’re really good for you.”
Isabel studied the ice-filled trays. “I’m having dinner with my friends tonight. What do you think I should buy?”
