"I'm sorry," I said.
Angela's face screwed up. "Bill's going to be so happy that the shop is closed." Then her gaze swung to Hudson. "There's no way to tamper with a pipe, is there?"
Hudson frowned. "This looks like a burst pipe."
She lowered her hands to the display table, her shoulders drooping. "He's going to be positively gleeful. I can't deal with him right now."
"I'll handle Bill and keep him away from you."
She shot me a grateful look. "I don't think I can deal with him right now. Or anyone else for that matter."
"Which one is Bill?" Hudson asked.
"The one that owns the puzzle shop," I said.
Eve grimaced. "And he thinks that a lingerie shop isn't family appropriate. He's going to take this opportunity to say that I should close permanently.
Hudson looked around the room. "I mean?—"
Angela glared at him. "We don't just serve families. There's plenty of couples here on vacation or women shopping for themselves."
Hudson cleared his throat, clearly done talking about lingerie. "I'm going to take another look at the pipe."
When he disappeared down the hallway, I said, "Seriously, don't worry about Bill. You're not going to be closed permanently. I'll make sure you're up and running again as quickly as possible."
Angela hugged me. "Thank you," and I remembered why I took this job. I wanted to make a difference in people's lives. If that meant spending a Saturday clearing stock, then that's what I needed to do.
CHAPTER 21
MADDOX
After Eve left, I cleaned up breakfast. Then Sofia and I went to Christmas Town, looking for gifts for my parents, her teachers, and a few friends.
We started at the Christmas Shop, and Sofia chose a new ornament for my mom. Then we picked up candy for my dad at Sweet Dreams Bakery.
"What should we get Miss Eve?" Sofia reached into the bag of candy she'd asked me to buy.
"Does she like candy?" I asked her.
Sofia rolled her eyes. "Adults don't like sweets."
"Well, that can't be true. We just bought Grandpa candy.”
I reached into her bag, pulled out a gum drop, and popped it into my mouth. "Nope. These are good."
She snatched her bag back. "Hey, you can't steal my candy."
I pointed at the bag. "I bought that candy."
She stuck her tongue out at me, and I chose to ignore it because she was being silly. "That's your last piece."
"Ugh. Fine." Then my gaze snagged on the shop with the doors propped open.
The sign indicated it was Tempting Dreams. "You want to see how Eve's doing? I think she's in here."
"Yes," Sofia said, skipping over to the door.
I ducked my head inside, noting the musty smell. The racks were half empty, and there were boxes filled with lingerie, a combination of lace and silk in a dizzying array of colors.
