Jessie, Eileen, and I might have gone a little overboard with the fall decorations, but it adds to the store's charm. Auburn, gold, and orange leaf garland twined with fairy lights run down the length of the bookshelves, tiny pumpkins nestled into it. Each small table has a centerpiece made up of a vase with chrysanthemums.
The bell on the door dings as I’m wiping down the counters after our busy morning rush. “Cara, just the woman I was looking for.” Sammie plops her bag on the counter and leans in, her cheeks flushed from the cool air. Long dark hair poking out from under her hat that’s the same color green as her eyes.
“Mocha?” I ask out of politeness because she hardly orders anything else.
“Yes.” She plasters a toothy grin on her face. “I need two to go. Levi needs one too.” She taps a finger on the counter. “But also, I have a favor to ask.”
Sammie worked for me for a year before she got the job of being the event coordinator. She’s been a breath of fresh air for our small town, but she’s always busy planning the next event. I swear she’s in constant motion at all times.
I roll my eyes in faux exasperation. “What do you need this time?” The loud noise of the milk frother dims her response and I have to ask her to say it again.
“A journalist is coming to town and I need you to show him around.” Sammie puts on a too-wide smile.
“Um, why?” Dread sinks into my bones at her request. I know she’s not going to ask me for something dramatic, like helping her bury a body, but I don’t want to have to tell her no.
She settles herself on the counter, her eyes tracking me as I work. “So I was contacted by this newspaper about doing ahuman interest story on Rose Prairie. And, well, I’m busy with the Fall Festival. I’ll be able to meet with him for a little bit, but I can’t be distracted. That’s where you come in. I need a true Rosie to showcase the town.”
“You know I’m not a ‘true Rosie’.” The air quotes I make look awkward around the stainless steel frothing pitcher and I almost drop it. Maybe she’ll back down and I’ll have avoided this whole favor issue.Fingers crossed.
She rolls her eyes, scoffing. “Shut up, yes you are. Plus, you’re a business owner with an invested interest in the town.” Sammie inches closer over the counter as she watches me pour the steaming milk into her coffee and I can almost see her salivating. She practically groans when I grab the whipped cream.
A Rosie is a born and bred native of Rose Prairie and seeing as I moved here as a pre-teen, a Rosie I am not.
Chocolate sauce dribbles across the whipped cream before I press down the lids. “Why don’t you get Lori to show him around?” My last beacon of hope rests upon the most unlikely of shoulders. Lori Haverford knows this town inside and out. It’s her greatest passion in life, especially since her husband passed away several years ago. When Sammie was hired as the town’s event coordinator to Lori, Sammie was here to destroy everything.
Her face falls, her expression turning serious. “I wouldn’t do that to myworstenemy. You know Lori Haverford would probably drive the poor man out of town and then we’ll never get the publicity we need. We may be mending things, but Lori is a handful on a good day.”
Dammit, she’s right.
I add coffee sleeves to the warm cups before setting them in front of a waiting Sammie as she slides her payment to me. She bats those large green eyes, pouting out her lower lip as she begs me to say yes.
My hip cocks as I lean into the counter and sigh. I’ve run out of options. “What’s his name?”
Her eyes grow wide and she bounces on her feet. “His name is Mathew, he works atThe Daily Clickand he’ll be here tomorrow. I’ve carved out some time to meet with him later in the morning and into the afternoon, but other than that, he’s all yours.”
“How long?” Please say it’s for one day…
“The rest of the week. Just through Saturday.” She rushes her words like saying them faster lessens their impact.
My jaw drops audibly with a small pop. “Sammie,” I gasp.
“Just think. It’ll be great for business. You can take him around town and show him all the charm Rose Prairie has to offer. Oh, maybe you can get him together with all the small business owners so he can mention them in his article. Levi even said his parents would help if they needed to. I mean, really, there’s a lot you can do to keep him occupied.” She tosses her bag on her shoulder and grabs the steaming coffee. “Thank you for doing this.” The words come out jumbled as she heads to the door. “See you tomorrow,” she calls over her shoulder, practically running away before I can make a protest.
What the hell am I supposed to do with a journalist?
Hell, there’s hardly anything in Rose Prairie to keepmeoccupied and I freaking live here.
All throughout the workday I think about what in the world I can show this guy. I’m sure he’ll be competent enough to explore the town on his own, so I won’t have to do much, right? Sammie’s suggestion of having him meet with the other business owners isn’t a bad idea.
Thanks to Sammie’s events, our little town is thriving. What started out as our annual Christmas Spectacular has blossomed into carnivals, festivals, and celebrations. It’s exciting. The college gets involved and many students volunteer which hasreally brought the community together. I guess I can play my part in helping out our town.
Fishing my phone from my apron, I pull up the group thread for all the business owners in the town square. If I’m going to make this happen, I need to get the ball rolling. Just getting everyone to agree on a specific day and time is going to be a nightmare.
Now I understand why Sammie pawned this off on me.
Chapter Two
Smith
