A few minutes later, Belle reappeared without Ayla. "She found a book to read."
"She always does. I have a feeling she'll want to spend a lot of time here once you're open."
"She's welcome anytime."
"It's amazing that you can do such a big renovation when you're just opening." I wondered if she came from money or had an investor.
"Eve is paying for the renovation since it's technically an improvement to the building and she's the landlord."
"It will improve the value of this place. I think book lovers will enjoy coming here and sitting outside on the patio, listening to the fountain."
"The fountain will be nice in the summer, but we have a long cold spell. That's why I was thinking I'd enclose the side patio in the winter. Get more use of the space."
"That's a good idea."
"Maverick is the best when it comes to patios. I did my research."
"But?" I asked, sensing one was coming.
"We have a history, and I'm not sure it's going to be good to work together."
"Didn't Natasha work with Ford on the renovations for the inn, even though they dated in high school? And now they're together."
Belle laughed. "We weren't high-school sweethearts. I'm not even sure you would describe what we did as dating."
That made me raise my brows. There was a story there.
"We danced around each other, had a few encounters, but we weren't anything really. At some point, he decided I was too good for him. Whatever that's supposed to mean."
"Are you saying you were a good girl to his bad boy?" I teased, gesturing at the romance section on the shelf nearby.
"He thought so, and I couldn't convince him otherwise. And it seems like he still has a few preconceived notions about me in that thick head of his."
"Maybe it will be good to clear the air between you two. Talk it out so you can work together."
"Maverick isn't the easiest guy to talk to. He's gruff and stubborn."
I laughed. "Yeah, I could see that."
"I really want the patio. It's going to be amazing. This was the bookstore I envisioned owning when I was a little girl. People would come here to read and escape to other worlds. I can't think of a better place to spend my days, ensconced in books with all this light coming into the space."
"It's going to be amazing," I agreed, folding the last pair of panties.
Since it was a holiday display, I'd brought the ones with strings of lights, candy canes, and gingerbread men. I even had red-and-green striped. The rest of the lot was solid colors that fit the season. "Is this too much?"
"This is perfect. Books and panties are the perfect combination," Belle said, and we burst out laughing. It wasn't exactly true, but I appreciated the sentiment. And I was fairly sure I'd made a new friend today.
For the first time, I felt like I might fit in at Christmas Town, and I had allies to stand by my side when Bill gave me a hard time.
I just hoped I'd be able to stay and build a successful business. I didn't want to start over again, and I was really starting to like the women who worked here.
CHAPTER 9
HUDSON
Iwanted to remove the wood planks in the front of Angela's store. Cooper was already handling other projects, and this one was mine. I had the keys and could come and go as I pleased, but I knocked on the door and peered through the glass before unlocking it.
The next time I saw Angela in lingerie, I wanted to be alone with her. I didn't want Wynter watching my every move. I suspected she already knew how I felt about Angela with one look.
