Chapter Three
Brenna held the cup of coffee to her face. The heat thawed her exposed cheeks, and she second-guessed her choice not to wear more cold-weather gear around her face.
“Here, wear this.”
She looked up to see Derek handing her his scarf. “I can’t take this.”
His eyes gleamed. “We haven’t even made it down half of this side of Main Street, but if you want your nose to fall off, okay.”
“Whatever. Your mom told us that all the time as kids, and it never came true.” Regardless, she yanked the scarf from him and laughed. She wrapped it around her neck and tugged the fabric to cover her cheeks while leaving her mouth free to speak. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He finished stirring sugar into his coffee then replaced the lid. “Where to next?”
“Aren’t we making a straight line?”
He smiled. “Just making sure you hadn’t changed your mind.”
The banter between them came naturally, stirring nostalgic feelings in her. Her friendship with Derek could be traced back to their days of diapers and bottles. He’d been a constant in her life until their senior year of high school, until a single kiss changed everything. Their friendship never ended but had morphed into a strained version of its former self, although her years away from Noel seemed to have erased that tension.
“We’re stopping in each store. Knowledge is power, and from what I’ve seen, I need all the knowledge I can garner to bring hope back to Noel.” Her chest tightened. “Vanna warned me, Mom and Beth, as well, but I didn’t believe it could be this bad.”
Derek guided her to the door. “I’m conflicted. Part of me doubts anything we do will make a difference, but a larger part refuses to admit defeat.”
“Is that why you ran for Mayor?” The bell above her on the door jingled.
“Yes.” He held the door until she was outside then followed her. “Clyde Dumfries isn’t a bad man, but he lost his hope along with everyone else. I might not have all the answers, but I will do my best to bring back the Noel we all knew.”
Despite the cold air, she strolled at a leisurely pace to Becoming Mom, a store she had no reason to enter except for research. “Do you have any ideas?”
“We need jobs. When a mom or dad can’t provide for their family, it creates a ripple through the entire community.” He paused in front of Becoming Mom. “If we could get another company to move into the factory, that would be key.”
“Simple enough in theory, but not in practicality.”
He loosed a sardonic chuckle. “Tell me about it. I’ve contacted a corporate real estate agent, but the problem is, Noel doesn’t own the land.”
“Who does?”
“Mason Textiles.”
She opened the door and stepped inside the store. “I’m assuming they aren’t in a hurry to sell?”
“As long as it sits there vacant, it’s a hefty tax write-off for them. Whoever buys it would have to make a lucrative offer.”
Her insides sank. The big picture became grimmer with each revelation. “Even if they find a buyer, it will take time to close the sale and bring jobs. From what I’m seeing, Noel doesn’t have that long.”
His pinched lips said it all.
Jerrica Talon, the owner of the maternity boutique, came to greet them. “The entire store is on sale. All clothes are forty percent off, spa items are twenty-five percent off, and everything else is ten percent off. I’m also offering free gift wrap for today only.”
The desperation in Jerrica’s tone made Brenna want to make a purchase. She already had several bags from other stores, and she didn’t know anyone who was pregnant, but she’d find something, even if she had to set it aside for a day when a friend was expecting. In the end, she settled on a gift box of lotions and bath salts. Pregnant or not, she could indulge in extra pampering.
Two hours later, she and Derek had stopped in every store on Main Street. She’d depleted her Christmas budget, but finished buying gifts for everyone on her list, including several more items for herself. Store after store, the full shelves called out to her, begging her to support the local businesses. If only she had unlimited finances, she’d buy everything if it meant saving Noel.
“Are you in a hurry to get home?” Derek reached for her bags, relieving her of the burden.
She shook her head. “Mom and Beth had tickets for a matinee ofThe Nutcrackerproduction at the Holman Theatre.”
“You didn’t want to go?”
