Page 10 of Sweet Summertide (Christmas Cove #4)

The late afternoon sun poured in the front windows of Holly’s store.

She had picked this place because of the abundant light inside the south facing frontage.

With all the light, came about a half hour where the sun shone straight inside and all the way to the back of the shop, which is why she could only see the silhouette of a man standing in her doorway.

Whoever the person was, was too short to be Teddy. She had managed to get through what remained of the day without so much as a glimpse of him and shook off the guilty feeling she’d been carrying around since courting his workers with delicious pizza.

“Parcel for Blake Hollis?” the man asked.

“That’s me, thanks. You can leave the package on the windowsill. Do I need to sign for it?”

He placed the medium-sized box where she indicated and scanned the barcode. “Good to go, ma’am.”

He left, and she shook off the icky way she felt whenever someone called her ma’am .

Growing up, her mother demanded Holly use polite southern manners.

No matter how often she heard the word directed at her, it never sounded quite right.

She always had the urge to look over her shoulder, half expecting to see her mother standing there, arms crossed, and shaking her head at the utter disappointment Holly had become.

Holly put down the paint brush and covered it with a damp paper towel. She had every intention of coming back later to finish the wall-mural she was working on. Right now, she had other, more pressing things to handle. The delivery held her next offensive blow.

“Knock. Knock,” Millie said from the doorway.

Holly pulled the stack of papers from the box and held them up. “Look what I got!”

Millie took the top paper, a flyer advertising the new creamery with a perforated section along the bottom that featured a half-off coupon. “It looks good. But I can’t say the same for the way things are looking in here. Will you be ready in time?”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to make this place a success.

You know that I’m afraid this is my last chance at making my own way.

My parents are tiring of my ‘whimsy’,” she said and motioned air quotes.

“If this doesn’t work out, I’ll be out all my savings, and probably have to go work with my mother at the stables. ”

Millie threw her arms around Holly’s shoulders. “It won’t come to that. We’re going to make this work. Tell me how I can help.”

“Right now, you can help me pass out these flyers.” Holly handed her friend a roll of painter’s tape.

Millie held it up. “Really? Where on earth did you find ballet-pink painter’s tape?” she laughed and slid the roll over her wrist.

“I have connections.”

“With whom? Amazon?”

Holly shrugged, but of course, she ordered it online like a normal person who needs a stash of pink painter’s tape. “Let’s get going.”

Holly left the shop doors open to air out the mural she had been working on and repositioned the flyers in her arm.

“Left, or right?” She looked both ways at Main Street.

The sun was just about to go down and the street was coming alive.

Even though the area was only newly coming into a revitalization, it was teeming with activity.

On both ends, new shops and restaurants had opened and they drew people to the area.

On weekends, the square in front of the old City Hall building was a gathering place.

Even now, live music echoed down the cobblestones as the band warmed up.

Soon, the whole square would be filled with families and out-of-towners out enjoying the night air.

Across the square, a restaurant had a lovely outdoor seating area with fairy lights strung over a brick patio.

Little bistro tables served double duty for eating and enjoying the music.

Folks were trickling into the area, but it wasn’t quite time to hit the crowd yet.

Holly looked the other direction where a few customers were busy coming and going from the Cove Boutique, a quaint little place that sold everything from fresh flowers to girly dresses and featured many local artisans.

The shop was one of her favorite places to hunt for unique items, and it rivaled any big-city boutique: a slice of the city in the quaint little Cove.

She looked straight out at the soon-to-be chocolaterie, seemingly closed up for the weekend. All the workers had scattered, and no lights were turned on. “I have a better idea,” Holly said and stepped out into the road with Millie close behind. “Tape me.”

Millie tore a section of tape, several inches long, and handed it over Holly’s shoulder. “Are we really doing this?”

Holly answered with action when she plastered one of her eye-catching flyers to Teddy’s door. She stood back. The pinky-floral background and bright-green lettering screamed for the attention of any passersby. “I like it there.”

“You’re asking for it,” Millie said and clapped her approval. “And I obviously support you, one-hundred percent.” She handed over another stretch of tape.

Holly and Millie worked as a team, sticking dozens of flyers to every light post, bench back, and empty window along the street. Holly forced a flyer into the hands of anyone walking by too.

“We’re opening in a few weeks, make sure to come by for a scoop with your coupon,” Millie said as she handed out the last flyer. “What now?”

Standing away from the main crowd that had gathered by the fountain.

Holly’s hips swayed to the rhythm of the bluegrass music.

“Reminds me of my mother.” She smiled thinking about how easy things were before her mother’s horses started winning big races.

Holly had spent her childhood in the stables, that’s how she had met Millie.

“Do you remember all the trouble we use to get into when we were little?”

Millie laughed before answering. “I remember doing things we should have been in trouble for, but we almost always got away with it.”

“Come on, you think they didn’t know that two little girls were sneaking around, switching equipment, or letting the horses into the wrong pasture? They had to have known it was us, and they let us have our fun anyway,” Holly said and giggled.

“Do you remember when we fed your mom’s favorite horse the edible glitter?”

Holly covered her mouth with the back of her hand. “I will never get that sight out of my mind. There was sparkly poo everywhere.”

“Your poor mom, she cleaned out the stable that day because she was embarrassed for anyone else to have to do it. And she never said a word to us about it.”

“When she used to be nice.” Holly lamented.

“But that’s what I’m saying. They had to know who was causing mischief.

And I’m not sad for a second that we had a childhood as good as that.

” Reminiscing about the fun they used to have, gave her an idea that she hoped she wouldn’t regret.

“You want to get into some trouble tonight? Like old times.”

“No, but also, yes!” Millie whispered with excitement all over her face.

Holly turned to go back to the shop, the music fading behind her.

Millie scurried to keep up. “I know that look. What are we about to do?”

Holly turned at the entrance into her shop.

“Close that door behind you, will ya?” She headed for the table where all the fresh supplies were arranged and retrieved two painter’s suits.

She tossed an unopened package to Millie and unpacked one for herself.

The white jumpsuit was huge. She held up the material that easily could accommodate someone twice her size, but it was all she had.

As Millie put her suit on, without question, Holly searched through a box of spray paint, and caulking. “It’s in here somewhere,” she said, and Millie appeared beside her.

“What are we getting?”

“I’m looking for the chalk spray. For windows. It looks like this,” she held up a can of bright blue spray chalk that she had used a few days ago to lay out the floor plan. “I want the gold one or yellow, or white.”

“Why do you have these?”

“I got them for my front windows. It’s like paint, but it’s easier to wash off. So, I can change the display in the windows. But right now …”

“We’re spraying Teddy’s windows, aren’t we?”

Holly nodded and captured her lower lip between her teeth. “Keep looking. I want to get this done while everyone is down at the fountain.”

Millie began taking the contents out of the box and lined up the cans and tubes on the table making it easier to see what they were. “Isn’t this vandalism? I don’t want you to get in real trouble.”

“It’s only chalk. Harmless.” Holly followed Millie’s example and set aside any of the cans of spray chalk. The only light in the space came from the streetlamp outside and the twinkle-lights that hung between both sides of the road.

Once they separated the products, Holly took her phone from her pocket and shone the torch on the display. “Look for the gold one,” she whispered though they were alone. “Wait, here’s one, but you need one too.”

“Oh, no. I’m not going to jail for you,” Millie said and backed off. “I’m only staying to make sure you don’t get arrested.”

“Fine,” Holly said and started shaking the container. “You can be my lookout.”

“You’re gonna shine like a spotlight in that,” Millie said. “Here.” She handed a can of dark paint to Holly. “Spray me.”

Holly began shaking the can but handed it back to Millie. “I have a better idea.” Holly walked to the long wall and peeled plastic wrap off a large can of paint. She took the roller in her hands and proceeded to paint her front side. Unable to reach her back, she passed the roller to Millie.

“This is quicker,” Millie said and pressed the roller up and down Holly’s backside. “Now do me.”