Page 24 of Under the Northern Lights
Sidney beamed with pride. “Then you’ve come to the right place.” She motioned around the shop where dark metal shelves held rows and rows of single and two-wick candles for purchase. “These are all made from one hundred percent soy wax and are handmade daily in the back of the shop by my mother.”
“I’m guessing Melissa is busy at work right now, creating her next incredible scent,” Gage said from the other side of the room.
“She is.” Sidney turned to Aurora. “Mom is the candle chemist around here. She pours and packages the candles while I handle the sales, shipping, and marketing. We’ve started working on our line for the upcoming holidays, so she’s been really busy with perfecting festive scents.
Our candles sell well, but go like hotcakes over the holiday season. ”
“Maybe we should offer some in our gift shop at the retreat,” Gage thought aloud.
“You should.” Aurora moved along the towering shelf, smelling each of the special collection’s candle scents. “I can’t speak for men, but most women enjoy candles. Especially when there is a variety of scents to choose from.”
After about five minutes of sampling the scents of every candle in the Northern Candlelights Collection, along with a few others, Aurora turned toward the checkout counter where Sidney stood talking to Gage.
“Do you sell your candles online?” Aurora asked. “There are so many I would love to try.”
“We do,” Sidney replied.
Picking up one of the jars she hadn’t gotten to yet, Aurora lowered her head and took a slow, studying sniff. “Mmm ... I get vanilla, I think, and possibly nutmeg.”
“She has a great nose,” Sidney told Gage.
And a great smile. Gage somehow managed to keep that thought to himself.
“These would make the most perfect Christmas gift.” She looked at Gage. “And before you say anything, I know Christmas is still three months away. I happen to be one of those who likes to start shopping early.”
He put up his hands. “Hey, I wasn’t going to say anything, but since you brought it up ...”
Ignoring his teasing, she set that candle down and picked up another from the neatly organized black shelf, one of several that lined the wall from ceiling to floor.
Lifting its lid, she sniffed the scented soy wax.
“All of these candles smell so good. This is definitely pumpkin and something else that I can’t quite put a mental finger on. ”
“Autumn fig,” Sidney said. “The scents are printed on the sides of the jar labels.”
Aurora turned the jar and laughed. “I guess they are. I was so distracted by the incredibly yummy smell that I didn’t even notice.”
Gage was soaking up everything about Aurora. The simplest things made her so happy. And seeing her joy made him happy.
“The sampler packs with their assorted two-point-five-ounce candles make wonderful little stocking stuffers.”
“I guess the only way to really know which scents are my favorite is to burn them. So I’ll have you ship me one of the sampler sets also. Once I get them and have a chance to try them out, I’ll no doubt be ordering more.”
“Be sure to burn the Northern Candlelights Collection ones first,” Sidney warned. “In case you want more. We’re only offering them for a limited time.”
“I think it should be a year-round selection,” Gage suggested. “The marketing is spot on for this area.”
Sidney beamed with pride. “I suppose that’s something Mom and I should take into consideration.”
If Aurora got this excited over the candles, he had to imagine some of the women who come to the retreat might as well.
Men, too, for that matter, because they even carried a line of candles geared more toward men’s tastes.
It would be another way to offer more to their retreat guests while helping another local business in the process.
Gage looked at Sidney. “I’ll be in touch about ordering some of your candles for the retreat.”
“Really?” she said excitedly.
He nodded.
“Gage, that would be great. Just let us know what you need and when you need it.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
Turning back to Aurora, Sidney said, “I’ll need to get your information for shipping. After that, we’ll get you checked out.”
Aurora set the candle she’d been sniffing back on the shelf and crossed the room to where Sidney waited. After giving Sidney her mailing information in Seattle, Aurora placed her order, including some candles for her mother and sister.
After saying their goodbyes, Gage opened the door for Aurora as they stepped outside. “If I had known how happy it would make you to go into a candle store, I would have brought you here that day you came sloshing into Glady’s place in your adorable bright yellow duck poncho.”
Aurora rolled her eyes. “Must you continue to remind me about that mostly embarrassing moment?”
“I must,” he replied with a grin. “It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.”
“Of your life?” she repeated as they started down the sidewalk toward Glady’s.
“Without a doubt. It’s the day I met you.”
That simple statement touched her more than he could ever know. Embarrassed by the unexpected rush of tears that threatened to pool in her eyes, she looked away. “I’m glad I was able to create a memorable moment for you.”
“The first of many since your arrival,” he admitted with a chuckle.
“Sorry for taking so long in the candle shop,” she said, wanting to talk about something other than the memories they’d shared. Memories she’d soon be taking with her when she returned to Seattle.
“Don’t be sorry,” he told her. “It made you happy being in there.”
“But it took a lot of time. You still need to pick up your order at the hardware store, and Reed’s waiting for you to get back to help him with the landscape lighting.”
“It just gives me an excuse to bring you back to town again. Check out a few more stores, and we’ll come back another day to visit with Glady.”
Aurora nodded. “If you’re sure.”
He nodded. “I’m sure.”
“It did make me happy,” she confided. “I didn’t think about my canceled wedding even once while I was in there.”
“Glad to hear it.” Even more glad that her ex hadn’t been in Aurora’s thoughts that afternoon. Gage suddenly found himself wondering if he had been hers, because Aurora had definitely taken over his thoughts.