Chapter Twelve
Thursday morning dawned bright and sunny as Cammie greeted the Harrington Construction crew with hot coffee and a bag of bakery treats.
“You don’t have to bribe them,” Allen teased, grabbing a cinnamon raisin bagel and taking a hearty bite. “But they’ll never say no to food.”
Cammie shot him a playful look as she bit into her flaky chocolate croissant. “It’s not bribery—it’s appreciation. How did the cleaning turn out? Are we ready to move in as planned?”
“Everything looks great,” Allen said, his words slightly muffled as he chewed. “We unloaded the truck and set up your displays. There’s plenty to keep you busy while we tackle the electrical and the wall. If the layout doesn’t work, just let us know—it’ll only take a few minutes to rearrange things so you can start setting out your gift inventory.”
Cammie scanned the parking spaces along the street. “I didn’t even notice the U-Haul was gone. How did you get so much done this early? It’s not even seven yet!”
“I had a few of the guys stop by on their way to the cabin project up the mountain,” Allen explained, waving good morning to an elderly couple passing by who seemed curious about the activity at the old apothecary shop. “With that many strong arms, we had everything unloaded before six.”
“I didn’t realize you all started so early. Next time, I’ll make sure breakfast is here even earlier.” Cammie glanced toward the shop, a mix of anticipation and hesitation in her voice. “I guess I’d better get inside and figure out what I can do. Honestly, I don’t want to pull too much out. It’ll just get dusty with the construction, and no one’s going to want to buy anything covered in a layer of grime...”
She trailed off, her gaze roaming the space. The layout was perfect, and she couldn’t help but smile at the thoughtful addition of a few of Betty’s displays. Allen was very good at his job.
“No need to worry about that,” Allen assured her. “We’ll tape off the space to keep the dust contained, and there’s still an air purifier running outside the area to capture anything that sneaks through. You should be able to set up without any problems.”
He turned to join the men working in the back corner but paused to call over his shoulder, “Have fun, Cammie. Today’s the day you put your first mark on your blank canvas. I can’t wait to see what you create.” With a quick wink, he disappeared behind a newly hung sheet of plastic as the crew secured it in place.
“Thanks, Allen. No pressure,” she muttered dryly, though she couldn’t help but appreciate the energy he brought to the day. Her anticipation bubbled as she turned to get started.
She was surrounded by dozens of gift baskets wrapped in shiny cellophane, fully absorbed in arranging the gift shop display, when her phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, she saw the caller ID: Sweet Valley Blooms.
“Hello?” she answered, her voice laced with confusion.
“Miss Rodes?” A friendly male voice greeted her.
“Yes, this is Cammie. How can I help you?” she replied, a faint unease settling in her stomach.
“My name is Phill Adler. I work for Adler Construction. My crew helped assemble and install Miss Betty’s walk-in cooler. We’ve finally had time to disassemble it, and she mentioned you purchased it and need it reassembled at your new location. When would be a good time to get that done? Miss Betty has a buyer for her store, and the new owners would like to move in by the end of the week.”
“By the end of the week? As in Friday? Tomorrow?” Cammie repeated, her mind spinning.
A walk-in cooler would be a game-changer for her business. She hadn’t realized it was part of her deal with Betty. That revelation turned what she thought was a steal into outright piracy. The coolers alone, combined with the displays and supplies, were worth at least $20,000—far more than the $5,000 she’d paid. Her chest tightened. She needed to call Betty immediately.
“Um, Mr. Adler,” she said, steadying her voice, “I’ll need to check with my construction crew. They’re building the wall for my workspace right now, and I’m not sure the walk-in will fit. Can I call you back in ten minutes?”
“Sure thing,” Phill replied. “We’re getting it loaded onto the truck now. I’ll wait for your call.”
As soon as the line went dead, Cammie scrolled to Betty’s number and dialed, weaving her way through the maze of plastic sheeting toward the back where the men were working.
“Betty, it’s Cammie. Phill Adler just called about the walk-in cooler. I can’t accept that,” she said in a rush as soon as Betty answered the call. “When I agreed to buy your inventory, I didn’t realize the cooler was included. It’s too much for the price I paid, and I can’t offer any more. You should ask your granddaughter to sell it.”
“Cammie, honey,” Betty replied with an amused chuckle, “you agreed to take it all. The building’s sold as of this morning. I’m retired and ready for some sunshine on the beach and a break from this wretched snow. The cooler will make a huge difference for your business—trust me. Accept the blessing and thank God for the good things coming your way. I know I am, and that includes you making this transition so smooth for me. Gotta go, ta-ta!”
Cammie stared at her phone, disbelief written all over her face. Before she could fully process what had just happened, Allen approached, resting a supportive hand on her arm.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concern flickering in his eyes.
“Um, good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” Cammie said with an uneasy grin.
“Bad news first, always,” Allen said with a smile. “That way the good news feels even better.”
“This room size won’t work anymore. The wall has to be pushed out several feet into the retail space,” Cammie said, bracing for Allen’s reaction.
To her surprise, his expression remained calm—no exasperation, no frustration. Just an expectant, “And?”
She hesitated, caught off guard by his steady demeanor. “Well, that’s the extent of the bad news. The good news is my deal with Betty included a walk-in cooler, which is going to have a huge impact on my business. It’s financially a dream come true, but Phill Adler needs to deliver and install it today.”
“That’s it?” Allen said, his smile spreading across his face. “You had me worried.” He reached out, rubbing her arms gently before his thumb swept over the worry lines on her forehead. “Smile, Cammie. This is great news. I’ll call Phill now and coordinate.”
“You’re not mad?” she asked, her voice soft with uncertainty. “I saw the wall’s already up. This will waste hours of your time.”
Allen pulled her into his arms, his hand rubbing small circles on her back. “It’s fine. We’ll remove the anchors and push it back. No electrical’s been run yet, so it’s perfect timing. Trust me—this will barely set us back. Once I get the measurements from Phill, I’ll come out here, and we’ll work through the layout changes together.”
The day flew by, the shop a beehive of activity. Phill arrived with the cooler and, at Allen’s request, a large order of Chinese food from a Sweet Valley restaurant. “Keeping the crew fed means they won’t wander off,” Allen quipped with a grin, earning a laugh from Cammie.
She accepted the bag Phill handed her and settled in the bay window, eating quietly while sketching plans for the window displays. As she finished her meal and reached for a napkin, a small pink heart fluttered into her lap. Curious, she picked it up and read the bold black scrawl: Take a moment today to recognize how much you shine.
The tiny note brought a soft smile to her face, reminding her of her conversation with Allen the night before. Folding it carefully, she slipped it into her pocket and returned to work.
Hours later, as the sun set and the shop quieted, Cammie placed the final gift basket on the display shelf and stepped back to admire her work. The shelves gleamed with carefully arranged gifts for every occasion, offering something for everyone. Only the artificial arrangements and window displays remained to complete the retail floor. If everything went as planned, she’d be filling the coolers with fresh arrangements by the weekend.
As she broke down the empty boxes, another pink heart fluttered to the floor. Curious, she picked it up and read the message: The way you stay positive in difficult times is something to be admired. She smiled softly. Well, she certainly tried.
Turning, she glanced at her back, wondering if the heart had been stuck to her since lunch. Good thing I was alone, she thought with a laugh. At least it wasn’t toilet paper. That would’ve been much worse.
Allen appeared at her side, his brow raised in curiosity. “Looks like you’re having fun. What’s so amusing?”
“Oh, nothing,” Cammie replied, slipping the little note into her back pocket with its companion. “How did everything go today? I’ve been dying to ask but didn’t want to get in the way.”
Turning to survey the wall they’d built, a proud smile lit his face. “We’re on schedule. The wall’s up, electrical is in, and paint goes on tomorrow. After that, the space is all yours. I also called my guy at the internet company—he’s got you on his schedule for Saturday. You’ll be ready to open by Sunday, just like we planned.”
Relief flooded Cammie. “Thank you, Allen. You said your crew could deliver, but I never expected this much progress so quickly. It’s really all coming together.”
“Look at all you’ve done today,” Allen said, gesturing toward the retail space. “No one would believe this shop was empty this morning. It looks like you could open your doors right now. You really know how to hustle.”
“I try,” Cammie admitted, her eyes gleaming with pride. “My dad always said, ‘Good things happen to those who work hard and make them happen.’ If I fail, it won’t be from sitting around doing nothing. My goal is to have this space ready to open by Sunday. Once that’s done, I can focus entirely on the live arrangements. You have no idea how crazy it’s about to get around here.”
“I look forward to watching you create something spectacular. Are you ready to call it a night? My Kung Pao Chicken wore off hours ago,” Allen said with a grin, rubbing his flat belly. “Gathering Grounds has a killer Reuben—if we hurry, we can still get our order in before Gwen closes the kitchen.”
“Closes the kitchen? What time is it?” Cammie asked, pulling her phone from her pocket. The little pink hearts fluttered to the floor again. She laughed sheepishly, scooping them up and slipping them into her other pocket. “Eight o’clock? I had no idea it was so late.”
Allen chuckled, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. “So, what do you say?”
Cammie hesitated, her heart doing a little flip she wasn’t ready to analyze. “Dinner sounds wonderful,” she said softly.
As they stepped into the brisk night air, Allen’s casual comment about her creations replayed in her mind. Was he talking about flowers—or the life she was beginning to build?