Bookstore on the Bay (A New Beginning #1)

Chapter 1

S hona sat at her sewing machine surrounded by stacks of quilting fabric and spools of thread. She loved nothing more than being at home in the peaceful solitude of her sewing room where she could lose herself in the hum of the machine and the soothing repetition of her needle moving up and down.

For her, quilting was more than a hobby or a way to pass the time. Over the last couple of years, it had become her primary source of income. Between two part-time jobs, she stitched and planned projects for customers who contacted her after seeing the quilts she sold at The Christmas Shop and on her website.

If she was ever short of inspiration, all she had to do was look through the window and take in the glorious view of the tall spruce, oak, and pine trees growing on the edge of her Montana property.

Each day in Sapphire Bay was a blessing. Especially when her son was home from college.

“Do you know where my backpack’s gone, Mom?” Nate, her nineteen-year-old son, stood in the doorway. When he saw what she was working on, he smiled. “I can’t believe you’re already doing the topstitching. Kylie only had her baby a week ago.”

“I’ve been working on her quilt for a while. Your backpack’s beside the kitchen counter.”

“Thanks.” He turned to leave and then stopped. “Are you going to the tiny home village this morning?”

“Not to the village, but I am going to the old steamboat museum. Do you want me to drop something off on my way through town?”

Nate shook his head. “It’s okay. I’ll see Pastor John tonight.”

Each Friday night, Shona volunteered at The Welcome Center. When Nate was home from college, he went with her. Sometimes, they peeled potatoes or made large pans of lasagna. On other evenings they set up the dining room, cleaned the kitchen, or helped make beds in the accommodation wing for unexpected guests.

It didn’t matter which jobs they were allocated, it was their way of giving back to a community that had given them so much.

“Be careful on the road.”

“I will. I’ll see you after I’ve finished work.”

After he left, she changed the decorative stitch she was using and followed the edge of the fabric. The pink and purple quilt would look pretty on the cradle Kylie and Ben had rescued from the top of their barn.

With a contented sigh, she planned the rest of her day. After she finished this row, she’d prepare some fabric for a quilt she was making for a customer. And, after that, she’d take two quilts into the old steamboat museum for the tiny homes that were almost finished.

She may be just one person sitting in a small room with a sewing machine but, through her quilts, she was able to touch the lives of so many others. And, for her, that was the greatest gift of all.

Joseph lifted a sheet of drywall into place with an apprentice who was helping to build the tiny homes. Henry was a good kid who’d had a rough start in life. With the help of the local church, and the construction program Pastor John had started, he’d found something better than the life he’d known.

“Make sure the sheet is hard against the wall,” Joseph told him. “Otherwise, nothing will line up.”

“It’s tight.” Henry took the electric drill off his toolbelt and screwed the drywall into place.

The tiny home was going to a development that was based on what they were doing in Sapphire Bay. With chronic homelessness and rental affordability an issue in many towns, the tiny home project provided much-needed accommodation in communities across Montana.

When the sheet was secure, they picked up another and attached it to the wall. So far, they were on track to have three homes ready for plastering tomorrow morning.

They both turned when someone knocked on the exterior wall. Joseph smiled at the woman standing in the doorway. He’d spoken to Shona Milligan a few times since he’d moved to Sapphire Bay. With red-brown hair, gray eyes, and a personality that was as genuine as her smile, she was one of the nicest people he’d met.

“Hi, Joseph. I’ve made two quilts for the homes you’ve finished. I was going to leave them in the office, but no one’s there.”

He looked at the folded fabric. “I’d offer to take them to the tiny homes, but I’ll get them dirty. I could show you where they need to go?”

“That would be wonderful. Hi, Henry.”

“Hi, Mrs. Milligan. Will Nate be home later tonight?”

“He’ll be at The Welcome Center until eight o’clock, but home after that.”

“Thanks. I’ll text him to see if he wants a visitor.”

“That sounds great.”

After Henry went back to work, Joseph led Shona across the indoor construction area. “I’m surprised no one was at the reception desk.”

“I was, too. I signed the visitor sheet to let them know I’m here. How’s Adele?”

“She’s a typical eight-year-old. The programs at the church are keeping her busy while I’m working. Nate must be going back to college soon?”

“Next week. I’ll miss him after he leaves.”

Shona’s husband had died in a car accident a few years ago. Joseph didn’t know much about her life, but he’d met her son and was impressed by the quietly spoken teenager. “I’m assuming the quilts are for the homes going to the new site in Sapphire Bay?”

“That’s right. I thought I’d drop them off before the tiny homes leave here.”

“Good idea. Everything gets a little crazy after we move the houses.” Although a team of paid staff and volunteers built the homes, they were a community project. Everything, from the curtains and linens to the cutlery and plates, was either made or donated by people and businesses in town.

Joseph stopped outside the tiny home closest to the loading bay. With two bedrooms in the loft, a small bathroom, a kitchenette, and a living room, it was everything the new tenants would need to feel safe and comfortable.

He opened the front door and stepped inside. “The last time I saw this house was after it was painted. The curtains have made a big difference.”

“They look lovely. It’s nice to have some color in the room.” Shona left a quilt on top of some cushions and blankets.

The house wouldn’t be completely furnished until it arrived on site. But anything they could add before then meant the new tenants could move in faster.

“I’ve never asked why you donate so many quilts. They must take a long time to make.”

“They do, but the families who move into the tiny homes appreciate them.” She took another look around the house before leaving. “My grandma taught me how to sew when I was about your daughter’s age. We’d use scraps of fabric left over from the clothes she made. Whenever I make a quilt, it reminds me of her and the fun we had. What made you want to build the tiny homes?”

He hadn’t told many people why he volunteered. Most thought it was because he enjoyed building, but that was only part of the answer. “I went through a difficult divorce. When I moved to Sapphire Bay with Adele, I needed something to take my mind off what was happening. Pastor John asked if I wanted to help, and I said yes.”

“Well, I’m glad you did. You’re making a difference in many people’s lives.”

At Shona’s gentle smile, the tension in his shoulders disappeared. “I hope so.” He opened the next tiny home’s front door, and she left the second quilt beside some blankets. “I’ll see you at The Welcome Center tonight. Adele’s singing with the choir after dinner.”

“Good for her. The choir always sounds amazing.”

“They’re already planning what they’ll sing in the Christmas carol competition.”

Shona’s eyes widened. “Christmas is still four months away.”

“That’s what you get for coming second in last year’s competition. They want to win this one.”

“Let me know if they need anyone to make cookies for the audience. I have a great shortbread recipe that melts in your mouth.”

Joseph laughed. “I’ll tell Mabel.”

Since the first competition, the choir directors had tried to influence the voting by providing snacks for the audience. Gingerbread men, homemade candy canes, fudge, and even snowmen made from chocolate-coated marshmallows had made their way into the competition. Not to be outdone, Mabel had decided to find the perfect Christmas treats.

In easy silence, they walked across the concrete floor to the main entrance. Shona stopped in front of the reception desk. Picking up a pen, she quickly signed out of the visitor book. “Thanks for showing me where the houses are.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good day.” Joseph stood in the doorway and watched her leave.

Everyone he’d met had come to Sapphire Bay for different reasons. Why they stayed was an entirely different matter. Shona could have moved anywhere after her husband died, but she chose to live in the same small town where she’d raised her son.

Whether that was by choice or if it was easier than leaving, he didn’t know. And maybe it didn’t matter.

Shona glanced at Nate before stopping her truck outside a cottage on Anchor Lane. Some days, it still surprised her how far she’d come since selling her first quilt at The Christmas Shop. Never in a million years would she have imagined they’d be so popular or how much she enjoyed creating them.

Unfortunately, the success of her business had created a few issues. She loved working from home but, if she wanted to grow her business, she needed more space.

When she’d seen the cottages on Anchor Lane, she’d wondered if one of them could become a quilt shop. But with sagging verandas, blistered paint, and gutters overgrown with weeds, they were an eyesore she couldn’t afford to fix.

It wasn’t until Pastor John told her the first four cottages would be remodeled and leased to small business owners that she became excited. A flower shop had opened in the first cottage. The second was a café. The location was perfect. Even the pretty pastel-colored paint scheme gave the cottages an old-fashioned charm that drew customers to them.

Over the last six months, she’d saved every penny she could, but it might not be enough to open her own business.

She glanced at Nate, almost too scared to see his reaction. “What do you think?”

He took off his seat belt. “It looks better than it did last week.”

The pale blue exterior walls and the white trim around the veranda made a big difference, but Nate’s lukewarm response worried her. “The contractors have almost finished. There are just a few touch-ups to do inside.”

“Are you sure you want to open a quilting store? Sapphire Bay isn’t that big, and you won’t be on Main Street.”

“Paris’ flower shop and Andrea’s café have increased the number of people visiting Anchor Lane. The county’s only allowing the first four cottages to be turned into small businesses. If I don’t take this one, I might miss out.”

And she didn’t want that to happen. The little cottage would be perfect for selling quilts, meeting clients, and teaching other people how to sew.

She climbed out of the truck and stood on the sidewalk. “I spoke to Penny Terry, the property developer who owns these cottages. She’ll give me a discount on the rent for the first twelve months.”

Nate’s frown deepened. “What if you don’t make enough money to cover the other expenses?”

Shona’s heart squeezed tight. If the trauma of losing his dad wasn’t enough, Nate had worked three part-time jobs while she’d recovered from an operation on her spine a few years later. They’d lived paycheck to paycheck, barely getting through each week.

Even though he was at college, she knew he still worried about her. “I won’t sign the lease if I can’t afford it. Andrea has offered to help me fill out the forms for a start-up loan from the bank. Paris has been wonderful, too.”

Nate’s gaze traveled from her to the cottage she wanted to rent. “I guess I could have a look inside.”

That was good enough for Shona. With a reassuring smile, she opened the front gate. “Penny gave me a spare key this afternoon.” Nate hadn’t been inside the cottage, but she’d told him all about it.

She unlocked the front door with a soft click and pushed it open. “You go first.”

Nate walked into what used to be the entranceway. The contractors had removed the walls separating the hallway from the rest of the cottage. What was left was a large, open space that was more than big enough for what she needed.

Standing under the pressed tin ceilings, he turned in a slow circle. “It’s bigger and brighter than I thought.”

“Removing the walls makes it feel larger.” She stood in front of the original fireplace and opened her arms wide. “This is where I’ll set up the sewing machines for people to learn how to quilt. And over here”—she moved to the front of the room—“is where I’ll have tables of quilts I want to sell.”

Nate looked around a doorframe. “Everything in the kitchen looks new.”

“It is. I’ll find some lovely second-hand furniture for the retail area, and Mabel Terry will supply the sewing machines people can use.”

“What about your job at the church?”

“Once the store opens, Shelley will find someone else to work with her.” Shona looked at the polished wooden floor and the cornices that were as wide as two hands. Everything about the cottage seemed so right, so much of everything she’d always wanted. “This could be the start of something amazing,” she said softly.

Nate picked up an empty box and left it beside the fireplace. “I think so, too. If I wasn’t going back to college, I could give you a hand to get everything ready.”

“There isn’t that much to do.” It was a slight exaggeration, but she didn’t want Nate to worry about her. “Besides, I can’t do anything until I ask the bank for a start-up loan.”

“How long will that take?”

“Completing the forms shouldn’t take too long. Andrea only had to wait a couple of weeks for the bank’s decision. Hopefully, I’ll be the same.” She smiled and wrapped her hand around Nate’s arm. “I never thought I’d own my own business.”

“Dad would be proud of you.”

She looked at her beautiful son, and tears filled her eyes. With his dark brown hair and brown eyes, he was so much like Chris that her heart broke all over again. “I hope so.”

“I know so.” Nate kissed her cheek. “I’m proud of you, too. You can do this, Mom.”

She looked at the white-painted walls, at the sunlight streaming through the windows. For a long time, she’d relied on other people to make her dreams come true. Now, for the first time in her life, she had the opportunity to do something for herself, for Nate, and for the community.

With a little help and lots of hard work, she hoped the cottage would become the most amazing quilting store in Montana.