Chapter 11
J oseph checked the time. “Come on, guys. We’ll have to hurry if we want to arrive at Shona’s store before it opens.”
Adele and Nate flicked off their seat belts and jumped out of the truck. Nate wanted to surprise his mom for the store’s grand opening, so he’d driven to Pastor John’s home yesterday and stayed with him overnight.
Instead of bringing his truck into town, he’d left it at the church. With the Saturday market always attracting a large crowd, John had asked if Joseph could bring Nate into town.
He planned to see Shona before the store opened anyway, so he was happy to give Nate a ride.
“I feel kind of bad about telling Mom I wasn’t coming home,” Nate said as they hurried along Main Street. “She sounded upset when I said I couldn't make it.”
“I'm sure she'll forgive you when she realizes you wanted to surprise her.”
“I hope so.”
Adele looked up at Nate. “Don't worry. My mom never wants to see me, but Shona’s not like that. She'll be really happy when she sees you.”
Joseph’s heart dropped. He didn't realize Hillary’s absence in their daughter's life made Adele feel that way. “Your mom still loves you, pumpkin. She just has a different way of showing it.”
“I wish she'd come and see me sometimes.”
He placed his hand on Adele's shoulder and moved them out of the way of the people on the sidewalk. Nate waited while Joseph kneeled beside his daughter. “If you want to see your mom, we can fly to Australia and see her when you're on vacation. The only thing we have to do is make sure she's home.”
“Last time you asked, she said she wouldn’t be there.”
Adele had cried for days after Hillary told them she wouldn't be home. That wouldn't have been so bad if she’d given them an idea of when it suited her. But, in usual Hillary style, she hadn't been willing to make a commitment. She lived for the moment and didn't like being tied down to a specific date. Or tied to her daughter.
“I'll try again and see what she says.”
“Okay, but don't tell me if she says no. I feel sad when she says that.”
Joseph pulled her close for a hug. “I know. One day, everything will make more sense. It's just as well we have each other.”
Adele smiled. “And Shona.”
“And Shona,” Joseph repeated softly. The more time he spent with her, the more right it felt. Even Adele was getting used to popping into the store to see her. Shona always made them laugh, even when she was tired. And she always appreciated what they did for her, no matter how big or small.
But what really made the difference was that she genuinely liked them. She had no idea he could have bought half of Sapphire Bay and still had money left over. She didn’t know about the jet-setting lifestyle that had cost him his marriage and changed Adele’s life. And, thankfully, she still didn’t know about the money his trust had loaned her.
“Are you ready to see The Cozy Quilt Shop?” he asked Adele. Her quick nod was all the answer he needed. With Nate bouncing from foot to foot beside them, he was definitely ready to see what his mom had been doing. “Let’s go, then.”
A few seconds later, they turned the corner into Anchor Lane—and stared at the line of people waiting to visit Shona’s store.
Shona couldn’t believe the number of people who were waiting outside. At first, she thought they must be lining up for coffee from The Starlight Café. When the line of people didn't move, she realized they were waiting for her to open the front door.
Andrea wasn’t supposed to arrive for another hour, but she’d called her to see if she could come in earlier. At the rate the crowd was growing, no one would be able to walk down the street.
Someone knocked on the back door. With a glance at her watch, she flew across the store. Hopefully, that was Andrea and not an impatient customer hoping to jump ahead of everyone else.
She opened the door and stared at the three people waiting to see her. “Nate? What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to surprise you.” A bouquet of daisies appeared from behind his back. “Congratulations, Mom. I'm really proud of you.”
Shona wrapped him in a hug. “Thank you.” She took the flowers and smiled at her son. “I can't believe you're here. This is the best surprise ever.”
“We had to keep it a secret,” Adele said.
“It wasn't easy,” Joseph added with a smile. “When you talked about Nate not being here, we almost told you he was coming to make you feel better.”
Adele looked up at her dad. “But Pastor John said we had to keep our lips closed.”
“He did.”
“Well, you’re great secret-keepers.” Shona waved them into the store. “Come and have a look. It might be the most stress-free time of the day.”
Adele frowned. “There are lots of people outside. I think they all want to see your quilts.”
“That’s what I’m hoping.” She followed Nate into the store and smiled at his stunned expression. “What do you think?”
Turning in a slow circle, he took everything in. “It’s amazing. The quilts look incredible.” He walked across to a display of felt animals and fabric birdcages. “Where did you find all the other things? They’re perfect for the store.”
“I talked to craft groups and contacted other artists who live around Flathead Lake. They all wanted to be part of what I’ve created.”
Nate ran his fingers across a quilt a young woman at the church had made. The purple and crimson squares were held together with gold thread, woven in a delicate pattern that sparkled under the overhead lights. “I can’t believe the store looks this good.”
Shona grinned. “It’s amazing what can happen when you have a lot of help from your friends.”
“You’re amazing all the time, Mom, even when you do things on your own.”
A lump formed in Shona’s throat. Nate wouldn’t have thought she was wonderful at two o’clock this morning when she was worrying about the store. Every little detail had played over and over in her mind. Did she have enough stock? Did she have too much? Would the store earn enough money to pay a salary for herself and her part-time staff? Could she repay the trust’s loan as quickly as she’d like?
Before she started worrying again, she gave Nate another hug before looking at Adele. “Do you recognize any of the quilts on the walls?”
With an excited smile, Adele pointed at the quilt Shona had made for The Lakeside Inn. “It's the bouquet of roses quilt. It looks awesome.”
“Penny and her sisters let me borrow it for the store’s opening.”
“Mom’s entered it in a big quilting competition,” Nate said proudly. “I think she’ll win.”
“I don’t know about that, but it could be good publicity for the store.”
A gust of wind came through the back door and Jackie rushed into the room. “I left home as fast as I could. People are waiting over on Main Street to come inside.” She smiled. “Hi, everyone. I’m Jackie.”
While Joseph introduced everyone, Shona brought another tray of gift-wrapped fudge out of the kitchen and sat it on a table. “If anyone wants a bag of candy to take home, help yourselves now. Otherwise, you might miss out.”
Adele was already standing in front of the table. “Could I have one, please?”
“Of course, you can.”
Nate helped Adele choose a bag, then took one for himself. “Do you need me to help in the store?”
“That would be great. If you could wrap people’s purchases, Jackie will ring up the sales.”
“If you need me to refill the candy table, I can do that,” Joseph said. “Adele could help me.”
“That sounds wonderful. Try to encourage people to take the candy home instead of eating it in the store.” Shona looked at the large bag in Jackie’s hand. “If you’ve brought your baby clothes with you, I’d love to look at them.”
“Only if you have time,” she said uncertainly.
“I have more than enough time.” As soon as she saw the gorgeous clothes, she knew she had to sell them. “These are beautiful.”
“I read the information you gave me and priced each item to include your percentage of the sale. If you aren’t happy with the prices, I’ll change them.”
Shona looked at the tags and frowned. “If we sell your knitting at these prices, it will barely cover your time. I think we should charge more.”
“You do?”
“Definitely.” Shona found a pen and some sales tags from behind the front counter.
Jackie frowned at the prices Shona had written on the tags. “Are you sure people will buy them at that price?”
“I know they will.”
“Okay. Let’s give it a go.”
With Jackie adding new tags to her knitting, and Joseph checking how much candy was in the kitchen, they were almost ready. All she had to do was turn the ‘Closed’ sign to ‘Open,’ and her dream of owning a quilting store would finally come true.
If there was one thing Joseph didn't enjoy, it was shopping. But being in Shona’s store and helping people find gifts for their family and friends was more enjoyable than he’d thought.
He couldn't believe the number of people who’d come to The Cozy Quilt Shop. Some of the faces he recognized, but most were visiting Sapphire Bay. Everyone was full of praise for the beautiful quilts and they loved the other crafts Shona had found.
Whoever thought of providing each visitor with a bag of candy deserved a medal. It gave people something to enjoy on the way home and helped them remember what a great experience they’d had in the store.
“Goodness me,” Mabel said as she bustled into the store. “I never imagined so many people would be here. Shona must be thrilled.”
Joseph offered her a bag of fudge. “It's been like this for the last two hours.” He nodded at her cell phone. “I saw you taking some photos. Will they be on the community Facebook page?”
“They’re already there. Theo’s reminding everyone about the opening on his radio station. The interview he did with Shona was lovely. Have you had a chance to listen to it?”
“I did. I'm not surprised by how many people are here. It was a great interview.”
“Shona has a heart of gold, and it came across in every word she spoke. What happened to her husband was such a tragedy. We're just lucky she survived her injuries.”
He hadn't asked Shona too many questions about the accident that killed her husband. When she was ready, he was sure she'd tell him more. “I'm glad she did, too. How's Allan?”
“I left him working hard in the general store. Katie was happy to help him while I'm here.”
Mabel's daughter, Katie, was a children's author. She ran the writing workshops at The Welcome Center that Adele attended. “The last time I spoke to Katie, she said she was running late with a manuscript. Did she manage to finish it?”
“She did, but it took a few late nights to get everything to the editor on time. Sometimes, I don't know how she does it. Her imagination must never stop.”
Joseph offered a bag of candy to a customer who was leaving. “Adele thinks she's wonderful. Most of the children in her writing group would have given up ages ago if it wasn't for Katie’s enthusiasm. She's making a difference in a lot of children's lives.”
A blush warmed Mabel's cheeks. “I'm very proud of her. She never gave up, even when the publishing houses didn't want to consider her stories.” She looked across the store and smiled. “I’d better talk to Shona before someone else does. A little quote with a photo makes all the difference to the number of people reading a Facebook post. Tell Adele I'm very impressed with her singing. She's memorized all the words to the Christmas carols. She’s such a pleasure to have in the choir.”
“I’ll tell her. Enjoy looking around the store.”
“I will.” With a little wave, Mabel zigzagged around the people standing between her and Shona.
He smiled at Kathleen, the mother of one of Shona’s friends. She'd arrived with two other women from the church to help in the store. Without them, it could have been chaotic in the small cottage. But they were helping Jackie and Nate at the sales counter and moving around the store asking if anyone needed help.
Shona had wanted to create a warm and inviting store that showcased the best of what Sapphire Bay had to offer. What Joseph hadn't anticipated was how much that dream would mean to the people who lived here.
Bringing families and friends together, celebrating success, and creating a brighter future for everyone was a concept other companies could learn from.
It was something he should have known before he came here. But it had taken a crystal clear lake, a pastor who never said no, and a big-hearted community to make him see what his life could be like.
And, now that he was here, he never wanted to leave.