Chapter 17 #2
Mom's eyes widened. "I wanted to see how your little shop was doing."
The shop wasn't little. It was one of the larger stores, located in a corner building with wall-to-wall windows, letting in a ton of light. The extra property on the side and rear of the building allowed us to expand with the patio and the four-seasons room.
She paused in front of the Blind Dates with a Book section. I'd recently transitioned from heart gift wrap to flowers for spring.
Her lip curled when she saw the accompanying surprise panties that were attached to a few of them.
"Why are you selling panties in your store?"
I didn't bother explaining the real reason to her. It wouldn't matter to her anyway. "It's a winning combination. Customers love surprises."
"You don't say," Mom said dryly.
She meandered through the round tables with the displays of the newest releases, with the embossed covers and colorful sprayed edges. She stopped at the back window. "What's all this construction?"
"We're adding on a patio and a four-season's room."
Her brow creased. "Whatever for?"
"To provide more space for people to hang out and enjoy their books. You can buy a drink or a pastry from the nearby stores and a book from mine and pause to enjoy them."
Her nose wrinkled. "That seems like a waste of money." Then she turned around to face me. "How are you paying for this?"
It wasn't any of her business. "The town is in charge of the addition."
Her lip curled. "It will be a good investment for the town long after your little store is gone."
"Why do you keep calling it my little store?" It was demeaning, and I didn't like her insinuation that my business wasn't real or serious.
"What would you call it?" She waved her hand around. "This is something you do for fun. It's not a real business venture."
"It is a real business," I said weakly as she pushed open the French doors.
Maverick had added a makeshift walkway so that we could talk when we needed to about the project. It wasn't meant for someone in four-inch heels and a pencil skirt though.
"Mom, you shouldn't be out here." Especially dressed as if she was going out to lunch with her country-club friends.
She waved a hand at me. "Nonsense. If you own this place, then you can do whatever you want."
"I own the business not the building," I muttered, not that she was listening.
Maverick spotted us right away and moved toward us. "Can I help you?"
"Maverick, this is my mother, Catherine Beckett." There was a warning tone in my voice.
"Mrs. Beckett, it's nice to meet you." He didn't bother to offer his hand, probably because he was dirty from working.
Mom's nose turned up anyway. "When will this work be done? It's noisy. Not to mention dirty."
"Mom—" I interrupted, wishing I could disappear into the dirt.
"If you're going to own a business, you need to learn how to talk to the people working for you," Mom continued, as if this was a teaching moment.
She might have worked before she married my father, but for as long as I could remember, all she'd done was hang out at the country club with her friends.
"Maverick works for the town," I said through clenched teeth.
"Well," Mom prompted. "When can we expect the work to be completed?"
Mom's tone was entitled, and I'd never been more embarrassed. She was talking to Maverick as if he was dirt beneath her heel.
"If you have any questions, you can ask your daughter or Eve Palmer, who's the town coordinator. I need to get back to work." Maverick backed away. "It's not safe to be out here without boots and a hard hat."
"Let's get you inside," I urged, embarrassed that she was my mother.
To my relief, she turned on her heel and headed inside. I closed the door with a sigh. "You've seen everything now."
Mom sniffed. "I can't believe they expect you to operate a business with that noise and dirt."
"I'm usually inside," I said dryly, wishing she'd leave already. "Do you have shopping to do?"
"I wanted to see what you were up to, and then I thought you could take me to lunch."
As if this was a passing phase and not my dream. I ground my teeth together. "I don't like to close the store for long."
Mom waved her hand. "Surely, you have someone to cover for you."
"Aspen works Friday afternoons and Sundays. But I don't have anyone to cover for me today."
"You can't expect me to eat alone," Mom said, opening the door to leave.
She expected me to follow her.
I sighed, grabbing my purse and turning down the lights. I turned the sign from Open to Be Right Back and locked the door. I took her to Mistletoe Inn, the only restaurant that might meet her exacting standards.
"This town is decorated for Christmas, but it's March."
"It's called Christmas Town," I said simply, refusing to be baited by her.
"You're limiting your business by opening here. You won't get any customers for most of the year."
"That hasn't been the case." In fact, people seemed to enjoy coming here as an escape from their everyday lives, and most people loved Christmas.
Inside the hotel, I led the way to the restaurant, and the hostess seated us by the windows. I didn't want to be here with my mom. I didn't want to listen to her criticisms of my choices. I'd get through this lunch and not see her again for a while.
Maverick: Do you need to be rescued?
I shook my head. Hopefully, he wasn't upset that my mother was on his construction site.
Belle: That's an attractive offer, but I can handle her.
"Put your phone away," Mom chided.
I never failed to feel like a kid again when I was around my mother. I just hoped her interest in my life had been fulfilled, and she'd move onto something else.