14. Mallory
MALLORY
Aweek later, Mal stood at her booth at the open-air market, just a few minutes before the day’s event was scheduled to begin.
The farmer’s market was always held here instead of in the village center during the cold season or when it rained.
The massive, covered space meant weather wasn’t such a big factor in getting people out shopping.
The open-air market was also close to where the highway would soon be.
The road wasn’t in yet, but when it was, she had high hopes for what kind of traffic the market might get from curious travelers.
Last year, the town had begun an annual tradition of having some Christmas festivities here.
Today’s special holiday market was being held to support local charities, with each vendor dedicating a portion of their sales to a cause they cared about.
And there were plenty of other things going on too.
Tonight, there would even be a campfire and a singalong.
Mal had chosen Carla’s Place and the Heroes Center as her charities, and she truly hoped she could sell enough to do a little good for both. Her table was laid with her usual treats on one side—cookies, muffins, and loaves of fresh bread.
The other side was completely covered in trays of jingle bell knots.
All week, she had been giving out samples of the new treat and the response had been overwhelmingly positive so far.
She had taken orders for the special pretzels for so many Christmas parties and events that she’d had to start turning some down since she didn’t have the time or oven space for more.
And plenty of folks came in wanting a jingle bell knot with their morning coffee too. Yesterday, she’d been sold out by nine in the morning.
“We could try limiting it to two per customer,” Annie suggested. “Unless they order ahead.”
“But I can’t take any more orders,” Mal said worriedly.
It was a good problem to have—the kind of problem she had always dreamed of. But she had never imagined having to turn anyone away. It didn’t feel good to tell folks she was all out of something they wanted.
She’d been experimenting with mini-pretzels, hoping maybe a smaller version would be better for kids and light eaters, and then she could make a whole lot more per batch.
For today, she had plenty of both the bigger and smaller versions. And she was hoping that her supply would last a little longer than usual, since there were so many other options here at the market.
All around her, other vendors were getting ready. This morning, children were allowed to have booths too, and there were so many kids setting out their impressive crafts. There were finger paintings, lumpy pottery offerings, and one girl even had a whole table of tiny crocheted animals.
In the center of the room, a couple of the Cassidy boys were setting up the trains. The children had loved the huge train display last year, and Mal was sure this year would be no different.
Mom loved all of this so much last year…
She opened herself up to let the memory return to her instead of turning it away just because it hurt.
And she was rewarded instantly with a vision of her mom walking around with a reusable shopping bag so stuffed with purchases that it barely closed, a huge smile on her face as she greeted her friends and former students.
A little piece of her will always be here, Mallory told herself. In me, and in everyone she loved.
As the holidays got even closer, she found herself missing her mom more and more. But Mallory had been opening herself to those feelings more this week, and once again, she had Harrison to thank for helping her through her grief.
He’d texted her that night after they left her dad’s place, and every night since.
He was back to his old self, online at least, asking her deeper questions and sharing thoughtful advice when she asked for it.
In one of their text chats, they had even come up with a plan for Katie. On Tuesday, she was bringing the girls from her class to her baking session and they were going to have a cookie-making party.
It was a huge step for the quiet little girl, and Mal only hoped they weren’t pushing her too far outside her comfort zone.
But in person, Harrison was the same grumpy cowboy, bringing Katie in for baking lessons and barely saying two words.
At least Mal knew the man she had come to care for was still in there somewhere.
“Hey, Mal,” a familiar voice said.
She looked up to see Ana heading her way, a smile on her face.
“How’s it going?” her friend asked.
“Everything is going well,” Mal told her. “Busy, but I’ll bet you guys are too.”
“We had so many customers looking for Christmas party outfits this week,” Ana said, nodding. “It’s been great for the shop.”
“And you can put out more of your mom’s creations,” Mal said, nodding.
Ana’s mother, Mari, was nothing if not prolific. She always made so much clothing that it didn’t fit on the racks of their small shop. They usually had to run clearances several times each year just to make more room.
“I know I’m not supposed to ask, but…” Ana looked around, as if she thought Valerie might be waiting to catch her bringing up the forbidden topic.
“It’s going well,” Mal said, giving Ana a tentative thumbs-up. “We’re not actually dating. But he did ask me though. I told him I’d think about it.”
“Why?” Ana asked, seeming genuinely surprised. “He likes you. You like him. Why not say yes?”
“He’s… different online,” Mal admitted. “More relaxed and easy with his feelings, the kind of man I’d love to date. But in person he’s just so clamped-down. And… well, I’m not sure which one is the real Harrison Law.”
“Hey, are those the famous jingle bell knots?” Valerie asked by way of greeting as she hurried over to join them. “Hi, Ana.”
“Hi, Valerie,” Ana said, her eyes dancing as she looked over at Mal.
“Yes,” Mal said. “Have one.”
“Those things are like Cabbage Patch Kids in the eighties,” Valerie said, shaking her head. “I can’t just take one when the sale hasn’t started yet. It would be unsporting.”
“You’re family,” Mal said, grabbing each of the women a jingle bell knot and holding them out. “You get special perks.”
Neither of them argued, and she watched them take their treats and dig in.
“Oh, wow,” Valerie said. “I get it. Makes me think of having peppermint tea with a chocolate croissant at that café in New York.”
“I love the pretzel,” Ana said. “And the combination of flavors reminds me of the salted chocolate bars my uncle used to bring me. I haven’t thought about those in forever. He always did spoil me.”
“I’m so glad you like them,” Mal said.
“The rest of your sales are spiking, right?” Valerie asked. “People come in for this and buy other stuff?”
“Definitely,” Mal said. “It’s everything I dreamed of.”
“So why don’t you look happy?” Valerie asked her suspiciously.
Because I’m falling for Harrison and Katie, and I don’t know if I should…
“Supply and demand,” Mal said weakly, shrugging. “I can’t seem to make enough to keep up.”
“Raise your prices,” Valerie said briskly. “And have a limit per customer. It will only make them more popular.”
“Maybe,” Mal said.
But she hated the idea of raising the price even more than the idea of limiting people to one or two. Anyone with kids at home would want several, and folks were hurting these days. It didn’t feel good to bump up a price just because she could.
“If you want to buy the building, you need cash,” Valerie said reasonably. “You give away half of what you make already. Why not let people pay a little more so you can invest in your business?”
“If I owned the place, I could knock out a wall and put in another oven,” Mal mused out loud as the crowds began pouring in from the parking lot.
“There you go,” Valerie said, nodding briskly. “Well, I’m off. I’m volunteering today.”
“What for?” Ana asked.
“The dunk tank for the autism charity,” Valerie said with a smile.
“You volunteered to be dunked?” Mal asked in wonder, trying to imagine her always-put-together friend actually letting herself get plunged into a tank.
“Not on your life,” Valerie sniffed. “I’m taking the donations and handing out the balls.”
“Good for you,” Ana said. “That’s a great cause. Good luck today, Mal.”
“You too,” Mal told her.
“And give him a chance,” Ana whispered when Valerie had gone. “I would.”
She disappeared into the thickening crowd, heading to her own booth and her mom and little Theo before Mal had a chance to reply.
“Oh, are these your jingle bell hops?” Ginny Davies asked, hurrying over from the booth where she and her two best friends, Shirley Ludd and Betty Ann Eustace, were volunteering. “The girls and I really wanted to try them.”
The girls were all grandmas now, and they were the pillars of the community.
Every good thing in Trinity Falls seemed to have been dreamed up or supported by the trio of women who saw no challenge as too big, and no cause too small when it came to uplifting the community they loved so much.
If they wanted to try Mal’s new creation, it was a true honor.
“Of course,” Mal said happily, not correcting her on the name of the treat. “Big or small?”
“Oh, how nice that you have a choice,” Ginny said. “Better make it small. We’ll be sampling lots today.”
Mal slipped three into a bag and placed Ginny’s payment in the donation bin.
“Thank you so much, dear,” Ginny said. “I know these will be gone in a heartbeat.”
“I’ll be over at your booth for lunch,” Mal said. “I’ve been looking forward to Mrs. Ludd’s chicken and dumpling soup all week.”
“I’ll tell her you said so,” Ginny said in a pleased way. “Oh, and I hear that reporter will be here today with Sloane.”
“Kai Blackstone?” Mal asked.
“That’s the one,” Ginny said, nodding. “Anyway, you’d better set aside a pair of these for them. Can’t have him coming here and not trying the best dessert in town.”
“Oh, wow,” Mal said, touched. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure, dear,” Ginny said over her shoulder as she hurried off with her bag.
Behind her, three teenagers were sprinting through the crowd to Mal.
“Oh good,” one of them panted. “She still has some.”
“We’ll take three,” another said to Mal, pulling money from his pocket as two more people lined up behind him.
And just like that, Mal was busy as a bee.
By the time the teens had their treats and change, there was a real line forming. She was out of jingle bell knots within an hour, including the two she had set aside, and she sold everything else she had before lunchtime.
But it was all good, since Sloane and Kai never showed up at her table anyway.
She packed her things and took them out to the car, since there was no point standing around at an empty table.
It was a funny feeling to come back in with no responsibilities at all. She had worked her table all day last year.
Not really sure what else to do, she headed over to Ginny, Shirley, and Betty Ann’s booth for a cup of soup. She had just paid and walked away from the booth with her steaming lunch in one hand when her phone buzzed in her pocket with a message.
Mal got that familiar tingle of anticipation she always got these days when her phone buzzed, hoping it would be Harrison. She made her way over to the half-wall between the indoors and out and sat, placing her soup down so she could check, and she wasn’t disappointed.
Harrison
How’s it going?
She smiled and tapped out a reply, happy for a chance to talk with him, especially now that she wasn’t busy anymore.
great!
i already sold out of everything
Congratulations! I knew you would. I’m only sorry Katie and I aren’t there.
She smiled. He had so much to do on the farm, but that was completely understandable.
are you getting lots done today too?
Sure am, but I couldn’t resist saying hi. I missed you.
She felt a shiver of pleasure at his words, and looked out at the fields, hoping to calm her heart before she replied.
Snow was just beginning to come down in big, lacy flakes, spinning like dancers as they fell to the ground.
it’s snowing!
Sure is. I’m glad the cows don’t mind it.
There was a slight commotion and Mal looked up in time to see Valerie marching toward the bathrooms. She was completely saturated from head to toe, her mascara was running down her cheeks in trails, and her beautiful outfit waterlogged and clinging to her.
What in the world?
Mal looked after her in amazement for a moment before turning her attention back to her phone.
gotta run
i think my friend needs me
Take care. We’ll see you soon!