Chapter 2
Three and a half weeks until Christmas. Sipping her morning coffee, Victoria stared down at the square from her living room. Her eye itched and her heart was still back at that urgent care center. Every time she thought of Dr. Darling, her pulse picked up.
Tall, dark and hotter than a doctor had a right to be.
But he hadn't seem interested. At first? Maybe. But by the end, something had changed. Maybe she was just imagining things. Between her eye and Dr. Hot Stuff, she’d had trouble thinking.
Hitting on patients was certainly not professional, so she’d give him a pass.
Taking another sip of her gingerbread coffee, Victoria decided to leave it at that.
After losing Jackson to Emily this past year, she was feeling cautious about men.
Applying her makeup this morning had been tricky. But having only one eye to deal with had saved time. With that bandage staring right at her in the mirror, she couldn’t concentrate on her hair. Finally she swept it up into a ponytail.
Victoria wanted to rip the tape and gauze off her injured eye. But she didn’t. If she closed her good eye, she could imagine Dr. Hot Stuff standing over her. Sniff the mint on his breath, feel the warmth radiating through the trim white lab coat.
Get over it, Victoria. Time to get dressed. A kelly green sweater might help raise her spirits. Then she pulled on tapered black slacks and her black boots with buttons. They’d been oh, so irresistible when she visited the Jacksonville Nordstrom's last month.
Grabbing her red and green plaid tote, she carefully made her way downstairs. These suckers were steep and she gripped the handrail all the way down. Outside, the air felt crisp and clear. Yep, winter had definitely come to Sweetwater Creek.
While she walked five steps to her shop, a Scorsese’s truck rumbled down the cobblestone alley and stopped.
The branches she’d left at the back door were gone.
Maisy must have taken them inside. She was always there by nine, ready for deliveries.
Then Maisy and Darla filled the display cases.
The scent of fresh bread and cinnamon gave the pantry such a homey feeling.
Gino rolled down the window of his truck. “What happened to you?”
“Just an accident. I was decorating our tree.” And defacing the square. Self-conscious, she fingered her patch.
Hopping out, he opened the back of the truck. “You feeling okay?”
Normally she would put on a brave face. But a wave of exhaustion swept her into the truth.
“No, I'm not, Gino. Have a nice day.” Opening the back door, she walked down the narrow hallway to her office.
The smell of pine brought her to a stop.
Oh, boy. Maybe it had all been worth it.
Victoria took a deep breath. Felt her shoulders relax.
Going into her office, she opened her bottom drawer and shoved her purse inside.
Maisy appeared in the doorway all bright and sunny with a new green streak in her hair. “Those branches are great. Hey, what happened to your eye?” Her jolliness faded.
“Only a splinter. Nothing serious. I like that streak in your hair.” Maisy always let the wild woman in her show. Maybe Victoria should do more of that.
“How did you do that?” Maisy folded her arms across her chest.
Might as well fess up. “Sawing off pine branches for our tree.”
“Wow.” Maisy’s eyes grew round. “Where did you find them?”
“In the square.” She dropped her voice. “But don’t tell anyone.”
Maisy grimaced. “Next time, wear goggles.”
“There won’t be a next time.” If there was a next year for her shop, she was stopping at a tree lot.
There had to be a next year. Somehow Victoria had to make this work.
“Are you going to be okay? Your eye, I mean?”
The words sent a shiver of fear through Victoria. But Dr. Darling hadn’t seemed that concerned. “I’ll be fine. I guess we should decorate the tree today.”
But Maisy was still shaking her head, as if she couldn’t believe Victoria’s stupidity.
This hadn’t been her finest hour. Why couldn’t she be like her friend Josie?
That girl probably owned her own chain saw.
Or Emily, who churned out blog posts on healthy food like she was peeling a potato.
Of course, Victoria didn’t know exactly how easy that was because she’d never peeled a potato. Maybe her education was sorely lacking.
Maisy left and Victoria pushed up from her chair. This shop had made her so proud at her open house a few months back. Greeting friends and colleagues at the opening, she’d felt so proud. Victoria’s Pantry was quite an achievement.
But Daddy owned most of the credit. Thank goodness, he’d never realized that his darling daughter didn't know how to cook. Emily supplied the salads and Jackson had lined up bakeries as suppliers. For the most part, all Victoria did was sell their goods.
This morning, the shop smelled heavenly from the pine boughs.
Going over to the heap of branches in front of the tree, Victoria did some arranging before turning to the cases.
Darla was putting out the orzo and pasta salads.
“They all look great,” Victoria told her.
The smell of feta cheese and dill was in the air. Out back, the trucks kept arriving.
Checking herself out in one of the antique mirrors on the wall, Victoria groaned.
She looked terrible. But first things first. Going to the window, she pointed toward the back of the square.
“Maisy, I dropped the saw on the ground under the bushes. Could you find it? Bring it back, please. Not that I’ll ever use it again but I don’t want anyone to find it. ”
“On my way.” Without even taking off her apron, Maisy charged out the door and across the street.
Standing in the doorway, Victoria watched her streak past the gazebo and the fountain until she disappeared into the greenery.
The trees around the square has lost their leaves, but the evergreens gave a rich, green color to the square.
Workman had been busy planting red cyclamens in the beds for the holidays.
Soon the crèche would be set up. Holiday traditions abounded in Sweetwater Creek.
How could Victoria’s Pantry be a part of all that?
Relief quieted Victoria’s churning stomach when Maisy reappeared, the saw cleverly concealed beneath her apron. Victoria held the door open.
“Mission accomplished.” Maisy's lips tilted up in a cocky grin.
“Did anyone see you?”
“Just Emily, Josie and Bryn. You know–the walking group.”
Oh, great. Her spirits sank. Why hadn’t she brought that saw back last night? Because I was totally panicked and blind. No problem. These three might tease her about it but that would be all.
While Maisy zipped to the back to greet another vendor, Victoria played with the fresh branches.
But her mind was on Dr. Darling. She had to get back to that urgent care center.
Then she got another glimpse of herself in the mirror.
Okay, she looked terrible. But he was a doctor.
Maybe he was used to seeing gross stuff.
But it probably doesn’t turn him on, Victoria.
Well, there was that.
“Time to open?” Darla stood ready to flip the sign on the door to Open.
“Sure. We’re a little early but why not? I'll be in my office.” Crying.
But she hadn’t even reached her office when the bell jingled over the shop door. The raucous laughter could only belong to Josie, Emily and Bryn. Victoria turned back in time to hear Maisy ask, “A late walk today?” Usually these girls walked at eight.
“Still recovering from Thanksgiving.” Emily patted her tummy. “All that pie.”
From what Victoria had heard, pie wasn’t the only thing in that stomach.
“And my honeymoon.” Bryn was positively glowing. Maybe honeymoons did that to a girl. Her heart pinched. How Victoria longed for a honeymoon. But first you had to have a groom. The three of them pivoted toward her.
“What’s with your eye?” Josie’s tone indicated she looked as appealing as Godzilla.
Victoria patted her bandage. “Nothing much. An accident.”
“How did you ever do that?” Bryn asked softly, coming closer. “Is your eye going to be all right?”
“I think so. This might look bad but it isn’t serious.” Victoria fingered her bandage. “I was sawing some, uh, branches. A sliver flew into my eye.”
Coming closer, Josie stared at her with x-ray eyes. “Have you had it looked at?”
“Of course.” Her cheeks burned. Oh boy, did I ever. “The urgent care center.”
“What’s the blush about?” Emily asked.
“Dr. Darling.” Bryn drew closer. Someday Victoria wanted to have porcelain skin like Bryn. “So you met him, right?”
“Dr. Who?” Josie swiveled.
Now she was really under the microscope. Four pairs of eyes were on her. Maisy had joined the group as Victoria fiddled with the tree.
“Derek Darling,” she tossed the name out there.
Emily chuckled. “Sounds like a movie star.”
“He looks like one too.” Bryn threw Victoria a knowing smile. “When Annabelle got stung by a bee, we took her to the urgent care center. Dr. Darling is, well, darling. All that dark hair and that cute smile.”
Victoria vaguely remembered hearing how one of Trevor’s twins had gotten stung by a bee. Bryn was just getting to know Trevor at the time.
Bryn sniffed. “Smells heavenly in here. Do you have a pine spritzer?”
Emily fingered one of the real branches. “No, she’s tucked real pine into the artificial tree. Brilliant.”
Victoria straightened. “Not too subtle, but I wanted the shop to smell like Christmas.”
“So you didn't have time to finish decorating?” Josie asked. Okay, the tree did look pathetic.
“We’re working on it.” Bless her heart, Maisy jumped in for her.
Thank goodness by this time the walking group’s attention swung to the display case. Whisking out a tissue, Maisy waited.