Chapter Four
Erica spent most of the day trekking across half of the business district of Tolstone, distributing her business cards to the local stores and offices.
The next step would be to update her online presence and get things buzzing on the digital side of things, though she had a feeling that Tolstone was far more traditional in its networking methods, which is why she’d decided to do this first. With luck, she’d get some insider information on the best places to advertise.
At each establishment, she explained the brief details of her photography service and her credentials.
Dressed in her best, she hoped to make a good enough impression so the owners of those businesses would refer her to their own customers and clients.
From what she learned, there were no other professional photographers in the town, only the occasional enthusiast who practiced the craft for yearbook photos or weddings.
With any luck, she’d have appointments scheduled for prom and graduation photos within a couple of months.
One of the last places she visited was Lunar Lantern Diner, and with all the walking she had done that day, she was ready to take a seat and maybe grab a cup of coffee.
At three in the afternoon, the diner wasn’t as crowded as it had been the first time she visited.
The line of swivel barstools along the counter was vacant, and Erica quickly claimed one.
She let out a contented sigh as she propped her aching, high-heeled feet onto the chrome footrest. It didn’t take long for her to be noticed by an older man behind the counter.
He ambled toward her, tall and sturdy in stature despite his age.
He looked fit enough to run marathons, kind of like her neighbor, Burt.
“I’ve been seein’ ya walk around the square in those heels,” he said with an amused look in his dark green eyes. “I can’t imagine that feels good.”
His deep, gravelly voice held a certain twang that reminded her of the Deep South. She had never personally been to the south, but she had watched Gone With The Wind dozens of times growing up, and he would have fit in with that cast of characters perfectly.
Erica gave a tired huff and smiled. “It doesn’t, but I’m almost done.”
He casually leaned his forearms on the counter. “With what, exactly?”
Erica pulled out another hefty stack of her business cards. “I’m new in town and I offer professional photography services.” She went on to list her credentials while the man took up one of her cards. His gray brows knitted together as he read and listened.
When she stopped, he nodded and smiled in that gentlemanly way that told Erica she might have talked far too much, but he wasn’t about to be rude about it.
“I think my wife told me about you.” The man took up the rest of her cards and tapped the stack on the counter to straighten them. “You came in last night for a takeout order, didn’t ya?”
Relieved, Erica nodded. “Yes, I did.”
His smile widened. “Gwen said you seemed like a sweet girl. She’s not here right now, but I don’t think she’d mind us doin’ a little promotin’ for ya.
” He went to the cash register and set the cards near the spot where the customers signed their receipts.
“While you’re restin’ your feet, can I get ya anythin’? ”
Erica ordered a coffee, and they talked about some of the other businesses in town that she had yet to visit.
Once Jaime started listing off names, she had to grab her phone and key in a memo to remind herself.
Jaime also made the suggestion to advertise in the towns around Tolstone, as long as she was willing to travel for a job.
She thanked him for the suggestions, though she was sure she’d have to visit them on another day or at least list them on her website as places she was willing to travel for work.
“Gwen has me stuck manning the front until she gets back from visitin’ Dominic.”
“Dominic?”
At the mention of his name, Erica’s stomach fluttered nervously.
She hadn’t even thought about him since that morning when she left the house and was kind of relieved at that sudden revelation.
It proved that what she felt might have been nothing more than a passing interest. But the memory of his blue eyes made her hands tremble, and she had to set down her coffee mug.
The tiniest look of concern passed over Jaime’s face before he nodded. “Yeah, she went over to talk to him just before ya walked in. She’s better with customers, so I keep myself cooped up in the back most of the time.”
Erica could see why he wasn’t quite suitable for the face-to-face aspect of the business.
Though she didn’t feel the least bit intimidated by him as they talked, Jaime had some rough edges to his manners and the way he said things.
Though, in such a small town, most of everyone probably knew him well enough to accept it.
“You know Dominic?” Jaime asked. She wondered if he’d picked up on the subtle change in her after he mentioned Dominic.
Erica forced composure on herself. “We met last night. I wouldn’t say I know him that well.” To further hide her nerves, she folded her hands in her lap.
Jaime glanced toward the guitar clock on the wall. “She’s been over there for a while,” he remarked. “And I think she left her cell phone here. Would ya mind goin’ over to fetch her at his antique shop? It’s on the other side of the square.”
Perhaps she’d hidden her feelings too well.
The idea of seeing the antique store owner again made her heart pound hard against her rib cage.
Erica couldn’t determine if it was excitement or fear.
But why should she be afraid of him? Dominic just happened to be handsome, charming, and the mere thought of facing him in conversation did strange things to her guts.
Erica feigned cheerfulness and nodded. “Sure, I can.” She turned to pull out her wallet from her purse.
“Nuh-uh.” Jaime waved her off. “This is on the house.”
A part of her mother wanted to come spewing out of her mouth, insisting that she could pay for her own coffee, even if she was living off what she had reserved in her savings until she could get her business off the ground.
Her mother never accepted handouts. She’d sooner make a scene in a public place when someone tried to pay for their meal or buy her groceries. They were not too poor to take care of themselves and didn’t need any support from strangers.
Just like the night before, Erica didn’t fight the kind gesture. She graciously thanked him and tucked her wallet away, hoping that he didn’t catch the flash of temper that threatened to bubble forth.
Once she finished off the last of her coffee, she shouldered her purse and left the diner.
If it were possible, she swore that her feet hurt even more now than when she first walked in.
It was still a good walk home before she could soak them in a warm bath.
As soon as she was on Second Avenue and done with her visit at Renewed Relics, these shoes were coming off.
Erica didn’t care if the blacktop bit into the bottoms of her feet.
It was better than walking another half mile in heels.
She wasn’t used to such fancy outfits, defaulting to simple cotton shirts and jeans most days.
Growing up, her mom couldn’t afford to buy her many pretty dresses, and Erica learned not to ask for them.
What good was a dress when the character of a person mattered more anyway?
Erica gripped the handle of the antique shop door and paused.
She tried to tell herself that she would pop in, give the message to Gwen from her husband, drop off business cards, and leave.
That’s all she needed to do. No need for extra conversation or unwanted flirting.
If she could help it, she wouldn’t even look up into his face so she wouldn’t lose her nerve and say something stupid.
She scolded herself for the inner pep talk that shouldn’t have been necessary at all.
This was not hard. This was not something to overthink.
Erica braced herself and entered. She could just faintly hear Gwen’s sweet, low voice and Dominic’s deep, masculine cadence coming from the back of the store before the brass bell above the door announced her arrival.
Almost immediately, both voices went quiet and the shop fell into a dead silence.
With the only sound coming from her tapping heels, Erica cautiously stepped up to the register counter near the door that also doubled as a glass display case. Inside, two felt-lined shelves were loaded with heirloom jewelry, guns, and daggers with finely crafted handles.
Dominic and Gwen began to talk again, but so softly that she could hardly make out a word they said. She caught herself listening for his voice, wondering what they were talking about that warranted such sudden secretiveness.
In the middle of her examination of the carved image of a running wolf along the ivory handle of a revolver, Gwen emerged from behind a wall of bookcases.
“Well, hey there!” she said animatedly. “What brings you in?”
“Jaime sent me over to tell you he’s drowning.”
With a carefully quirked smile and rolling eyes, Gwen laughed at her exaggeration.
“I swear, that man hates being at the front of the house. I haven’t even been here that long.
I just came by to thank Dominic for helping us out with our daughter the other day.
I didn’t get a chance to say so yesterday because we got so busy at the restaurant. ”
“I hope she’s all right,” Erica replied. Erica’s mind raced with too many thoughts to put into order. Who was their daughter, and why did Dominic need to help her? What kind of help did she mean? What did Dominic have to offer?