mattered most, or a place to hide out for a few months. Her head spun between right and wrong, but she shook the thoughts away for now. Tucking her purse under her arm, she shoved the car door open and raced across the sidewalk to the storefront.
Clutching her coat around her middle, she thanked the lord it was winter. She wasn’t ready to explain her condition to a bunch of strangers. Not that she was big yet, but she swore anyone who looked at her instantly knew the truth.
A bell jingled overhead, announcing her arrival to all in the store. The smell of coffee and cinnamon filled the warm room, reminding her more of a bakery than an old musty antique shop.
“Be right there,” the voice she assumed was Judy’s called from beyond a partition, on the other side of a large sleigh bed. If Lisa wasn’t about to meet her new business partner in person, she would have thrown her purse on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and climbed the wooden step stool, to crawl under the fluffy sage and antique white quilt covering the huge bed.
“Lisa Mortan? Is that you, hon?” A lady shuffled past a polished wood side table and hugged her. “You weren’t due until tomorrow. Did you come straight here?”
“Judy Gaylord?” Lisa asked. The woman’s embrace could crack the spine of a bear. She definitely contained more strength than the woman of sixty-six years Lisa had expected to meet. Heck, with her auburn hair, bright blue eyes, and porcelain skin, she didn’t look a day over forty-five. The pictures on Facebook hadn’t done her justice.
“Yes, darling.” Judy crossed her arms over her slight frame. “Now, why are you here? You should be resting after that drive.”
“I wanted to stop in and meet you in person…partner. Also, I figured we’d have a ton of work to do. I see you’ve already managed to unpack and stage most of the shop.”
“We can change anything you like,” she offered.
“No. It looks amazing.” Lisa smiled. “But you shouldn’t have done all this work yourself.” Lisa had been concerned the older woman would only be good for pointing out estate sales and other great finds in the region, but it appeared she was worth a lot more to the store than that.
“It was no trouble. I’m not that old, you know. Besides, my son did most of the unpacking and moving. I believe I mentioned him last time we spoke.”
Lisa remembered. Judy had spoken often about him and shared photos of the dark haired, blue eyed dream of a human being. She held up her hands. “I didn’t mean…”
“No worries, dear. Most women my age are in their dotage, but I tend to stay active. I won’t kick off on you any time soon.” Judy chuckled. “Come, have some coffee. It’ll warm you up.”
Lisa’s mouth watered at the thought of her heavenly vice coating her scratchy throat with warm, delicious, joy. Then she frowned. “I’d love to, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Oh? I thought you were a coffee addict who drank all those froufrou drinks at Starbucks all the time.”
“Yes, well, I’m trying to give up caffeine.” Lisa straightened. It wasn’t a lie…technically.
“Oh, I see. Well, good thing I made decaf. My son says I’m irritatingly energetic when I drink caffeine. Come on.” Judy straightened a ceramic cat on a bookshelf and headed toward the back of the store and into a kitchen area. “Sit.” She waved Lisa toward a chair at a small, glass-topped dining table. A plate of muffins and scones sat temptingly in the middle.
Just as Lisa was sitting down, the bell jingled once more and she shot to her feet again, feeling like an intruder.
“Mother, I brought your laptop back,” a masculine voice called from the front of the store. “Can you try not to download every virus on the internet, please?” Heavy footsteps thudded against the shop’s worn wooden floor.
“Ah, speaking of my son…” Judy set down her coffee cup. “Oh, you guys just have to meet. I’ll be right back.” She wiped
Clutching her coat around her middle, she thanked the lord it was winter. She wasn’t ready to explain her condition to a bunch of strangers. Not that she was big yet, but she swore anyone who looked at her instantly knew the truth.
A bell jingled overhead, announcing her arrival to all in the store. The smell of coffee and cinnamon filled the warm room, reminding her more of a bakery than an old musty antique shop.
“Be right there,” the voice she assumed was Judy’s called from beyond a partition, on the other side of a large sleigh bed. If Lisa wasn’t about to meet her new business partner in person, she would have thrown her purse on the floor, kicked off her shoes, and climbed the wooden step stool, to crawl under the fluffy sage and antique white quilt covering the huge bed.
“Lisa Mortan? Is that you, hon?” A lady shuffled past a polished wood side table and hugged her. “You weren’t due until tomorrow. Did you come straight here?”
“Judy Gaylord?” Lisa asked. The woman’s embrace could crack the spine of a bear. She definitely contained more strength than the woman of sixty-six years Lisa had expected to meet. Heck, with her auburn hair, bright blue eyes, and porcelain skin, she didn’t look a day over forty-five. The pictures on Facebook hadn’t done her justice.
“Yes, darling.” Judy crossed her arms over her slight frame. “Now, why are you here? You should be resting after that drive.”
“I wanted to stop in and meet you in person…partner. Also, I figured we’d have a ton of work to do. I see you’ve already managed to unpack and stage most of the shop.”
“We can change anything you like,” she offered.
“No. It looks amazing.” Lisa smiled. “But you shouldn’t have done all this work yourself.” Lisa had been concerned the older woman would only be good for pointing out estate sales and other great finds in the region, but it appeared she was worth a lot more to the store than that.
“It was no trouble. I’m not that old, you know. Besides, my son did most of the unpacking and moving. I believe I mentioned him last time we spoke.”
Lisa remembered. Judy had spoken often about him and shared photos of the dark haired, blue eyed dream of a human being. She held up her hands. “I didn’t mean…”
“No worries, dear. Most women my age are in their dotage, but I tend to stay active. I won’t kick off on you any time soon.” Judy chuckled. “Come, have some coffee. It’ll warm you up.”
Lisa’s mouth watered at the thought of her heavenly vice coating her scratchy throat with warm, delicious, joy. Then she frowned. “I’d love to, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Oh? I thought you were a coffee addict who drank all those froufrou drinks at Starbucks all the time.”
“Yes, well, I’m trying to give up caffeine.” Lisa straightened. It wasn’t a lie…technically.
“Oh, I see. Well, good thing I made decaf. My son says I’m irritatingly energetic when I drink caffeine. Come on.” Judy straightened a ceramic cat on a bookshelf and headed toward the back of the store and into a kitchen area. “Sit.” She waved Lisa toward a chair at a small, glass-topped dining table. A plate of muffins and scones sat temptingly in the middle.
Just as Lisa was sitting down, the bell jingled once more and she shot to her feet again, feeling like an intruder.
“Mother, I brought your laptop back,” a masculine voice called from the front of the store. “Can you try not to download every virus on the internet, please?” Heavy footsteps thudded against the shop’s worn wooden floor.
“Ah, speaking of my son…” Judy set down her coffee cup. “Oh, you guys just have to meet. I’ll be right back.” She wiped
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