Page 13 of Valentine's in Bayberry

“Jackson?” Carrie shook her head. “No. Never.”

Alice arched a brow. “Are you sure?”

“I’m absolutely positive. It’s just...” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “It’s just that I’m not sure he knows what he’s doing over there. He’s more of the boardroom type than the hammer-and-nail sort.”

“Maybe he should get some help.”

Those words triggered a light-bulb moment for Carrie. “That’s it.”

Alice’s brows scrunched together. “What’s it?”

“Can you handle things here?” When Alice nodded, Carrie said, “I’ll be right back.”

Carrie rushed to the office. She grabbed her coat and phone. And then she was out the back door. She rushed down thesidewalk. Her breath came out in white puffs. Her hands quickly grew cold, and she stuffed them into her pockets.

“Good morning, Carrie.” Sheryl Wilson jogged past.

“Good morning.” Carrie stopped and turned, impressed by the woman’s stamina in this cold weather. She called out, “Run a mile for me too.”

Sheryl waved over her shoulder but kept going.

Carrie continued toward the coffeehouse. Maybe she should consider going to the gym. She sucked in her gut. There was definitely room for improvement. The problem was trying to find time for everything.

Even though it was a frigid morning, people were out and about. Smiles and greetings were exchanged. At least it wasn’t snowing. And though the sun was shining brightly, it still hadn’t taken the edge off the chill in the air.

She turned her head to take in the shop windows. They were decorated in reds and pinks. Hearts and cupids abounded most everywhere. Carrie smiled. She may not have a valentine this year, but she still loved this holiday.

She never thought of Valentine’s as a day just for romantic love but rather for love of all kinds, whether it was parent and child or friendship. The town was celebrating this year with a weeklong event called: Happy Hearts. Couples would sign up, and each evening they’d visit a different location in town that was holding a special event for the holiday. And what went better with Valentine’s than chocolate?

She couldn’t believe she’d been shut out of the Happy Hearts week. Of course, with Brittany Scott organizing the event, she shouldn’t be surprised. They had never been friends. Still, high school was a long time ago. Who holds on to a grudge that long?

Carrie pushed the thought from her mind. She wasn’t going to let that woman ruin her day. After all, she was on top of the world. She just opened her dream store. Sure, being apart of Happy Hearts would have been great for her business, but it wouldn’t stop her. She could create her own specials for Valentine’s week. She could advertise it on social media. The problem was that she had to come up with something different enough—enticing enough to draw people in before or after the Happy Hearts events.

And then the carved wooden sign with the silhouette of a coffee mug and the name Steaming Brew spelled out in bright green letters came into view. This was her stop.

Carrie opened the glass door and was greeted with the most delicious scent of fresh ground coffee.Mmm... The brass bell overhead jingled. She stepped inside and immediately Abby Clark, the owner of the Steaming Brew and her close friend, noticed her and waved. Carrie waved back. There were a few people already in line.

Carrie took her spot at the end of the line. It gave her a moment to glance around at the cozy coffeehouse. She looked at the off-white walls with a large assortment of various cups and mugs painted on them. Carrie wondered if she should have something similar with her chocolate shop. It certainly gave the Steaming Brew a fun vibe.

When it was her turn to order, she was relieved there was no one behind her. It would give them a moment to talk.

After Carrie ordered a latte, she said, “Do you know if your brother has any room in his schedule?”

Abby’s brows rose on her forehead. “Something wrong with your store?”

Carrie shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. Everything is going well, except for the fact that I wasn’t selected to participate in Happy Hearts.”

Abby nodded. “I understand. They didn’t select Steaming Brew either.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why. This place is the most popular business in Bayberry.”

Abby smiled. “Thank you. I don’t know if it’s that popular, but it’s nice that you think so. But I would have thought your place would be a shoo-in. Everybody knows that chocolate and valentine’s go together.”

Carrie glanced around to make sure no one was standing close by, and then she leaned forward and whispered, “Apparently Brittany didn’t get the memo.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “She’s still stuck in the past.”

“Anyway, if your brother is available, I need a big favor.”

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