Page 7 of Rumors in Bayberry
“That’s good to know.What should I see while I’m here?”
She paused to give it some thought.“You should take the tour of the Bayberry Candle Company.If you want coffee, the Steaming Brew has the best.If you’re into chocolate, Totally Chocolate has the best.Next to it is Wrights’ Eatery.They have great food.So does Mel’s Grille.They make the best salads and sandwiches.”
He smiled at her.A genuine smile, not one of those half-smiles.And when he did, she noticed the twinkle in his eyes.It made her stomach flutter.
“I might have to stay longer than I expected in order to take it all in,” he said.
“Oh.That was just the beginning.There’s more to Bayberry.”
He nodded.“Thanks for the recommendations.”When he got to his feet, she noticed he’d already finished his meal.He sent her another smile.“And thanks for the suggestions for dinner.I’ll be seeing you.”
By the time she collected her thoughts and opened her mouth to say something else, he was already walking away.It was only then that she realized she hadn’t even gotten his name.She sighed.
She told herself it was for the best.He would soon be moving on.So would she.It wouldn’t be long until she would be off chasing her next story.
Her thoughts turned to her father’s return to the newspaper.Even though she’d surprised herself by enjoying her time working at the paper and dragging it kicking and screaming into the modern age, if her father was going to undo everything she’d established while he was away recuperating, she had no choice but to leave.His antiquated ways were sure to kill off the paper in short order.
However, leaving wouldn’t be as quick and simple as she wished.She didn’t have a plum assignment awaiting her.In fact, she didn’t have any assignment, because she hadn’t called her editor.
Maybe she’d let herself get too comfortable working at theBayberry Gazette.It hadn’t been her intention when she first stepped into the role.She’d told herself repeatedly that working for her family’s paper was only temporary.
But as the weeks turned into months, she’d unknowingly let down her guard and gotten comfortable.She’d gotten reacquainted with the residents.Now any time she walked down the street, she not only offered greetings, but she also knew who was having a baby, who was on vacation, and who had been sick.Bayberry was growing, thanks to the expansion of the candle factory, but it was still small enough to know most everyone.
Chapter Three
SmalltownAmerica…atitsbest.
It was the headline that came to mind when he’d toured Bayberry.
The following morning, Reed Stanton was up early.He was in Bayberry to scout out a new small town paper to add to theRumor Quill.His goal was to save a piece of American culture and reframe it into something that might appeal to young and old alike.
Instead of letting these rural papers shutter, his company had been hand-selecting them and putting them under the Rumor Quill Media umbrella.They would comb through the individual papers and incorporate the quirky, the heartwarming, and the astonishing stories into theRumor Quill.This way, the stories would appeal to a national audience.In addition to the hand-curated content, they incorporated broad advertising with large accounts.
This content was then printed in each small town under their umbrella.They’d also been testing larger markets such as some key cities and airports.So far it was going well.Their internet subscription service had worldwide availability.
These stories were the ones that would pull on the reader’s heartstrings or make them laugh out loud.They’d been in business for a few years now, and every year the business was growing.
Last month, the owner of theBayberry Gazette, Samuel Plummer, had reached out to his company.Reed had checked into theBayberry Gazette.He’d checked out a current issue of the paper and found himself really enjoying S.J.Plummer’s pieces.The guy had a way with words and a sense of humor that had him chuckling out loud.
Even though the writing was more than acceptable, he needed to be certain there would be enough human-interest stories to support them purchasing the paper.He had been through this process many times, but he was constantly surprised by his in-person visits.
A lot of things went into his evaluations.He didn’t buy every paper.In fact, he only purchased a very small portion of the newspapers that approached their company.And let’s face it, there were still a lot of small newspapers in the country—though sadly the number was constantly in decline.
He’d arrived in Bayberry a few days early.His meeting with Mr.Plummer wasn’t until Monday morning.It gave him today and tomorrow to explore the town, and according to the numerous flyers around town, it was the first day of the Pumpkin Festival.
But first, he was headed to the Steaming Brew.His thoughts shifted to the woman with long auburn hair who had recommended the coffeehouse.He remembered how her radiant smile and sparkling green eyes had drawn his attention.To be honest, he couldn’t even remember what his dinner had tasted like.He’d been too distracted by the beautiful woman.
He’d wanted to ask her name, but he’d resisted the urge because it would require him divulging his own name.He couldn’t do that.He was intent on flying under the radar until his meeting on Monday morning.
It appeared the beautiful woman wasn’t going to be far from his thoughts as long as he was in Bayberry.So, what should he call her?
Mystery woman?No.It was too much of a mouthful.Radiant?She was definitely that.Still, it wasn’t much of a name.Maybe he was trying too hard for a name.
And then it came to him.He’d call her Beauty.It was certainly a fitting name, and he liked it for her.
Too bad he hadn’t caught her real name or number.It would have been fun to have someone to hang out with for the weekend.
He used his phone to guide him to the Steaming Brew.Even before he reached the door, the rich, tantalizing aroma of fresh-brewed coffee teased and taunted him.The aroma evoked memories from his childhood when his mother would start the coffeemaker first thing in the morning.At the time, his mother had told him he was too young to drink caffeine, but he still enjoyed the aroma.
