Page 30 of The Affair
She must have seen the surprise on my face because she instantly blushed, her cheeks going bright red, that flurry of activity that was classic Candace taking over. “I know it’s a lot!” She beamed. “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t hold back. When you said almost everything I’d brought last time sold, I was just so excited! I just never expected anyone to buy something I’d made! It’s so thrilling!”
I smiled. I wasn’t lying when I’d said I normally liked Candace.
When I was well caffeinated and mentally prepared for her never-ending well of energy, she was actually a joy to have around, especially over the last year when my life had been anything but joyous.
“It’s the perfect amount,” I replied. “Show me what you made!”
She squealed, clapping her hands together, and dug into her meticulously organized containers. Inside were delicately wrapped mugs and wreaths, trendy wood signs with catchy phrases, and even—
“Oh my gosh, are these—”
“Mug koozies! Aren’t they adorable?” She held one out, a colorful array of fall. It was like a scarf for a mug.
So freaking cute.
I took it from her hands and slipped it on a mug she’d brought. It fit like a glove. No, like a damn mitten. “I had no idea you could knit!”
She shrugged, clearly impressed with herself. “Just another trick in my endless toolbox.”
“These will sell like crazy now that the weather is turning. Can you do more patterns? Colors?”
She nodded excitedly, and we began an in-depth discussion into the world of mug koozies. By the time we were done, I’d ordered fifty more in various themes, colors, and sizes. Candace was thrilled, and I was sort of exhausted and in need of more coffee.
“So, what’s up with Sawyer Gallagher being here?” she finally asked once our business had commenced.
I shrugged, wishing we could skip the small talk for once. As much as I enjoyed my visits with Candace, I really didn’t know what to say about Sawyer.
“He’s working here part-time,” I answered, my eyes avoiding the section of the store where I could hear his voice coming from.
He laughed and carried on with a couple in the back as I did my best to ignore how easily he fit himself in my world.
“Does Reed know?” she asked.
My brain snapped back to reality. “No idea.” I tried to sound casual. “Not that it matters. We’re free to do whatever we want.”
Her eyes rose. “No, of course not. I didn’t mean it like that. I just wondered …” She paused before adding, “I don’t know what I meant actually. I’m just being nosy. You know me, always trying to sniff out the gossip.”
I gave her a faint smile. That was partially true. No one in this town could resist a juicy bit of gossip, but in Candace’s defense, she was the first non-family member who had sought me out after the news spread of Reed’s infidelity. She’d come to the store and dropped off a basket full of her products, and two weeks later, I’d managed to convince my mom to take her on as a client.
It had been a great partnership ever since.
“So, I’ll drop the rest of the koozies off in about two weeks,” Candace confirmed as we finished up.
“Two weeks?” I repeated, my eyebrows rose in surprise. “That’s awfully soon. Are you sure you can manage fifty of them in such a short time?”
She nodded with enthusiasm. “The baby is doing this weird sleep-regression thing, and I am up basically all the time. I think a few more nights of it, and I might just turn into a vampire. Or maybe a bat—that would be fun!”
I laughed, but really, I felt bad. I hadn’t realized she’d been having such a hard time. “Is there anything I can do?”
She shook her head. “You’ve done enough. These orders are great. With Dan working night shifts at the firehouse, I was starting to go a little insane with nothing to do, so this is exactly what I need to make it through.”
I didn’t quite believe her, but she seemed to believe fifty mug koozie orders was like a gift from heaven. If I were a new parent, I would have just prayed for sleep, but what did I know?
We said our good-byes, and she waved to Sawyer, who was finishing up with a customer at the register.
I tried to ignore the fact that he was making yet another sale.
It’s more money in the bank, I reminded myself.
