Page 58 of The Christmas Blueprint

“You’re on the chamber of commerce, right?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know of any local businesspeople—perhaps those who do most of their business online, or travel to local farmer’s markets or trade shows who are looking for small brick-and-mortar opportunities?”

“A few,” Sophia said. “I’m sure there’s more, but I wanted it to have…not a theme, but a feeling of continuity or place. So that people are coming here for the experience as much as whatever thing they are buying or consuming.”

“I didn’t want to put too many feelers out until we had something a little more concrete.” Killian paused from his scrutiny of the plans and looked back at her. “I think, you’re right, which means I’m right too.”

“Of course you are,” she was starting to get antsy. The way he was looking at her—like she was special, like she’d just said something infinitely clever—was way too appealing and mocked her crush that she’d thought she’d long ago crushed.

The feelings he now stirred to life deep inside of her didn’t resemble her high school giddy admiration at all.

“The best way to generate interest is to show what this space can offer, which means you and I need to get to work.”

*

“Thank you againfor the pastries, Sophia. I don’t drive as much as I used to.” Elaine True had shared a bear claw with her along with a cup of tea, and let her have her fill of looking at her farm animal paintings.

“I’m happy to run anything out for you that you need,” Sophia said quickly.

“I know. My neighbors are also helpful, and you’ve always been a kind soul, Sophia, dedicating your life to Bear Creek and to making other people happy.”

Something in her voice dragged her attention from the painting of the Nubian goats playing on the roof of a faded, red doghouse.

“I’m happy,” Sophia said firmly.

“Yes, dear, of course.”

“Say what you want to say,” Sophia said, hands on her hips. Elaine had never hidden her opinion from her students, colleagues, adopted daughters, or anyone else crossing her path.

“I heard you got yourself on the planning commission.”

Sophia smiled at the phrasing. It was quite accurate.

“It’s true the mayor had one or two of his friends in mind to rubber-stamp his plans.” Sophia turned back toward the painting of the goats. She’d loved raising goats. But she couldn’t do that anymore. She lived in town above her store. She worked long hours. And she still hadn’t persuaded Elaine to part with any of her fowl pictures that were so amusing and eye-catching.

“Someone really ought to run against him next time although we’d probably have to have some kind of coup with citizens carrying farm implements down Main Street.” She laughed at the old-fashioned image. Elaine could probably capture the absurdity along with the determination with her paintbrush.

All the more reason to not go back to painting and to not hang up her sketches along with several water color renderings of her Mill Market plans.

“Someoneshould,” Elaine said. Again, her voice had an undercurrent in it that made Sophia feel uncomfortable.

She instead turned her focus to the collection of twelve rooster paintings. She felt the poke of Elaine’s cane in the small of her back, likely her wanting to ensure that she’d made her earlier point.

“Why not you?” Elaine demanded.

“Why not you?” Sophia countered.

“If I were twenty years younger, I would,” Elaine said acerbically, “which would still make me thirty years older than you are now so…” Elaine shooed both hands, motioning her to get on with something—a doomed political campaign, her life, and knowing Elaine, so much more.

Since Elaine was still holding her cane, it banged into Sophia’s shin.

“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Sophia was amused and touched but also startled. She hadn’t even attended her first planning commissioners’ meeting yet.

And you’re making plans behind their back.

That will likely be shut down.

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