Page 25 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

Chapter Seven

“I’ll take a couple of those chocolate chip cookies too.” Jeremy from the hardware store pointed to the top shelf of the display case.

“Sure.” Callie used a square of waxed paper to grab the baked goods and put them in a bag, then poured a to-go cup of the dark roasted coffee Jeremy had requested. “Any cream or sugar?” she asked, forcing herself to make eye contact when her instinct was to keep her head down after last night’s unexpected encounter.

“No, thanks.”

Callie secured the lid and turned to the register, snagging her bottom lip with her teeth as she searched for the right buttons to push to complete Jeremy’s order. The fancy computer had been her nemesis all morning. She pushed the series of keys she hoped was right and beamed her triumph when she didn’t have to call Molly for an override, which had happened twice already. “That’ll be six-fifty.”

Jeremy slid her a ten.

Callie made change, then handed Jeremy his afternoon snack. “Come back and see us soon.”

“Almost every day.” Jeremy grabbed a couple of extra napkins from the dispenser and left.

Callie let her shoulders relax and sighed as she glanced around the empty store. Despite being on guard for most of the day, she was willing to consider the first seven-and-a-half-hours of her eight-hour shift a success. Throughout the morning and afternoon, Molly had introduced her to several of the island’s residents. She’d held her breath each time she shook someone’s hand, waiting for them to recognize her, but no one had blinked twice in her direction. Now if only she could focus on the fun she’d had today and find a way to believe that last night’s run-in with her overly enthusiastic fans was going to be an exception on Carter Island, not the rule.

Growing tired of her uncertainties, she walked over to the sink and washed her hands. After tossing her paper towel in the trash, she moved to the small prep table and got back to sprinkling white jimmies onto pretty pink frosted cupcakes while she tapped her foot to the beat of Sia’s latest song playing on the radio. One by one, she set the dozen decadent treats in the bakery box and closed the top as the front door opened again. Callie turned her head and smiled at a woman dressed in dingy jeans and an equally grubby T-shirt. “Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon. Is Molly here?”

“Yes, she’s in back. I’ll get her—”

“No, I know she’s busy getting ready for Willow’s party. Will you let her know that her share of the décor is right outside?”

Callie wasn’t quite sure what the woman was talking about but nodded. “I will.”

“Have a good day.”

“Thanks. You too.” She grabbed the bakery box and went back to the kitchen, where Molly was decorating the first tier of a stunning cake with a cool mixture of pink and black marzipan polka dots. “That’s amazing.”

“Thanks.” Molly added a small bead of icing to another pink circle and stuck it in place. “I should be finished up in about ten minutes. I cut everything out early this morning. I just need to get it all put together.”

Callie had found an easy rhythm with Molly throughout the day, discovering almost immediately that she was as comfortable in Molly’s presence as she was in Nate’s. “There’s no rush. Everything’s fine out front.” She put the box in the large fridge. “A woman stopped by and told me she dropped off your share of the décor.”

“Great,” Molly said on a sigh as she wiped her forehead with her arm. “All of the businesses chip in to help decorate for the fall festival. Any surplus gets divvied up for us to use for our storefronts.”

“That’s a great idea.”

“It works well—except not today. I don’t have time to mess around with pumpkins and hay bales.”

Callie perked up. “I can help if you want.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll go see what we’ve got and I’ll put something together.”

“It’s usually a bunch of mix and match.”

The idea intrigued her even more. “I’ll make something work.”

“That would be great. Thanks.”

She left Molly to her cake and stepped outside into the sunshine, studying the pieces she had to work with: pumpkins and gourds, a variety of brightly-colored mums, three small hay bales, a basket, and a fairly large assortment of artificial autumn leaves. As she scrutinized the storefront, inspiration struck almost immediately. She needed to create something that would complement Molly’s classy establishment and draw the eye right toward her cases of baked goods through the window. Bringing stuff inside, Callie arranged the bales, then set the pumpkins and gourds in just the right places. She added three pots of flowers to the basket and put them on the right side of the display. Leaves were scattered next as she got lost in the simple joy of bringing her ideas to life. Now, if only she could do the same with her art.

Despite her promise to give herself a couple of weeks off, she’d tried working last night. For hours, she’d sat at her tiny kitchen table, staring at the blank paper in her sketch book, waiting for the typical rush of excitement and mad dash to keep her pencil on pace with the images flashing through her busy brain. By one a.m., she’d surprised herself when she realized Nate was staring back at her on the page. She rarely sketched people, always gravitating toward the abstract instead. But lately, she couldn’t seem to sketch anything at all. It made her smile even now to remember their conversation on the dance floor—the way it felt to be wrapped up in his arms. Then everything had gone so wrong.

“What are you thinking about over there?”