Chapter Three

Julia twisted the key in the old lock and then jiggled it as it refused to budge. Gwen and Lily stood silently beside her. Julia gave the key one final jiggle and then felt the mechanism release. She shot them both a quick smile before pushing the old wooden door open. She stepped inside and held the door open for them. The musky scent of the old building clung to the air and a fine layer of dirt seemed to cover everything.

Gwen stood in the middle of the open space, a stream of dust-filled sunlight highlighting her smile. “Omigod. This is perfect. Beyond perfect.”

Julia smiled and looked around. Lily was behind the counter, running her hand along the smooth, white marbled top counter. The women had their eye on the old Apothecary building for a few months now and asked that this be the first stop on their search for a retail venue for their handmade chocolate shop. Antique bronze schoolhouse light fixtures hung from the worn patterned tin ceiling and the wide, wooden plank floors creaked as she walked across to join Lily at the counter.

She placed her listing file on the counter and peeled off her leather gloves. “What do you think, Lily?”

Lily looked up at her, a smile gracing her pretty face. “I think Gwen’s right. This place is perfect.”

“It is so charming,” Julia said, looking through the large, lattice window that faced Main Street. Across the road was the Shadow Creek Book Nook. It had been there for as long as she could remember, the only bookstore in town. Mr. Palmer was in the window, only the top of his gray head visible as he bent over the life-size stuffed Santa who sat in front of a fake brick fireplace reading a book. It was the same display year after year, but no one ever grew tired of it. It was like an heirloom Christmas tree ornament, forgotten throughout the year and then cherished and prized as it made its appearance for the holidays.

Gwen walked over to them and Julia tore her eyes from the comforting image in the window. “Can we see the kitchen?”

Julia nodded, picking up her file. “Definitely.” They walked toward the green swinging door with the small circular window opening. “Fingers crossed this is as nice as the rest of the front.” She stood back and let the women check out the appliances and workspace. The area was small, but considering their needs it might work.

“I love this place. I get such a good vibe here,” Gwen said.

Lily walked to the back door. “Me too.” She opened it and there was a small back parking lot and two garbage bins. “It has parking too?”

Julia nodded. “Yup. There’s enough room for two vehicles, which is great.” They walked around the kitchen, opening cupboard doors and appliances. “So after the apothecary left, it looks like this was converted into a coffee shop, right?”

Gwen nodded. “Yes, but it never really took off. The owners were from out of town and they weren’t that pleasant and their baked goods weren’t great.”

Customer service and approachability were everything in a small town. Shadow Creek was all about personal connections and friendly chit-chat. People shopped locally not only out of convenience but for the social connection.

“All the appliances look great and the work surface is perfect. Even though it’s a little rough around the edges, I think we can make this work,” Lily said, smoothing her hand across the stainless steel island.

“Yes, according to the listing all the appliances were installed for the previous owners, so they can’t be more than a few years old.”

“Do you think the rent is negotiable?”

Julia flipped open the file and scanned the listing details. “Well, according to this, it’s been listed for almost a year, and judging by the condition of this place, we should be able to negotiate a better price. I can list all the deficiencies, all the repairs you’d have to make and hopefully the owner will either compensate for the repairs or arrange for them to be done.”

Lily frowned. “But if he arranges for them to be done, they might not be what we have in mind.”

Julia nodded. “True, but I can stipulate that any renovations they make have to be approved by you both.”

Gwen leaned against the counter. “Okay. So how much do you think we can take off this rent?”

Julia tilted her head to the side. “How far off are we? You’ve gotten approved for a start-up loan, right?”

They both nodded. “Yeah, and we are both pooling all the money we’ve saved,” Lily said.

She opened the file on the table, looking over the two pages of listing details and drummed her fingers on the counter. She wanted them to get this place. They both deserved it and she felt she owed Gwen. It was the least she could do for being away for so long. “So do you think you could manage if we had the rent reduced by a third?”

Lily winced. “We were hoping a little more. I guess half would be pushing it?”

Julia blew out a breath. “That’s tough, but I’ll try my best. We do have a lot going for us, and the likelihood of this place getting rented out in December is minute. It might really appeal to the landlord to have it leased out and off his plate. Of course that does mean I’ll be deep in negotiations with Marlene.” She bit her lower lip trying to hold back her laugh as the women groaned.

Gwen grimaced slightly, but her eyes sparkled. “So, what do you think, Lily? Should we go for it?”

Lily didn’t say anything for a moment and then broke out into a huge smile. “Let’s do it!”

The door burst open, a gust of wind and a shock of red infiltrating the small space. “Woo-hoo. Hello, hello!”

Julia smiled across the store as Marlene Mayberry graced them with her flamboyant presence. Her dark hair was sprayed and styled until it glistened unnaturally. Her pale skin was merely a canvas for a vibrant display of red lipstick and rouge, blue eye shadow and thick, black mascara. “Well, I knew when a flurry of calls came in for showings, that it must be our very own Julia Bailey. Oh, you city agents never take a break, do you?”

Julia opened her mouth to reply, but the woman had already swallowed up the steps between them and captured her in a hug, drowning her in the scent of sweet roses.

“So nice to see you, Mrs. Mayberry,” she said, trying to pry herself out of the older woman’s arms before she choked. Gwen and Lily were practically crying as they attempted to hold in their laughter. Julia quickly looked away from them, knowing their laughter would be contagious.

“It’s wonderful to have you back in town, my dear. Just wonderful. Even if it does mean having some competition,” she said with a wink that was slightly delayed as her mascara-filled lashes clumped together.

“Thank you, Mrs. Mayberry. I kept my realtor license in Montana just in case and now that I’m temporarily back here, I’m glad that I did. It’s nice to be working with you again. But, it’ll just be for the holidays of course. I’ll be heading back to Chicago after New Year’s.” She didn’t look at Gwen when she made that statement.

Marlene’s face collapsed into a frown. “Oh that is a shame, but I do have some good news for our dear Sheriff Donovan. That house on Tall Pines has his name written all over it. How does ten o’clock tomorrow morning sound for a showing?”

Julia held on to her squeal of delight. “That sounds perfect. I’ll confirm with Chase and we’ll be there.”

“That man is a prize waiting to be claimed,” she said with a theatrical sigh. Her large eyes settled on Julia’s like an old owl perching onto a branch, scouting for prey.

“Mrs. Mayberry, we are in love with this space,” Gwen said, walking over to them and saving Julia. Thank God for her sister-in-law’s intervention.

“Excellent, excellent. I’ll be waiting for that offer, then, Julia!” She gave her another slow-motion wink. And then as quickly as the woman had entered, did she exit, leaving in her wake only the smell of roses and the faint sense of unease.

The three of them looked at each other, silent for a moment before erupting in a fit of laughter.

Julia stopped after a few moments, squeezing Gwen’s hand and looking at both of them. “I promise I will do what it takes to make this place a reality for you two. Whatever you need, okay?”

They both nodded and Gwen leaned forward to give her a hug. “Thanks.”

“I didn’t know Chase was looking at that house on Tall Pines.”

Julia nodded. The more she thought of her conversation with Chase yesterday, the more she wanted to make this happen for him and Maggie. They deserved a fresh start. The way he’d spoken about Maggie reminded her of the special love she’d had for Matthew. That desire to give him the best, to give him everything she possibly could.

She wanted to help Chase fulfill those dreams for his little girl, and she wanted to spend time with them. That was something she hadn’t counted on. Of course she’d been looking forward to seeing them, but she hadn’t expected how much, and the connection she felt to Maggie.

“He really deserves the best after all he’s been through. He came around constantly after.” Gwen paused and looked at the ground for a moment. “After the accident. And he became like another brother to me. Mom and Dad basically adopted him and Maggie. He was their rock, mine too.”

Julia blinked away tears as she stared into her sister-in-law’s eyes, so much like Michael’s. “I feel like crap when I think of how I let you guys down.”

Gwen shook her head. “Don’t you dare apologize to me. You did what you had to. Let’s move beyond this. I just wanted you to know.” She cleared her throat and touched Julia’s arm. “That Chase is strong. He’s a good man.”

Julia nodded slowly, sensing more to Gwen’s comment. “I know he is.” She looked past Gwen to the red-brick school, thinking of yesterday. Maggie and Chase made her yearn for everything she had lost, but even more. If she were honest with herself, she’d admit that what scared her most was not just the yearning for what was gone, but for the possibility of what could be. But that would mean trusting a man again, and that was something she didn’t think could ever happen, especially if Chase had known what Michael had done. A part of her didn’t want to know.

“He’s done so well for himself and Maggie. The bad boy turned cop. Really, I can’t think of a better man,” Lily said softly, tucking her blonde hair inside her hood. Ouch for Jack. No one said anything as Gwen opened the door and they stepped outside, waiting as Julia locked up and placed the key inside the lock box.

“This is turning out to be the best Christmas we’ve had in years, because of you, Julia.” The tears in Gwen’s eyes were contagious and she blinked rapidly. Seriously, these people were turning her into a pile of mush.

She walked forward and gave Gwen a hug. “For me too.”

“All we need now is for Jack to come home.” Gwen pulled away from her and wiped at the fallen tears. “I sent him a long email that has filled him with so much guilt he has no choice but to come home.”

Julia smiled. “That would be perfect, but you need to stop with the tears or I’m going to have to start carrying around a box of tissues with me.” They laughed, walking away from the shop and to their cars. Jack. She didn’t add anything about her own feelings. A part of her wondered how she would react to seeing him. His face. He and Michael had been identical twins, and while she could easily tell them apart she knew there would be no denying his face. Would she see him as a different man? Would she see Michael immediately? Would she be able to look into the identical eyes of the man she lost, that had betrayed her, and know, fully, that they were not the same person?

It took them a moment to realize Lily hadn’t fallen into step beside them. They turned around and she was still standing in front of the store. Her dark brown eyes were wide in her pale face and they both walked back to her.

“You think Jack is coming home for Christmas?”

Gwen gasped. “I’m an idiot for blurting that out. I don’t know. I told you I had written him, but I still don’t know for sure.”

Lily shook her head. “No, no. Don’t apologize. He’s your brother. You’ve all been through so much and especially with your dad this past year…”

“Still, I love my brother, I always will, but what he did was what I call jack-ass behavior.”

Lily’s face cracked and turned into a smile. They all burst out laughing at Gwen.

“It’s a good one, isn’t it?” Gwen asked.

“So good,” Lily said, swinging her purse over her shoulder. “Jack can come home, and that will be perfect for all of you. It doesn’t bother me in the least. I’ve moved on with Ben. Jack is history,” she whispered in a voice that was so heavy with the weight of her hurt that her smile faltered.

Julia knew that weight…

It was the weight of a woman whose heart had been broken by a man.