Читать книгу California Christmas Dreams - J.M. Jeffries - Страница 13

Chapter 4

A knock sounded at the door to Merry’s office, and a second later it flew open to reveal her sister, Noelle. Noelle Alcott was an inch taller and a year younger than Merry with a willowy frame, pixie-cut black hair and laughing brown eyes.

“I brought you a present,” Noelle said, handing Merry a small glass bear wearing a Christmas hat.

“Is this your new line?” The little glass bear fit in the palm of Merry’s hand. Noelle was a glass blower.

“Isn’t it cute?” Noelle strolled around Merry’s office, stopping to study each drawing hanging on the wall. “It’s Santa Benny Bear.”

Merry laughed. “Named after the park mascot.”

“Listening to you talk about all this inspired me.”

“We can sell these here. They’ll walk out of the store.”

“I’d rather they ran out of the store,” Noelle said. She stopped in front of one drawing showcasing the old ghost-town buildings that housed local vendors and their products. Merry was giving it a facelift, and a construction crew was currently hammering away, making her plan into reality.

The buildings were currently in a long line, and Merry would have liked to move them around to create a more village-like feel, but that would be for another facelift.

“You want to see the park?” Merry asked, jumping down off her stool and turning off the gooseneck lamp that lit her worktable.

“That’s why I’m here,” Noelle said.

Merry handed her a large, floppy-brimmed sunhat and placed another one on her own head. September had turned into a scorcher, with bright cloudless skies and one-hundred-plus degrees and rising.

Merry had set up a three-part plan for the renovation of the park. Once it was open again, the second part would be to start planting trees for shade. Why the park had no shade trees, she didn’t understand.

“How’s the new boss?” Noelle asked as they stepped into the fierce sunshine.

“He is driving me insane,” Merry said, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. “He counts every penny I want to spend and then tells me I have to bring the job in for ten percent less. He questions every move I make. And he watches me.”

Noelle’s eyebrows rose. “You make him sound like a stalker.”

“I think he follows me home.” She led her sister toward the old ghost-town buildings. “Overall, I’m seven percent underbudget and things are getting done, but I have to justify every moment of my time when I’m here. And let me tell you, it’s no fun.”

She could hear the banging and hammering as they approached the ghost town. A construction crew had begun extensive repairs on the roofs. “John is such a honey to work for, but Jacob is a tyrant.”

“Tyrants can be tamed,” Noelle said.

Merry’s eyebrows went up. “Why should I bother?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because you get a funny look on your face when you talk about him.” Noelle’s gaze was mischievous.

Merry opened the door to one of the buildings and led Noelle inside. The retail area was small and intimate. Ever since Noelle had asked about selling her glassware at the park, Merry had been thinking about which store would work for her. And she’d narrowed it down to two.

“What are you trying to say, sis?” Merry watched her sister study the room. She pulled a measuring tape out of her pocket and started to measure the room. She pulled a notebook out of her back pocket and marked down the length of each wall.

“Oh, nothing,” Noelle replied. “I was just being sisterly, chatty, friendly.”

“Why are you here again?”

Noelle laughed. “Because somebody needs to ruffle your little feathers.”

“Consider my feathers ruffled.”

“I’ve done my job. How much is this space going for? I like this one.”

Merry could see that her mind was already figuring out the possibilities for showcasing her glassware to the best possible advantage. “Why do you want your own store? I thought you were doing well in the galleries.” She took her phone out of her pocket and started snapping photos of the shop from every angle.

Noelle sighed. “Things have slowed down. So I’m doing smaller projects, knickknacks, jewelry....”

“Are things that bad?” Merry asked.

Noelle shrugged. “The little things are selling well. I’m working harder, but people are only spending money on little luxuries.”

Noelle’s glassware was museum quality. She’d even designed a garden of glass flowers and trees that echoed like musical chimes.

“But you’ve had a number of large commissions,” Merry said, puzzled. “Didn’t you design the atrium in one of the Las Vegas hotels?”

“I did, but it didn’t result in more commissions. Lots of oohs and ahhs, but no more business. The money came from making miniature copies of the large flowers and selling those in the gift shops,” Noelle said. She measured another wall and made some notes in her spiral notebook. “And that got me thinking about your park and maybe opening my own retail store. This way, I bypass the middleman. I can hire some people to work here and have more time to work in the studio.”

“Let’s talk to John, then,” Merry said, stepping to the door and pulling it open.

Jake stood on the other side, one hand raised as though he’d been about to enter. “Jake,” Merry said. “Did you need something?”

Noelle scooted past Merry, her gaze calculating as she studied Jake.

“Dad said you might have a renter for this unit. I came to check it out.” He looked at Noelle questioningly. “And you must be...?”

Noelle held out her hand. “I’m Noelle, Merry’s baby sister, though I’m only a year younger,” she said with a grin. “You must be Jake.”

He looked startled. “Nice to meet you.”

“Funny, you don’t look like Scrooge.”

Merry glared at her sister. She wanted to die. How could Noelle say such a thing?

He laughed a little uneasily. “I see we’ve been sharing sister confidences.”

“Which were supposed to be confidential,” Merry said, seriously considering slapping her hand over Noelle’s mouth.

Noelle waved her hand.

“What do you do?” Jake asked politely.

“I’m a blower,” Noelle said with a grin.

Merry pinched the bridge of her nose. Her sister just loved to toss that one out to strangers.

“A what...?”

“Noelle’s a glass blower,” Merry said hastily.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met a glassblower. I didn’t even know there was such a thing,” he replied. He cast a glance at Merry and she could see he was comparing her to her sister.

“So you’re thinking about renting space,” Jake said.

“Yes, I am,” Noelle replied.

Jake tilted his head. “I’m trying to visualize this.”

“I do glass jewelry, knickknacks like little glass flowers or for this park, I did a little Benny the Bear. It’s in Merry’s office.”

His eyebrows went up. “Do those kinds of things sell?”

“I thought I’d theme my products to the park, like carousel horses, Benny the Bear, maybe orange paperweights, and some of my own jewelry creations. People want classy mementos, they don’t want cheesy stuff.”

Jake looked thoughtful. “I have an errand to run. Why not meet me in my office in thirty minutes?” He shook her hand and walked away.

Merry was stunned. Except for their afternoon on the carousel, she’d never seen him be this civil before.

Noelle studied him as he walked away. When he was out of sight, she pulled Merry back into the building and gave her sister a crushing hug. “He’s a hottie. Wrapped a little too tight, but still hot.”

“He’s my boss, Noelle.”

“Tell me you’re not having inappropriate thoughts about him.”

Merry’s cheeks blazed with heat. “I don’t have inappropriate thoughts.”

“Then appropriate ones,” Noelle said.

“Some days I want to stick a pickax in his head. That’s the most appropriate thought I can come up with at the moment.” Though at other times, she wanted to jump his bones. She didn’t like that she had hot thoughts about him. “Besides, he’s not my type.”

Noelle burst out laughing. “Sweetie, he’s every girl’s type.”

“Have at it, Noelle.”

“I think not. Did you see the way he looked at you?”

“With scorn and distrust?”

“Girl, he likes you.”

Merry rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. The only things that man likes are money, control and power. You should hear how he talks to his clients. Like they’re five years old.”

Noelle shook her head. She opened the door and stepped out into the hot September afternoon. “From what you’ve already told me, I suspect most of them act like five-year-olds.”

“Come on, let’s go back to my office. You’ll probably want to take your little bear with you to show him what you can do.”

Noelle just grinned. “By the time I get to his office, he’ll already know. I can guarantee he’ll check the internet first. But before I head over, I want to take a look at the carousel and get photos of the horses.”

Merry closed the door to the shop and pointed her sister in the right direction. Noelle marched off, camera in hand.

* * *

Jake spent a few minutes looking up Noelle Alcott on the internet, preparing for her visit. What he discovered surprised him. She was quite the celebrated glass artist, having done several large commissions in Las Vegas and San Francisco. His cell phone rang. He glanced at the display and considered not answering it. He really didn’t want to have a conversation with Annie Gray, but he had an obligation.