Page 68 of Follow My Heart

“Is this Violet?”

“It sure is. Who am I speaking with?” I kept my eyes on the sidewalk outside to gauge whether there were any tourists milling about.

“Charlotte Monroe. Daphne said I should call you.”

I turned my attention to the call. “Oh. Cole’s sister?”

“That’s right. Mr. Calloway hired me to do some marketing for the farm, and I wanted to start with a holiday festival of sorts where vendors could sell their wares.”

“That sounds nice.”

“I know you have a cart at the farmer’s market and local harvest festivals. Would you be willing to have one on the farm for this event? The only problem is that it’s next weekend.”

“What are you doing to draw people in?” I asked.

“We’re launching an email campaign and posting advertisements on the bulletin boards and in local newspapers. A local news station is coming out to cover it and the farm.”

“Wow. Teddy’s okay with that?”

Charlotte laughed. “He’s not happy, but his dad is the one who hired me.”

I wouldn’t want to be in her position. “It sounds like a great opportunity for my store and the farm.”

“Can I put you down as a yes?” Charlotte asked.

“Who else do you have lined up so far?” Charlotte was so easy to talk to. I sensed that we could be friends.

“I’m calling everyone on the farmer’s market list. So far, everyone has said yes.”

It was a good opportunity, and I might see Ryder and Faith there. “I’d love to be part of it. Let me know if I can help with anything.”

“We’ll be setting up that morning, and I’ll take all the help I can get.”

“You can count on me to be there.”

“Perfect. Thanks, Violet. This is going to be so amazing.” Charlotte’s energy was infectious.

I talked to her for a few minutes about timing and logistics. Then I got up the courage to ask her for help.

“Are you taking on other marketing clients? Or is the farm your sole client?”

“I am. What did you have in mind?”

“I’d love to draw more customers into my shop as opposed to the other ice-cream stores. Would it be possible to meet up and discuss what you could do for me?”

“I’d love to. Would you want to meet at your store? Then I could get a feel for what your vision is.”

“That would be perfect.”

I was pleased I was taking this next step with the business. I’d played it conservatively since I opened. But I had a little bit of extra money I could use to boost the business. I had to take the risk and hope it paid off.

I wondered if Ryder knew about the planned holiday event at the farm and if he was intending to be there. It sounded like something that would be fun for Faith too.

Charlotte sounded a little nervous when I asked about Teddy. I wondered if he was still giving her trouble. It was unfortunate because she was so excited to help the farm, and her ideas seemed good. She was the type of person who could get people rallied to her cause. Someone you’d want on your side.

I couldn’t imagine why Teddy was against the help she could provide.

That night, we’d planned to go out on our first real date. So I got ready, picking out a dress and heels, then taking extra time with my makeup. Since Ryder had a daughter, I assumed most of our time together would be doing things with Faith.

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