Page 7 of Magic in Mistletoe
Martin closed his laptop and stood. “Thanks, Grandpa. I’ll make sure to keep you updated on the village’s progress. We’ve chosen a great location a few miles out of town. Now that construction has begun, the holofield is in place. The site is completely hidden.”
“And the toy store in town?”
“Slow but steady. The village is taking most of our efforts.”
“As it should. Great job, Martin. I’m proud of you.” His grandfather smiled, his eyes filled with pride. “Now, don’t let me keep you any longer. I know you’re busy.”
As Martin packed up his laptop and headed out of his grandfather’s office, his thoughts turned again to Sadie. He was determined to find out what was behind her standoffish demeanor.
Several hours after Martin Kringle’s visit, Sadie stood behind the counter of her candy store, wrapping a fresh batch of peppermint sticks in shiny cellophane. The frosty air outside had left a delicate layer of condensation on the windows, blurring the view of the snow-covered town beyond into a watercolor painting.
“Who knew a candy order could be so...interesting?” she mused, because she’d enjoyed her morning festively wrapping candy. Did Martin expect this level of detail? If so, they’d have to hire a few more people. As it was, Sadie had no idea if Rosie could handle the large order. The thought of that upcoming conversation made her nervous.
She’d wrapped a few more peppermint sticks when the door opened and Sadie looked up, surprised to see Rosie.
“Good morning, Sadie,” Rosie said with her usual smile. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”
“I have, and I’m glad you came in early. We have a lot to discuss.”
Rosie’s complexion turned gray. “You’re closing the store.”
“What? No.” Sadie shook her head, confused. “Why would you think that?”
Rosie shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “I don’t know. Rumors, I guess.”
“Eleanor,” Sadie hissed. “Well, that’s not the case. Quite the opposite, actually. We have a big candy order to fill from a Mr. Kringle.”
Rosie’s face brightened at the mention of the order. “The man building the toy store?”
“That’s the one.”
“Holy candy corn, that’s fabulous.”
Sadie gave her a closed-lip smile. “You haven’t seen how big yet.” She handed the order to Rosie, and Sadie thought Rosie’s big green eyes were going to pop right out of her head.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I’m not.”
Rosie collapsed on a stool behind the cash desk. “This is a lot of candy, and when I say a lot, I mean like a mountain’s worth. Come on, Sadie. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
“There’s still a couple of weeks, and I’ll help, and we’ll hire some extra hands if we need to. The store needs this, Rosie. And if we succeed, it might be the piece of Christmas magic that makes me believe, and you’d win our bet.”
Rosie covered her face with her hands and exhaled loudly. Then she peeked at Sadie between the gaps in her fingers. “We’re going to need a lot of Christmas magic to get this done.”
“Yay.” Sadie clapped her hands. “Thank you.”
Rosie raised an eyebrow.
“What?”
“You’re smiling. Have I won already?”
Sadie’s cheeks turned red. “No. And it’s not impossible for me to smile, you know. I’ve smiled once or twice in the past.” But that was before her life in Florida blew up, and she certainly didn’t want to tell Rosie about that.
The next morning, Sadie arranged the candy displays with a newfound determination. Martin’s candy order was a lifeline. Not only that, although she hated to admit it, she also couldn’t shake the memory of Martin’s kind and sincere smile. It was a stark contrast to her final few weeks in Florida, where people she encountered either snickered or turned away altogether.
“Good morning, Miss Wexford,” came a cheerful voice from behind her, causing Sadie to jump slightly. She turned to see Mrs. Anderson, one of her regular customers, eyeing the candies with delight. “These new arrangements are absolutely enchanting.”
