Page 84 of All I Want For Christmas Is You

“It’s got skylights across the entire length of the building, and I think it would be amazing for the light to pass through glass globes hanging from steel rods. Like literally thousands of them for the entire ceiling.”

“Ooh, I love that.”

“Right? And instead of shops that sell shoes and pants, I thought the mall itself could be an art installation.”

Callie shifted towards her fully. “Explain?”

“In each space, we’d have studios. So, the artists could work there and sell their pieces.”

“I’m not sure we have enough professional artists in Jackson Hole to fill a mall.”

“Not to mention, how many artists can afford to lease a space?” the docent added.

“You both bring up good points.” But an idea came to her, and she wondered if it was viable. “What if instead of leasing them, we offer artist-in-residence opportunities? They’d get to live in Calamity for a year and have free studio space, plus the chance to sell their art to all the people who pass through here.”

“I love this idea so much,” Callie said “But how will you make money?”

Ha. Another good question. She had to think on her feet. “We could take a percentage of their sales.”

“And if they don’t have any?” Callie asked.

“I think we can be selective enough that we only invite artists whose work we think will do well here.”

“There’s a lot to consider, like housing—it’s expensive in Calamity—but we can talk about it.” Callie broke into a smile. “So, what can I do?”

“I’m new here, so I don’t have connections, but I’d like to start by commissioning the glass globes. After that, it’s up to you how involved you’d like to be.”

“I am all over this. I’ll tell you what. After the holidays, let’s meet up. We can invite Phinny, too. She runs a boutique in town that sells locally produced products, so she’s in touch with a ton of artists. Do you know her?”

“Not personally, no. But I’ve heard about her and was going to visit her shop next.”

“Perfect.” Callie turned to the docent. “You got her information?”

The woman waved the piece of paper.

Callie reached out a hand for a warm shake. “Let’s talk the first week of January.”

“I love it. Thank you so much. Happy holidays to you both.” She couldn’t wait to tell Beau, so she practically ran out the door. As soon as he saw her coming down the steps, he got out of his truck to put Colt into his car seat. Buckling in, she warmed her hands in front of the vents. She couldn’t keep the grin off her face.

Once he got back in, he said, “Looks like it went well.”

She took a moment to take in his cold-slapped cheeks, the shiny, dark hair that hit his collar, and those crystalline-blue eyes that still had the power to shock her.

But there was something off about him. “Are you okay?”

“Sure. Did you talk to Callie?”

“I did, and it went better than I expected. She’s excited about the idea and wants to meet next week to talk about it.”

“Great.” He gave her a weak smile while pulling away from the curb. “That’s good.”

He tipped his head to see his grandson in the rearview mirror. “Ready to go?”

She put her hand on his thigh. “Hey. Talk to me. What’s going on?”

“It’s a work thing.” He brushed it aside. “It’ll be fine.”

“Okay, so, either you think I’m too stupid to understand mining concepts or you’re dumping me into the same box as your ex who didn’t care about your work.” But then, she remembered what Jessa said. “Or, option three, you’re preoccupied and all up in your own head.”

---