Her assistant had a brilliant thought earlier in the week that Tara had decided to implement that morning. Dixie hadn’t been with her very long. But already Tara found working the bakery counter made her workday much easier. And if Dixie’s idea worked out well, she’d be well worth the risk Tara took in taking her on.
For a long time, Tara had worked Sweet Sensations herself, bouncing from the bakery counter to the novelty shop as people came through the door. But it meant she worked long into the night after the store closed doing books and placing orders. Having Dixie here to give her time during the day allowed her to get some of that work out of the way so she could actually go home and have a life.
She chuckled at the thought as she placed items that she’d carefully picked from the store shelves and was putting on a display out on the sidewalk. She hadn’t actually achieved a life outside of work. But she’d eventually get the hang of filling in all that extra time.
Dixie, a part-time college student at the local college, had said that one way to draw people into the shop would be to put up a sign offering free flavored coffee and place a few carts out on the sidewalk with items from the shop to give people who walked by a peek at what they had to offer. Of course, that meant there was a potential for looting or even breakage. But if it got more traffic into the shop, perhaps it would be worth it.
“I was thinking,” Dixie said as she put this morning’s baked goods into the display case. “You should offer more than just free coffee.”
“More? I get my biggest margin from selling coffee and I’m already giving it away. If I give away anything more, I won’t make enough money to pay you.”
Dixie made a comical face that made Tara laugh.
“I’m serious. I’m not talking about coffee beans or any of the baked goods. I’m just talking about good old-fashioned flavored coffee. If we put a coffeemaker up by the window with a sign that says free coffee and the coffee of the day, people will come in because they can’t resist the smell of it. Then people will come back to try the new coffee flavor. What do you think?”
Tara thought about it for minute. The idea had merit. It wouldn’t cost a lot. And if it worked, then people would already be inside the shop and their eyes would be drawn to either the bakery or the items in the store where she did most of her business with the summer tourists.
“I think you’re on to something there, Dixie,” Tara said.
Dixie laughed. “Good. Does that mean I can have a raise?”
Tara looked over her shoulder and smiled at the amusement in Dixie’s eyes and face. “You’ve only been here a few weeks. Why don’t we at least wait until you’re here long enough to have a review?”
Her mouth dropped open. “But I’m already making you money. Just think of how much you’ll make if I’m here the whole summer!”
Tara couldn’t argue the point. Of course, she didn’t know how this little experiment was going to work. But if it paid off, she might just consider keeping Dixie on after the summer season. She had to admit that in comparing the last few weeks’ numbers with the numbers from the year before, she’d seen an uptick in sales. Dixie had an inviting way about her that the customers responded to. More money, more help, and more time to herself was cause for celebration.
“Keep the ideas coming. I really do appreciate them. And who knows, you might get me on a good day.”
Dixie grinned as she continued to put the pastries Norma had dropped off that morning into the display case. Then she shut the door to seal it as she hummed a tune that Tara didn’t recognize, as Tara walked through the store and picked out some items to finish the sidewalk display.
“Make sure you keep the door open,” Dixie called out.
“Grab me a door stop,” she said back. “My hands are full.”
“Will do.”
Tara pushed through the door to the sidewalk and was about to put the hurricane lamp that read Big Sky Country she’d pulled from the inside table when she glanced across the street.
Her stomach lurched and she couldn’t believe her eyes. How? She knew Brody Whitebear was out of prison. He hadn’t been in prison for a very long time. She’d gotten the letter from the court stating he’d been paroled. But how in the hell did he think it was okay to show up in Sweet, Montana where he had to know she lived and had a thriving business?
Well, the thriving part was a bit over-exaggerated. Sweet Sensations was doing well. But that wasn’t the point. Brody Whitebear was walking on the sidewalk across the street from her domain when he shouldn’t be.
Anger surged inside of her until her hands began to tremble and she dropped the hurricane lamp to the sidewalk where it crashed into a million pieces at her feet. The noise it made had the people on the street stopping to turn and look at her. Even Brody, who now stood in front of the hardware store, stopped and staring.
Their eyes met and held for a moment. His expression held none of the surprise she felt inside. She hated this man. He had destroyed three years of her life. And for what? For him to be a free man? Doug wasn’t a free man. Her brother was dead. The injustice of that was too much to bear.
She turned on her heels and stormed through the shop nearly running as she made her way behind the counter to the back room where she
