Layla’s excitement built exponentially as the days ticked by. The whole week felt like Christmas had come early as she looked forward to the Holly Days Festival dinner. Now that it was Friday, it was hard to focus. Her workload felt lighter, even though she’d never been busier in her life. What obstacles she ran into, like selling her last candle on Wednesday—her hottest seller—was but a little annoyance instead of the catastrophe she thought it might be the week before. She owed this lighter-than-air feeling to, well, she didn’t know what exactly. All she did know was that she couldn’t wait to leave the shop, walk upstairs, and get ready. Brant would be there at three o’clock sharp.
At the counter, a line four deep waited to check out. Her new hire, Jo Gelling, a college student home for the holidays, wrapped two of the whimsical boiled wool Santa ornaments Layla was lucky enough to get from one of her artisans earlier in the week. She’d lucked out finding help on such short notice too, thanks to Marybelle putting the word out for her. No sooner had Marybelle left a bug in the ear of her home health nurse did Jo’s mother show up in the shop the next day. Jo would be home on Wednesday, she’d told Layla. Layla found a basic template for an application while she stood there and printed it off for the woman to take with her as she left.
“Layla, do we have any more of the pom-pom garlands in the back room?” Jo asked her when Layla came around the counter to give her a hand ringing up customers.
“I can check. I’ll be right back.”
She passed the small table she’d set up with cider, coffee, and Marybelle’s gingerbread and Neapolitan cookies, making a mental note to replenish the platter again.
“Hello, Layla!”
She stopped to look around for the source of the voice. It was Sheila Montrose. Her client stood next to a wicker basket of holiday greens, holding one of the mistletoe balls in her hand.
“How are you, Sheila?” Layla retraced her steps.
Sheila gave her a small hug. “It’s so good to see you.”
“And you? Are you ready for Christmas?”
“Almost. I wanted to show these two gals what a cute little shop you have. These are my friends, Jane and Cathryn.”
They exchanged pleasantries before her two friends wandered away to shop some more, leaving Sheila alone. Sheila gave her a once-over.
“You are positively glowing, lady.”
Layla pressed a hand against her cheek. “Honestly, it’s probably just a sheen of sweat. It’s been crazy in here.”
“That good? I’m happy to hear it.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “I can’t keep up.”
“Oh, while you’re here—” she started, digging into her purse. “I have this card almost filled. Then I enter the giveaway, right?”
Confused, Layla took the glossy card from Sheila to figure out what she meant.
The card was a Monopoly Game-style card, listing the name of one business in each square. There were more than two dozen squares. In the center of the postcard, it read Kringle Market Crawl, sponsored by the Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce. It was cute, but she was as bewildered as ever. At first glance, she recognized most were places in the Twin Cities. How did her little shop thirty miles away land on this postcard? And she hadn’t paid to be a part of any promotion like this.
“Where did you get this?”
“It came in the mail a few weeks ago.”
“And how does it work?” She turned it over to the back side. The terms were in such small print and she’d left her reading glasses in the back room. Now that she saw the card, she remembered a few other customers holding them when they’d come into her shop. She hadn’t been able to look at one up close until now. How strange.
“Visit each shop, make a purchase, then save your receipts. Visit them all and you get entered into a drawing for a $200 gift card. You know me. I can never resist a gimmick.”
“Sounds like a win-win.” She studied the Copper Creek Home square. Mistletoe Madness was the headline. It listed a few of the items she carried—candles, home furnishings, gourmet food items. Mistletoe too. No wonder there had been a run on them the last month.
“Anyway, these are so cute,” she said, holding up the mistletoe. “I know what I’m getting as hostess gifts this season. I’ll have to get one for myself too.”
Layla handed back the card. “Your one of my biggest fans, Sheila, and I appreciate that. Let me wrap it up for you for free. As a thank you.”
“Oh, Layla. You don’t have to do that.”
“No, seriously. I insist.”
She didn’t mind giving one away. For one, they were cheap since they were her own creations. For obvious reasons, she didn’t carry any last year. Layla caught herself sneering at them whenever she happened upon one. But the mistletoes had grown on her since she’d first spotted them at the fall market in September. They were expensive, though, so she decided to make them herself. Now she understood why she couldn’t keep them in the store. They were adorable.
“You’re such a dear. I’m still telling everyone I know about you. And Copper Creek is such a cute town. We’re heading over for coffee after we leave here.” She pulled the card from her bag again. “Hey, maybe the Daily Grind is on here too.”
