The summer heat was already bad, and that was first thing inthe morning. Of course, some would say I shouldn’t have had hot tea to begin myday, but I found a cup of tea in the morning to be soothing and a habit hard tobreak even on hot June days. I had sipped my tea while listening to the bibleand put a few stitches into my quilt before I came to work. I wanted to finishit this week.

Today would be a fun day at the store. We were having a bookfair of sorts we had seven authors from the area who were here to do booksignings and we had projects for the kids. I Adjusted a table and then wentinto the back. I pulled out the ice chest that had been carefully sanitizedafter the last use and pulled into the tea-making area. While iced teas werenot something we did a lot, I assumed we would do quite a bit today. As ouricemaker would probably not be able to keep up, I emptied the ice already madeinto the cooler to make more room for new ice.

“I see you started early.”

I smiled at Lacie and Jared as they entered from the back.“As instructed. Although, I just emptied the ice into the cooler and I probablyshould have done that first.

Jared waved his hand. “I’ll swing over to the soda fountaina couple doors down and buy some ice off of them later if we need it.”

Lacie sat down, rubbing at her lower back. “Okay, theauthors should start arriving at the opening time to set up their tables. Jaredwill help them set up and make sure they move their cars over the libraryparking lot.”

Jared gave a bow. “And of course, offer to drive them backhere as their shofar.”

Lacie nodded. “I’ll manage the checkout station. Rob from church is coming for extra security. You remember him, right Pam?”

I nodded. The man was built like a football player and hadhelped out with a couple of events. He had some security job with a weird schedule.He wore plain clothes and had saved us from a shoplifter a few times on busydays.

Lacie nodded. “Pam will man the tea counter. Oh! And thereis this artist who I found online. She does mainly watercolors, but she hasrecently started on chalk.”

I glanced at Jared and lifted a brown. He gave a small shakeof his head. Did that mean he didn’t know how this related to this event or thatI shouldn’t ask?”

Lacie smiled up at me. “Oh, I promise her work is amazing.”

I decided to risk it. “Are we selling her work here?”

Lacie looked confused and then laughed. “Oh, sorry. Mypregnancy brain. I messaged her because I saw on her social media account thatshe was thinking about selling stickers and I wanted to see if she would let uscarry them. Well, she is in town today to visit that cute new bridal shop intown and we talked. She is going to do our chalkboard sign for the day and wewill probably carry some of the work.”

I smiled. “That does sound good.”

“Well,” Jared slapped his legs. “I guess we had better geteverything finished. What’s left to do?”

 

I was grateful to see Jared entering with another bag ofice. I was struggling to keep up with the orders, I didn’t need to fall furtherbehind for lack of ingredients.

I handed the mom the four cups of our berry delight, afavorite among the kids. It was a sweeter tea and we had added a touch ofsweetener to these as we blended them with ice.

A couple stepped up to the counter. The young man had hishands in his pockets and was bouncing on his toes. The young woman smiled. “Istill haven’t decided what to have. What’s your favorite?”

I smiled and hoped this wouldn’t take too long. Two morepeople had joined the queue. “The Lavender Vanilla tea with a littlehalf-and-half”

“Iced or hot?”

“I usually do it hot, but it’s good either way. Wait, aren’tyou Pace, the artist?”

She tucked hair behind her ear. “Yes, I guess so. I’ll have it hot”

I nodded and started making the tea. “Where are you from?”

Pace smiled. “I grew up near the coast. My father was a shipbuilder, but I’m currently living out in the Hill Country. Do you know LostMaples?”

I nodded. “My family took a trip out there a few years agoto see the fall colors.”

“My fiancé’s family owes a campout that way.”

Something clicked in my head. “Would that be the one Laciedoes the women’s retreats at?”

Pace glanced at the man beside her. “Umm, Jeremiah? Did youhear that?”

The young man’s head snapped to me and then his fiancé. Deepred filled his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Pace. I wasn’t listening like I shouldhave.”

She looped her arm through his. “It’s okay I know with allthe time sitting today and now hanging out in a bookshop has been hard for you.He’s a doer.”

I smiled. How interesting that an artist and an active youngman would end up together.

“What was the question?” He asked. He had stopped bouncingon his toes and his full attention was on Pace.”

“Has Lacie, the owner of this shop, been out to the camp?”

Jeremiah nodded “Oh yeah. They host a widow's retreat everyyear. That’s actually how Ellie and Samuel met.”

“Really?” Pace smiled. “Tell me about it.” She took her teaand tapped her card.

I smiled as I watched them walk away Jeremiah animated as hetold a story.

 

I dropped into bed exhausted, but I grabbed my merciesnotebook. I smiled at the five new books I had bought and had signed by some ofthe authors who had been in the shop as well as the stickers by Pace Lacie hadgiven me. I smiled at the Jane Austen quotes on them.

Mercies today fromGod:

The beauty in art

The beauty in the artof words

A successful day atthe shop

My new books