Wyzecki sighed in relief. “I know that, dear. Now we won’t have to drive to Wichita Falls for toilet paper.”
“One of my customers, Zenia, mentioned that when SavNGo comes, she won’t have to come to Carried Away anymore. She’ll be able to get her cards and gifts cheaper there.” Flipping that thick brown ponytail off her left shoulder, Minnie exhaled softly. “And the thing of it is…I’m afraid Zenia’s right.”
Matt suddenly felt as if Mrs. Wy’s hot-as-blazes garage had just sucked all the life out of him. Usually he surrounded himself with folks who couldn’t say enough good things about the coming of his store. SavNGo brought jobs and good prices. Healthy competition.
Now, looking at Minnie, he was terribly afraid SavNGo might cut into her business. It was always a possibility.
While Matt fumbled for a comment that wasn’t full of false hope, Mrs. Wyzecki jumped to the rescue. “People will still come to your store, honey. And I wouldn’t pay any mind to that silly Zenia Hardt. Everyone likes you. And they like all your cute gifts and fancy stationery. Business is going to be just fine.”
“What am I going to do if they don’t?” Pursing her lips, Minnie added, “I’ve been talking to other people in my shopping plaza. Brenda Martin, who owns Mystery Books is worried, too. So is Abel Pierce at the hardware. We’ve been doing the math, and it doesn’t look good. If I lose even a fourth of my customer base, I’m going to be in a heap of trouble. And I’ve got Kimber.”
Matt was surprised. Hadn’t Paige left Minnie money for the girl? And…why wasn’t Mrs. Wy saying a word about how Matt practically was SavNGo? At least to the town he was. Things were getting awkward. He’d just opened his mouth to set Minnie straight when Mrs. Wy spoke.
“Don’t fret, honey. We’ll come up with something. We always do.”
“Oh, I know. I’ll figure it out.” With a look of apology his way, Minnie hopped off the box she’d been perching on. “I’m sorry I even brought it up. I guess I haven’t put the office behind me yet today.”
“Don’t you worry. Matt here can’t seem to stop talking on his phone and that silly blueberry.”
“BlackBerry,” he corrected. “And I’ve got work colleagues expecting me to take their calls.”
Mrs. Wy harrumphed. “Morning, noon and night?”
“Especially then.”
“One day you’re going to find out that work won’t stop for the day unless you do the stopping.” Heading to the door leading into the kitchen, Mrs. Wyzecki fanned herself. “I think I’m going to take a little break for a bit. It is warm out here.”
As the door shut behind the elderly woman, Matt stood up, too. And, he was just about to tell Minnie the God’s honest truth—that he worked for SavNGo—when he took a real good look at her.
She turned his way and then stepped a little closer. When she smiled, a dimple appeared. So did a set of pretty white teeth.
His senses came alive. Suddenly, talking about work seemed like a real bad idea.
Minnie smelled like lemons and something like cherries or spring. Her pink T-shirt clung to her breasts in the midday heat, making it near impossible to keep from sneaking a peek at her chest every time he tried to do the right thing and keep his eyes focused above her neck.
Minnie leaned forward an inch. “So…were you about to say something?”
“No.” Actually, no words were coming to mind. Not a one.
“You sure?”
“I mean, it can wait.”
“Oh. Well, then I think I’d like these dishes,” Minnie said, pointing to a box filled with delicate china covered in hand-painted roses. “Wanda used to serve me tea on this set when I was little.”
“All right. I’ll carry it over for you.” Matt wiped his suddenly sweaty hands against his thighs.
“You sure it’s no trouble?”
Matt bent down and stifled a grunt as he lifted the china-filled box. “No trouble at all,” he muttered as Minnie Clark, once very young and very forgettable, started leading the way to her house.
And he, Matt Madigan—former high school quarter-back and current director of store planning for SavNGo Discounters, aka Minnie Clark’s nemesis—was following Minnie like she was the next big thing.
Chapter Four
“Just set that box right here, Matt,” Minnie said, pointing to the one clear spot on her back kitchen counter.
As he did that, she asked, “Would you like a glass of tea?”
“Thank you.”
Quickly Minnie poured some into a mason jar and handed it to him, trying not to notice that their fingers brushed. That he was standing in her kitchen. To give herself something to do, she poured herself some, too. “This tastes good.”
A ghost of a smile lit his lips. “It does.”
They’d run out of conversation. After darting a glance her way, he wandered down the length of her counter. “What’s all this?”
“Samples. I’m thinking of expanding a bit, hoping to hook some more people before SavNGo comes in. I’m looking into selling some local artists’ work and also carrying more fancy stationery.” Pointing to the cards encased in plastic, she said, “These run a little on the expensive side, but they’re real pretty, you know? Some of my older gentlemen customers love to pick up fancy cards for their wives’ birthdays and such.”
Matt jumped back as if they were on fire. “They’re real pretty.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry if you couldn’t care less. Most men don’t think about cards until they need one. And that doesn’t happen too often.”
“It’s not that. It’s just that I probably ought to tell you something, but I’m not real sure how to do it.”
Minnie wondered what he could possibly have to say to her that would worry him. Maybe it had something to do with Mrs. Wyzecki?
When he still seemed tongue-tied, she playfully patted his arm. “My mother always says it’s best to get tough things over with. Just tell me.”
“It’s not easy.”
With amusement, Minnie watched Matt sip his tea, examine her silly 1950’s era kitchen clock, run a finger along the edge of her white laminate countertop. “Come on. Whatever it is can’t be all bad. What is it?”
“I work for SavNGo.”
Thank goodness her glass had been out of her hand! “What do you mean?”
“I’m the Director of Store Planning.”
He said that title with a bit of importance, like she was gonna be impressed.
She
