Trouble in Store by Carol Cox

Author:Carol Cox [Cox, Carol]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Historical, Western, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9780764209567
Publisher: Baker Books
Published: 2013-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

15

Melanie hummed while she bent over the wooden crate lid she had sanded smooth that morning and wielded her paintbrush with care as she put the finishing touches on a new sign. She took her time cleaning her brush and putting the paint jar away in the back room. Returning to her newly painted sign, she touched the bright crimson letters with her fingertips to make sure they were dry before carrying the placard to the window and angling it so it would be visible from the street.

Caleb looked up from the back shelves, where he stood atop the stepladder, restocking cans of vegetables. “What are you doing?”

“Putting up a sign.”

“I can see that.” Caleb climbed down from the stepladder and walked over to the window. “What’s it for?”

Melanie favored him with a placid smile. “I’m going to run a special on those chamber pots.”

“You’re what?” Caleb’s look of horror would have been comical if not for the scowl that accompanied it.

Melanie clasped her hands in front of her. “We haven’t sold a one of these in the time I’ve been here. It’s far better to move the existing inventory so we can make room for new stock, even if we have to sell it at a discount. Don’t you agree?”

He didn’t. Melanie could tell by the way his chin jutted out. She continued to smile sweetly, all the while bracing herself for the argument she knew would ensue. Instead, Caleb returned to the stepladder and went back to restocking, setting the cans of peas on the shelf with more force than necessary.

Melanie checked the position of her sign again, singing softly under her breath. Finding Cousin George’s will had made things infinitely easier for her . . . if not for Caleb. With her position finally established, she no longer had to prove herself. The discovery of the will made her a bona fide partner, and the two of them would have to learn to get along . . . whether Caleb liked it or not.

Which he didn’t. He had, however, accepted defeat. Although the glowering looks he sent her way made his feelings plain enough. Too bad. Melanie chuckled under her breath.

She looked up every time someone passed by the window, half expecting Will Blake to stop by. Her lips curved at the memory of the visits he’d made to the store over the past few days, sometimes making some small purchase as an excuse, other times merely to stop and pass the time with her. Obviously her tirade last week hadn’t been enough to deter his interest. And she was glad of that. The better she got to know Will, the more she valued his friendship.

Shooting a quick glance at her unwilling partner, she ducked into the storeroom and headed straight for the intricately inlaid music box. She found her way blocked by a large crate she hadn’t seen before.

Melanie bent over and peered at the label. Her pulse quickened when she saw her name and the word Fragile stenciled on the top.

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