“That’s for sure, but I was referring to the fact it’s been months and you still haven’t managed to get the whole story,” Maggie teased.
Liddy laughed. “I can’t deny I’m dying to know. But I just can’t bring myself to ask. Tuck adored that girl of his, spoiled her, stuck up for her no matter what. I know she was a wild kid who got even more uncontrollable after her mother died—I guess Brenda was around thirteen or so then. I’m sure Tuck still loves his daughter, and whatever happened must hurt him deeply. But you don’t share that kind of pain with just anyone, and I have to respect that. Even if it’s killing me not to know.
“I don’t know the circumstances of her leaving or her relationship with her children, her brother, or her father, or the kids’ father. I’m not going to speculate.” Liddy looked away for a minute, then turned to Grace. “So let’s get back to the business at hand.”
She spread Jessie’s cards across the counter. “I like these with the little animals for the kids’ section, and maybe these botanicals for the far wall. What do you think?”
For the next hour, they sorted through all the old greeting cards Emma, Grace, and Maggie had brought in, setting aside cards that would become posters for each section of the store.
“It’s really hard to decide among them, because they’re all so wonderful.” Grace debated between two floral designs, one colorful, one muted.
“The colors and the designs are so lively and graceful. Maybe do more than what you need so you can change them out every month,” Maggie suggested.
“Then when you change out, take the retiring designs and offer them as note cards,” Grace suggested. “And greeting cards, just like Jess did. We could even use some of her handwritten greetings from the inside of the cards, omitting, of course, the name of the recipient. If you think that would be okay.”
“I do. I like the idea, especially about reproducing her handwriting.” Liddy picked up a card and opened it, reading to herself the greeting her daughter had penned for the recipient. “Can you find out how that could be done?”
“Already researched it. I have a file upstairs.” Grace grinned.
“I should have known. So how soon for the posters?” Liddy stacked the cards up in the order in which the posters would hang throughout the store.
“I found a printer in New Bedford who can do them tomorrow. I’ll ask about the cards as well, so I’ll take one with me. I’ll see what they suggest, what the pricing would be.” Grace tapped her fingers on the stack of cards. “How many cards of each design, Liddy? You know, the more you do, the less expensive they will be in the end.”
They ran through the designs again and discussed the number of birthday cards to start with.
“Let’s do fifteen of each of three different designs and see if they generate any interest. If they fly, we’ll take a look at the holiday-themed cards. Halloween isn’t far off, and then there’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah.”
“I think you’ll be surprised at how well they’ll do.” Grace gathered up the cards and placed them in a pocket of her bag. “Liddy, take a look at the website when you get a minute and let me know if you approve or if you want changes. Once I have your okay, Wyndham Beach Reads will go live.”
Grace ran upstairs for her laptop, then ran back down again. She grabbed her bag and called her “See you laters” over her shoulder.
“Hey,” Liddy called after her. “You really did a great job reading earlier. May I count on you for Saturday morning?”
Grace flashed a grin and gave her a thumbs-up as she left the store.
“That girl of yours has a lot of skills,” Liddy remarked when Grace disappeared from view.
“She’s found skills she didn’t know she had since we moved here,” Maggie said. “It’s been a long journey from Philadelphia to Wyndham Beach, but I think she’s discovered a lot about herself. She seems happier than she’s been in a long time.”
Liddy put the cards from the counter into a paper bag and put the bag into her purse. “I’m glad she stuck around.”
“Me too. She hasn’t said anything about whether she’s going to stay awhile or move on. I know she’s been restless since Brett and I got together. It’s been life-changing for me, but not so much for my kid. Sometimes I think . . .” Maggie hesitated, as if not sure whether to continue.
“Sometimes you think what?”
“Maybe Grace would feel more settled if she had a place of her own.”
Liddy’s heart skipped a beat.
“Have you mentioned this to her?” Liddy played with the keys on Big Red.
“No, of course not. She’ll think I don’t want her around, and it isn’t that at all.” Maggie shook her head adamantly. “I love her company. I just wonder if maybe she’d be more likely to see her own future a little more clearly if she wasn’t living at home with her mother and her mother’s sometimes live-in boyfriend.” She paused. “If you’re nearing sixty, do you still say ‘boyfriend’?”
“What are the alternatives? Lover? TMI. Gentleman friend? Too formal and old fashioned. Manfriend? Awkward and somewhat, I don’t know, sleazy. I say stick with boyfriend regardless of your age and tune out any noise to the contrary.”
“Boyfriend it is.” Maggie took a bottle of water from her bag and unscrewed the cap. “Anyway, I don’t want Grace to think I’m trying to get rid of her. I just want her to be happy.”
“Let’s assume she is thinking about wanting to move. Maybe she hasn’t brought it up because she’s afraid you’ll think she’s tired of being around you.”
“You’ve had this discussion with her, haven’t you?”
“It might have come up she was thinking about looking for a place of her own so you and Brett can have some privacy.”
“And neither of you thought to bring me into the conversation?”
“I really didn’t want to get in the middle. I didn’t want you to think I was telling her what to do or giving her advice contrary to what you might want, and she isn’t sure how you’d take her wanting to move out.”
“I can appreciate that. But she’s thirty-three. She shouldn’t feel she needs to tiptoe around her mother.”
“You turned fifty-nine at the beginning of the month. You shouldn’t feel you need to tiptoe around your adult daughter.”
“Touché.” Maggie laughed. “All right. So what was the bottom line of your conversation?”
“She was going to think it over. I did caution her rentals in Wyndham Beach are few and expensive.” Liddy smiled. “I’m not paying her all that much, Mags. I can do better once the shop opens, but right now, not so much.”
“She has money from her father. If she wants to move out, she should be able to afford something nice. But you’re right. I haven’t seen anything at all for rent advertised outside of one of those big houses out on Ellis Road, which are several thousands of dollars monthly.”
Liddy debated whether or not to bring up the little house. She hadn’t even mentioned it to Grace as yet, and she hadn’t had time to go through the place to see if it was suitable. The kitchen had been the break room for Jim’s staff, the bathroom a powder room, and she wasn’t sure if Jim had removed all his office furniture.