floor-to-ceiling bookcase that held white milk glass pieces of every size and shape. To her left was another case with nothing but cut crystal in it, and to her right was a third one with carnival glass.
She laid the dusting rag on the counter. “Welcome to my shop. I was hoping you’d come by today. I heard that you and Mack took the kids to the Dairy Queen for ice cream.”
“I’d forgotten how fast gossip travels in Comfort,” Lily sighed.
“Oh, honey, with all these new techie toys, it can make the speed of light look like a snail. If you burp, someone will put what you ate for dinner on Twitter.” Sally laughed. “So what do you think of my store? What was your first impression?”
Lily tried to take it all in with one sweeping glance. “It’s bigger than I thought it would be—”
“Mama, look at all these gorgeous earrings,” Holly interrupted from across the store.
“Granny Hayes makes those,” Sally said. “She also crochets the hats and shawls spread out on that old buffet. Oh, and she was delighted with all those gowns and the underwear I took out to her.”
“Who is Granny Hayes? Am I kin to her?” Holly asked.
“Why would you ask that?” Sally took a pair of earrings off the rack and held them up to Holly’s ears.
“Because Mama said once that there’s lots of folks in this town that are kin to other people in some way.” Holly looked at her reflection in the tabletop mirror and shook her head. “I like some of the others better.”
“No, honey, as far as I know, you aren’t related to Granny Hayes. She lives out in the country in an old log cabin. I actually went out and checked on her since she missed church. She had a head cold and didn’t feel like saddling up Dusty.”
“She’s got a horse?” Holly’s eyes lit up. “I always wanted a pony.”
“Dusty isn’t a horse, darlin’,” Lily chuckled. “Dusty is an old gray mule, and she’s been riding him to church since I was a little girl.”
“I want to meet Granny Hayes and learn how to make earrings like these with feathers on them,” Holly said. “Can I have a pair today to wear to school tomorrow for my first day, Mama?”
“Pick out your favorite ones,” Sally said. “I’ll give them to you as a present to celebrate you moving to Comfort.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Lily whispered.
“I want to,” Sally said in a low tone. “It’s free advertising. If the other girls like them, they’ll come in and buy some for themselves.”
Holly looked over at her mother. “Please? I love this pair with turquoise stones and feathers. I’ll wear my new jacket and boots that I got for Christmas, and I’ll pull my hair up in a ponytail and—”
“All right! All right!” Lily laughed.
“Thank you, Mama,” Holly said. “And thank you, Sally. I can’t wait to wear them.” She held them up to her ears in front of the mirror. “I just love them. They look like something Taylor Swift would wear.”
“Come see the rest of the shop,” Sally said. “The clothing room is through here, and then the furniture is in the back room.”
“Good Lord! How big is this place?” Lily asked.
“The front door opens on one block, and the back door is all the way to the alley,” Sally answered. “It started off years ago as three stores. I bought each piece of property as it came up for sale and expanded. As you can well see, I need help.” She led the way to the next room. “Now,” she whispered, “do you think there might be something between you and Mack?”
“Holy hell, Sally!” Lily gasped. “I’ve only been home a few days. We’re barely even roommates.”
“I believe in love at first sight,” Sally said.
“If that was the case, then I would have fallen in love with Mack when we were about three years old. That’s my first memory—of being in church with him and Adam.” Lily fingered a lovely lace shawl that had to date back fifty years or more.
“Adam,” Sally sighed. “Now that was one sexy boy.”
“I always thought he was fake and kind of full of himself,” Lily said.
“Yeah, but he’s so pretty.” Sally fanned herself with her hand.
“I had a pretty man, and look where it got me,” Lily said. “I don’t know that I could ever trust another of that kind.”
“Me, either, darlin’,” Sally said, “but I believe that Mack is really trustworthy.”
“Then