own.”
Renee made more notes on her tablet. “I’ll be in touch with the bride as soon as I’m back in my office. She’s fairly responsive so I should have an answer today. Next.” She scanned her list. “We have two Christmas weddings that are mostly planned. I’ve already placed my orders for those, which leaves us with the snowman wedding.”
“Snowman? You mean snowflake wedding.”
Renee shook her head. “Snowman. As in snowmen as a theme.”
Wynn looked at Natalie. “I’ve never heard of that.”
“Me, either,” Natalie said. “But apparently it’s a thing.”
Renee sighed. “Less of a thing than I would like. We’re having a lot of trouble finding appropriate decorations that aren’t too kids party. Natalie is creating a whole snowman village scene out of paper.”
Natalie eyed Renee’s tablet. “I’m not as organized as she is, but I brought in the different paper weights I want and the colors.” She smiled at Wynn. “Mostly everything is white, but I do want a little contrast. Green for trees, some red and a little pale gray for shading.”
She pulled a small box out of her tote bag and removed several paper samples. Wynn took them and flipped them over. Sure enough, the weights were on the back.
They discussed the different suppliers Wynn used. She went online to see who had what stocks and who could deliver overnight.
“I’m going to need some heavy paper for the base of the project,” Natalie said. “I couldn’t find a real sample of what I wanted, but it’s this weight.”
She handed Wynn an old library card. The paper was thick, but not coated, with a heavy fiber content.
“Thicker than card stock,” Wynn murmured, rubbing it between her fingers. “But with more give. This used to be popular, but now it’s more of a specialty item. Give me a second.”
She went into her big storeroom and dug around on several back shelves before finding a half ream of the paper she’d been thinking of. It was heavy, and the paper wrapping was dusty. She blew it off before carrying it back to her office and setting it on the table.
“What about this?”
Natalie pulled out a sheet and smiled. “This could work.” She counted the sheets left, then smiled at Renee. “I’ve got my base for the winter scene.”
Wynn pointed at the notes on the side of the package. “I’ve got a price for you.”
Renee added the information to her tablet, then they placed the order for the paper Natalie was going to need.
“It will be here tomorrow,” Wynn said. “I’ll text you when it comes in.”
Natalie glanced at Renee who nodded encouragingly.
“So would Hunter be interested in a part-time job?” Natalie asked.
The question surprised Wynn. “He’s only fourteen.”
“I know. It’s nothing big. Just making these.” She pulled a four-inch paper snowman out of her tote. “They’re made with a combination of cutting, gluing and a little origami. I need a thousand.”
Wynn stared at her. “Seriously?”
“Unfortunately. I wasn’t thinking when I came up with a really cute idea for the centerpieces for the wedding. It’s four weeks away, and there’s no way I can put them together myself. Not and do everything else.”
“A thousand?” Wynn couldn’t get past the number of snowmen required. “How long does each one take?”
“It’s slow at first, but then it gets quicker. I would say the average is probably five minutes. The bride’s budget is a dollar fifty a snowman for the work.”
“She must really want the snowmen for her wedding.”
Wynn did the math. Assuming five minutes per snowman, that was only twelve an hour. It would take over eighty hours to complete the job.
“How many are done?” she asked.
“I’ve done a few samples to figure out the best way to put them together.” Natalie dropped her gaze. “And that’s kind of all.”
“You’re in trouble.” Wynn looked at Natalie. “You need help. Lots of help.”
“We’re just about to put out the call.”
“I’ll ask Hunter,” Wynn told her. “Oh, and let me talk to Joylyn.”
Her friends stared at her blankly.
“Who?” Renee asked.
“Joylyn.” Wynn tried to figure out the easiest explanation. “You know Garrick McCabe is my neighbor, right? He has a grown daughter who’s staying with him until the holidays. She’s pregnant and doesn’t have any friends in the area, so she might be looking for something to fill her day.”
Given that Joylyn wasn’t working and that her husband was in the military, Wynn would assume they weren’t rolling in money. The extra cash might help.
“You’ll talk to her?” Natalie asked. “I’m pretty desperate. This is all