The Brightest Star - Fern Michaels Page 0,52
third year, and I’ll do it as long as I’m able.”
Lauren didn’t want to be nosy and ask about her finances, so she said good-bye, telling her she’d look forward to Dr. Melloh’s visit and that she couldn’t wait to introduce her new family to their new home.
Outside, it was still bitter cold, and snow was falling in big flakes, sticking wherever it landed. Maybe they’d have a white Christmas. Somehow, she doubted this cold spell would last over the next three and a half weeks, though one could always hope.
A million thoughts ran through her head as she drove to the store. The first, and most important—would the store have any customers today? She’d funded the place, but any additional monies Razzle Dazzle earned would be a bonus, at this point.
Not liking to start the holiday season with a negative attitude, she forced herself to set aside the negativity and count her blessings. She had so many. Her family, her friends, her health, and she was in a good place financially. Now she had three little cats to care for. And a ginormous book contract that would enable her to do so much good, not just by adding a few more zeroes to her bank account but by giving to those who were truly in need. Lee Hessinger. Charlotte. The shelter. She could go on, but for now, she was going to focus her attention on the positive, just as Madison had said. Just thinking of her best friend and what lay ahead for her and Scott brought a smile to Lauren’s face. Yes, she was blessed in so many ways, and she had to remember that.
She parked her old Honda in its usual spot behind the store, unlocked the back door, and went to her office. She’d brought her laptop with her, as there was still a great deal of research to do on Mr. Giampalo. Plus, she needed to call Angela and preferred to make the call away from her parents, as she knew it would upset them. That was the last thing she wanted to do. She’d been a bit of an ass when she responded to them yesterday and was feeling incredibly guilty. She would do her best to try to be more understanding from now on.
She bumped up the thermostat and used the remote on her desk to switch on the Christmas lights in the main window. She turned on the gas fireplace and was instantly comforted by the warmth it provided. As usual, she walked up and down the aisles, checking to make sure everything was in its place, stopping to rearrange a new display of wrapping paper she’d received yesterday. Hand-painted, it would garner a hefty price, but anyone who knew this particular artist, Heather Hanson, as many locals did, would not question it, knowing all the love and creativity she put into her work. Lauren tried to recall if she’d ordered this last year or the year before but couldn’t. Heather’s wrapping paper was in high demand, and rare. She wondered if it was too late to include this new addition in the ads she’d placed in the papers in the region surrounding Fallen Springs.
In the office, she checked her e-mail, saw she’d asked for all of the ads she placed to appear in many of the upcoming Sunday editions. She e-mailed the papers, asking them to please add that Heather’s Hanson’s unique wrapping paper was available but supplies were limited. This was so easy, since she had the Internet at her fingertips.
Next on her list, she went to Globalgoods.com and ordered everything she would need for her new pets: beds, bowls, litter boxes, litter, several fun toys, plus two cases of the food she’d been told to get. She clicked the PLACE ORDER tab, and a few seconds later learned she would have her shipment tomorrow.
“Wow,” she said.
She took the papers from the shelter out of her bag, located the address, then ordered fifty new beds, in all shapes and sizes. Toys and new food dishes. Most important, she ordered one hundred cases of several varieties of dog and cat food. She’d seen this particular brand stocked at the shelter and hoped she hadn’t gone overboard. Next, she wrote out a five-figure check from her personal checking account, then went to FedEx’s website and placed an order for a pickup, asking for her check to be sent same day to the shelter since it was located in Fallen Springs. She