Homespun Christmas (6 page)

“He left around one. I think Daniel’s over at his place right now.”

“So what’s going on between you two? Give me all the juicy details,” she said in a conspiratorial tone.

Myka chuckled. “There’s nothing going on.”

Sophie shook her head. “I saw you two outside earlier, and you were kissing. Looked kinda romantic to me.”

Myka sighed. She should have known. In Independence, everyone knew everyone else’s business—especially when they lived next door to each other.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone, but I had to come over and tell you that I approve wholeheartedly.”

Myka laughed. “You do, do you?”

“Myka, girl, you need something more in your life than your sheep, yarns and managing an online store. You deserve it. Have fun and stop overthinking things.”

“You know that Joshua will be leaving as soon as he can, right?”

“Yeah, sure, but so what? He’s here now.”

Myka shook her head. “Flings aren’t for me.”

“You want marriage?”

“What? No! That’s not what I meant.”

“So why not enjoy the moments you have together like you did today? Later on, when you find someone new, you’ll have a baseline for comparisons.”

“Come on, Soph,” she said, laughing. “It’s not like I’m buying laundry detergent.”

Sophie winked. “True, but a little comparison shopping never hurts,” she said, then added, “plus, it’s fun.”

“Forget it,” Myka said. “Changing the subject, would you like a sandwich? I’m still hungry.”

“Nah, you go ahead. I have to go back home. I just came by to warn you. Bertie heard that Mayor Allen will have more bad news for us at the town hall meeting tonight. Word is, if enrollment continues to decline at our elementary school, the state department of education will shut it down. That would mean bussing the kids thirty miles to a school in Painted Canyon.”

“It all goes back to what I’ve been saying. We’ve got to find ways of creating work here so families won’t have to move away,” Myka said.

“Grandma Medeiros was at the post office when Bertie told Fran what was going on. Grandma M. suggested that we all take a closer look at selling our crafts through your online store. She said that if we turned it into a cooperative, like an internet farmer’s market, it might slow the exodus.”

“That’s not far from what I’d proposed, but we’d need to be a lot more organized. We’d operate from one website and share expenses and profits proportionately, not just supplying items on consignment.”

“If that’s what you all decide to do, I can help with the details,” a familiar voice said from the other side of the screen door.

Myka spun around in her chair and saw Joshua standing there. “You scared me half to death!” she said, holding her hand over her heart.

Sophie’s eyes were like saucers, and she was breathing hard. “Me, too, guy. Wear a bell next time.”

He smiled. “Sorry, ladies,” he said, coming in. “I just stopped by to ask if you knew any local history buffs. Dad had quite a collection of books and documents. I’d like to give them away to someone who’d appreciate them,” he said. “There’s a lot of information on Silas Brooks in particular.”

“Find out anything about that will he supposedly revised? I know he left his mansion to the town, but what about all the other properties?” Sophie asked.

Joshua was going to comment when they heard a car pulling up outside, then another. Myka went to the front window. “What’s going on? There are four cars out there, including Grandma Medeiros. She never leaves the market except during lunch.”

Joshua stood behind her. “More cars are coming down the street in this direction.” He watched as people climbed out of their vehicles and came up the walk. “Something’s going on. They look like women on a mission.”

“Maybe this has to do with the cooperative Grandma Medeiros suggested,” Myka said. “Stick around, Joshua, okay? My experience is limited to a small online store, but you’ve run a business with real flesh-and-blood employees.”

Before he could answer, they heard footsteps on the porch. “Here we go,” Myka said.

She opened the door to four women she’d known most of her life, then stepped onto the porch and waited for the others who were still arriving. “Come in, everyone,” she said. “Just move the boxes aside and find places to sit.”

Five minutes later, a dozen women were seated in her living room. The packing materials and boxes that had been on the sofa and chairs were stacked neatly against the wall.

“Have you heard about the problem with the elementary school?” Molly Westin asked from her perch atop the arm of the crowded sofa.

“Yes, I have,” Myka said. She and Joshua were now the only ones standing—him in the kitchen doorway.

“That’s not the worst of it,” Grandma Medeiros said. “Some of the big energy companies have sent their geologists nosing around here. If they find enough oil or gas beneath the ground to start drilling, that could be the end of our town. The ones who can will sell out in a hurry, taking the money and leaving behind those of us who aren’t lucky enough to cash out. Twenty years from now, maybe sooner, when there’s nothing left underground, all we’ll have are abandoned wells, pumps and buildings.”

“Have any of these companies actually found something to interest them here?” Myka asked.

“Not yet, but even if they don’t, we’re all going downhill fast,” Grandma said. “Unless we find a way to save this community, we might as well go home and start packing.”

Myka looked at the faces of the women crowded into her living room. Beyond the fear she could see glimmers of stubborn hope and the quiet determination that came from a lifetime of hard work.

“It’s time to build a new business here in Independence,” Grandma said.

Myka felt a new energy in the room. “If we’re going to do this, all of us have to get involved. Those who don’t have a craft can pitch in by sharing their business experience. We’ll also need everyone—from the
colcha
embroidery people to folks like Mr. Gomez, who do absolutely amazing straw inlay work on wood,” she said. “It’s time to think big. Halfway measures won’t be good enough anymore.”

“Mr. Gomez hasn’t been working much lately. The churches and art museums aren’t buying because their budgets are down,” Lydia Baker said. Like Myka, she processed and dyed wool, but only for her own personal use—at least till now. “I’ll talk to him and see what he could make for individual purchases. I’m sure he’ll join us—if there’s a market for his pieces. He loves Independence as much as the rest of us.”

“There are other men and women, too, who are incredibly gifted woodworkers, like Adam was,” Grandma said, looking over at Joshua, who nodded. “Maybe they could sell wood carvings, simple toys or those things people put on their lawns, like miniature windmills. Who knows? We should approach them and see if they’re interested.”

“I like that,” Myka answered. “But we all need to be aware of one thing. Doing this will mean throwing our hearts into it and working like crazy to make it pay off. Even so, we may not be able to reverse the slide. What we will do is give ourselves a fighting chance. On the internet, the world is our market.”

“You’re the only one of us who has an online shop with a following, Myka,” Grandma said. “You don’t necessarily need us, but we need you. Can a cooperative work?”

“Our crafts take different amounts of time, so I think it’s only fair to come up with a partnership formula based on our individual contributions and sales. We could each pay a percentage of our personal earnings back to the company to cover expenses, and any company profits would trickle back down based on an individual’s contribution. Those who manage the business will have to be paid by the hour, of course,” Myka said. “Once we work out the details, the entire group can vote to approve our plan.”

“Myka, you were a bookkeeper for IVA. You know how to do all that,” Robyn Jenner insisted.

“Yes, but I wasn’t the chief accountant. He set up the system and I followed it,” Myka said. “Mind you, it’s not that I can’t do it, I’ve just never done it before.”

“I can help you,” Joshua said. “A limited liability company—an LLC—is taxed like a sole proprietorship, but profits and losses appear on each member’s tax returns. The annual fees are low, at least here in New Mexico,” he said. “If the LLC takes off, you can still incorporate.”

“We need someone who can set up the bookkeeping,” Grandma Medeiros said, “and you’re it, Myka.”

Myka considered this. “If we can get enough people interested, we’ll have the volume and the varied inventory we need to expand the store. But we’ll also have to let the world know we’re here. That means advertising. Since our funds will be tight, we’ll have to become more active online and join the various social media sites to tell people about our store.”

Robyn smiled. “Hey, I worked publicity for years. I’ll tackle that side of it if you handle the bookkeeping.”

“See that?” Grandma said. “All the pieces are falling into place.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Some people won’t join up, so be prepared for that. In our last meeting, someone said we’d be turning our hobbies into full-time jobs,” Myka said.

“That was Bertie,” Robyn said, “but things are even worse now.”

“Let’s go to the town council meeting tonight and present a united front,” Grandma said. “Between now and then, we can spread the word that Myka’s found a way to save the town. Sure, it’s an exaggeration, but we need a good turnout, and I’m betting people will come out of curiosity if nothing else.”

“I agree,” Robyn said.

“Will you help us out—officially?” Myka asked Joshua. “Like a consultant.”

“I’ll do my best to get you started, but I’m not sure how long I’ll be in town,” he warned.

“Fair enough,” Myka said. “While you’re here, will you take part, including coming to the town meeting tonight? We’ll need to get everyone fired up.”

Joshua hesitated. “I’m not sure how good I’ll be with that.”

“I’ll sell the idea, but I need you there to answer business questions,” Myka said.

“All right, I’m in.”

“Okay then. Everyone pass the word,” Grandma said. “By tonight we want that town hall packed.”

After they all left, Myka dropped down on the couch. “Oh, help,” she whispered, not expecting an answer.

Joshua smiled. “You’ll do fine tonight, Myka, and I’ll be there to back you up—if you need it.” He grew serious. “But there’s one thing you haven’t considered, and it could create a problem.”

“What?”

“I’m not exactly the town’s favorite son. When I left, I’m sure lots of people cheered. Most everyone still remembers me as the punk who was always in trouble. They’re not going to trust anything I say.”

“Right now this town’s fighting for survival, and everything else has to take second place. You ran a multipartner business for several years, one large enough to deal with subcontractors and all the problems that entails. We need you... I need you.” She swallowed hard. “I know I talk brave, but there’s so much at stake. I may be in over my head.”

“Most people expanding a business feel like that at one time or another. Your first battle is against the little voice inside that says you can’t do it. If you get past that, it’ll be downhill from there,” he said.

After he left, Myka stayed by the window and watched him walk to his truck. Everything about Joshua drew her in, from his confidence to the quiet strength he brought to bear on the very things that terrified her.

She turned away from the window and sighed wistfully, thinking some dreams were better left unrealized.

CHAPTER SIX

A
S
J
OSHUA
WALKED
back to his truck, he felt her gaze on him. He didn’t look back, not wanting to send the wrong signals. Myka was a blend of opposites—gentle and tough, gutsy and sweet, beautiful and...off-limits.

He climbed into the truck, put it in gear and drove off. Figuring the fresh air would help him think, he rolled the window down all the way.

Today, as he’d looked into the faces of the women gathered at Myka’s, he’d remembered the optimism that had filled him and his partners when they opened their architectural firm. Back then, fresh out of college, it seemed as if destiny had handed them the golden ticket. Everything they’d ever dreamed of was suddenly within reach.

Then life had cut them off at the knees. In the dark days after the economy started going downhill, they’d fought hard, combing the entire Bay Area looking for clients. Yet, in the end, nothing had helped. They’d been lucky to shut down debt free.

He wondered about Myka’s future in Independence. As much as he wanted things to turn around for the community, the odds were stacked against them. The cost of failure could be steep, too. Grief and loss had taught Myka to keep her heart safely out of reach, but she cared about Independence and the people here. That made her vulnerable.

He pushed the thought aside as he reached the stop sign where Constitution Road met up with Main Street. Main eventually became State Road 718, which led to a small ski resort and lodge up in the mountains thirty miles north. Josh had never been able to afford skiing, but he had good memories of going tubing with his high school friends. He and his dad had fished for trout at the lake countless times before that, too.

He considered going for a drive in the mountains—that had always cheered him up—but then he remembered his financial situation. No sense in wasting a half tank of gas on nostalgia.

Joshua turned left instead, heading toward downtown. His architect’s perspective drew him toward the old buildings along the street. Except for the Brooks Mansion, he’d been indifferent to the buildings while growing up. Now they each held his interest.

Josh’s cell phone rang. He came to a stop beside the curb of Hilltop Avenue and brought the phone out of his jacket pocket. The caller was Independence Insurance—his father’s insurance company.

“This is Joshua Nez,” he answered.

“Joshua, it’s Mayor Phil Allen. I’m calling on behalf of the town. I’d like to hire you to do some architectural consulting, if you’re available.”

Joshua had to smile. The one thing he needed right now was work—and this was his second job offer of the day. Two years ago, he would have had to check his schedule, but at the moment, his only plans were buying groceries.

“Yes, I’m available, Mayor Allen, and I’m licensed to practice in New Mexico now. Tell me about the project you have in mind.”

“Providing the town can afford your services, we’d like you to survey several of the abandoned or unoccupied buildings and give us some feedback regarding their potential.”

“By potential, do you mean whether it’s cost-effective to renovate or restore them?” Joshua asked.

“Exactly, and for the buildings where neither option is efficient, we’d like you to determine whether any building materials can be salvaged and reused or sold,” Allen said.

“I see where you’re going with this, Mayor. If I recall, there’s a lot of quality wood and hardware in some of the older structures. Can you email me your proposal with a list of the properties, so I’ll know exactly what I’m getting into?”

“Of course,” Mayor Allen replied. “You’re the only available architect in the area, so I hope we can agree on a price. If you accept the terms, just fax the contract to my insurance office number. Town hall doesn’t keep regular hours.”

“I’m not going to let money stand in the way,” Joshua said, giving the mayor his email address. “I’m away from home right now,” he added, “but I’ll check the email on my cell phone then fax back my signature later. Thinking ahead, where can I get the keys to these buildings?”

“Glad to see you’re already on the ball, Josh. You’re just like your father—sharp and dependable,” he said. “The keys are kept at town hall. When you want to pick them up, give me a call at this number and I’ll meet you there, okay?”

“Sounds good, Mayor. Thanks for your confidence. I’m really looking forward to this. By any chance is the Brooks Mansion on the list?”

“Sure is. It’s a showpiece, and the town’s determined to preserve it.”

“What’s your deadline for the estimates?”

“That’ll be spelled out in your contract. If you need to adjust any of the dates, call me and we’ll work it out,” Mayor Allen said.

“Thanks again,” Joshua said, then ended the call.

* * *

J
OSHUA
PULLED
UP
at Daniel’s store ten minutes later. He’d begun this drive knowing he was almost out of groceries, but he’d been determined to buy only what he absolutely needed. Now, with some money coming in, he was in a far better mood and he was ready to remedy the food supply situation.

As he stepped inside, he saw Daniel setting up a display of toys and gifts at the front window. The garland circling the window frame made it clear the grocer wanted people to start thinking of Christmas, though it was still October.

“Hey, buddy,” Joshua said, coming up to him. “Didn’t know your place carried toys now.”

“I’m keeping a low inventory, but I thought I’d give it a try this year since there’s not much competition in town,” Daniel said, looking up from the display showcasing high-end dolls. The “cowgirl” looked downright Southwestern with braids, Western hat, boots, jeans and a concha belt. Another doll wore a dark blue velvet dress in colonial New Mexican style with a shawl over her shoulders and a silver barrette in her long hair.

“Most of the families around here are on tight budgets right now, but I think they’ll move heaven and earth to make sure the kids have a proper Christmas. I’m starting to offer layaway, as well.”

Joshua looked at the price tag on one of the dolls and whistled low.

“Yeah, I know, but these are very popular, and I’m offering them at the same price as the Painted Canyon stores. I’m only carrying two of each, so we’ll see what, if anything, happens.”

“Testing the market is a good idea,” he said, his thoughts drifting for a moment.

“So how come we haven’t seen you in here lately?” Daniel asked, bringing him back to the present. “I figured you’d either given up eating or were driving to the superstore in Painted Canyon.”

He laughed. “I had a short talk with your grandmother while picking up stuff for breakfast a few days ago. I’m not much of a cook, though, so I’ve been eating burgers at Shorty’s.”

Daniel nodded. “He still gets enough business to stay in the black.”

“The food is just as good as when I was a kid. The chicken-fried steaks melt in your mouth, and he’s got the best hamburgers I’ve ever tasted,” Joshua said. “None of that franchise assembly line food.”

When Daniel’s gaze shifted, Joshua turned his head to see what had captured his friend’s interest. Betty was at the front of the store holding Evie’s hand and talking to Daniel’s grandmother.

“Are you ever going to ask Betty out?” Joshua whispered.

“What? Nah, it’s not like that between us.”

A second later, Evie came over. Although she didn’t touch anything, her eyes were glued to the doll in the colonial dress.

“She’s beautiful,” Evie said in an awed whisper.

A second later Betty came over. “Sorry! She wandered off.”

“Mom, look,” she said and pointed.

“I know. It’s the doll you saw in that catalog,” Betty said. “Maybe someday I can get you a doll like that. For now, help me find your breakfast cereal. We also need milk and bread.”

“And popcorn,” Evie said.

Betty laughed. “Okay, get a box of our kind, then go find the cereal.”

As Evie hurried off, Daniel touched Betty’s arm and spoke in a low voice. “We’re all watching our money right now, but since you buy all your groceries here, how about if I let the doll go at cost? You can put it on layaway and pay a little each week through the end of the year.”

“That’s really nice of you, Daniel, but I can’t,” she said. “I don’t want to take advantage just because we’re friends.”

“Look at it as payback then. Your brother helped me out when I had a shoplifting problem last summer.”

“That’s his job,” Betty answered. “I really appreciate your offer, Daniel, but I just can’t. Not even on layaway. I’ve been living strictly off my savings and what the town pays me for delivering meals to our seniors. You know I’m also trying to get the inn back open for business, so any money left over goes to that. Evie and I have enough to get by, but not for extras.”

“I’ll tell you what. This doll’s my display model. I’ll set it aside for her at the end of the season and write it off my taxes.”

Betty started to decline but then looked at her daughter, who’d returned and was arranging the cereal and popcorn in the shopping cart.

“Evie needs a little magic this time of year,” he said quietly. “Let’s see what we can do to bring it to her.”

Betty hesitated, shook her head, then gave Daniel an impromptu hug. “Thanks for the offer.”

As Betty walked away with Evie, Daniel looked at Joshua and shrugged. “I’m not her type, Josh. She always went for the ultramacho guys—the knuckle dragging ‘me want woman’ type.”

“Seems to me like she might be ready to change that.”

Daniel shook his head. “Don’t try to set things up. Look around you. My only full-time employee is Grandma Medeiros, and this store’s on life support. Take on the responsibility of a woman and a child, even if she’d have me? No way.”

Even as he spoke, Daniel picked up the box with the doll and took it off the display.

“You’ll find a way to get it to her,” Joshua said as Daniel put the box behind the counter.

“Yeah, yeah.” Before he could say anything more, Betty came back.

“I forgot to ask, Daniel. Are you coming to the town meeting tonight?”

“Yeah. I hear there’s big news in the air. I wouldn’t miss it.”

“He better show up,” Grandma called out. “Or he’s never going to hear the end of it.”

Betty laughed. “I’ll save a seat for you, Daniel.”

“Sounds good. You want me...us...” he said, glancing at Grandma Medeiros, “to pick you up?”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll meet you there.”

“Sure,” Daniel said. As Evie and Betty left, he glanced back at Joshua and growled, “One word and I’m going to deck you.”

“You mean you’ll try,” Joshua said, laughing. Then he looked around the store. “Do you have any rawhide bones?”

Daniel pointed. “There, at the end of the aisle. Did you find Bear?”

“No, but I was thinking of putting out a special treat. So far he hasn’t touched the kibble Myka leaves out, so I thought I’d tempt him with something else. Myka really wants to take care of this dog, so I figured I’d try to help.”

“Better get the large ones on the bottom shelf. That’s the kind your dad used to buy for him,” Daniel said. “One more thing, Josh. Bear’s slow to warm up, but once he’s your friend, you’ll never have to worry about him again.”

Joshua heard the warning woven into Daniel’s words. “
Slow to warm up?
Does he bite?”

“Don’t think so, but I once had him sit on me for a half hour until Adam came home. The dog could have torn my face off—his head’s beyond huge—but he just sat there, looking down at me and drooling. Just don’t make him nervous or suspicious, and let him decide whether to approach you.”

Grandma Medeiros came over. “I’ve been listening in and, Josh, I wanted to tell you not to worry about Bear. You are your father’s son and he’ll know. Pheromones and all that.”

Ten minutes later, groceries in hand, Joshua left the store. As he looked at the bone in one of the bags, he thought about the big mutt. All things considered, that was one meeting he wasn’t looking forward to.

* * *

M
YKA
AND
J
OSHUA
set out in his truck a little before seven that evening. “I spent the past hour on the phone getting the word out,” Myka said. “So did the rest of the women. I really hope this works, but I’m also worried about giving people false hope. There are no guarantees.”

“Everyone knows that by now. What’s needed is a goal, a mission. There’s nothing worse than sitting around feeling helpless.”

He paused, then said, “Let me tell you about the last few months of our firm.” His eyes never left the road. “We all knew that, logically, we should walk away but, instead, we put our own money together and gave it one more try. In the end, it wasn’t enough, but you know what? None of us regretted that final push. We were all broke by then, but we went down swinging.”

He glanced over at her and shrugged. “If you don’t fight for what you want, you’ve already lost something that’s far more important—a piece of yourself. Stay confident and look to the future.”

“I’m not looking toward the future, Joshua. We have to deal with the here and now first. But, yes, I’m ready to come out fighting.”

They pulled into the parking lot, and in the glow of the light posts, she could see that nearly every slot held a vehicle. Cars and pickups also lined both sides of the street.

“I think your phone tree worked,” Joshua said, finding one of the few remaining spots at the dark end of the lot.

“Wow. I didn’t even know there were this many people left in town. Any hints on how to persuade them to get involved?”

“When you address the group, try to make eye contact with as many people as possible,” Joshua said. “Speak from the heart and make it personal.”

“Got it.” As she exited the truck, Myka felt her hands shaking. She never had any problem speaking in small groups, but tonight’s large crowd was another matter entirely.

Together, they walked inside the meeting hall, which was filled almost to capacity. People were seated side by side on rows of gray metal folding chairs. There was an aisle in the center, but even that was crowded with recent arrivals searching for a place to sit. A big folding table had been placed at the front of the room, where Mayor Allen and three councilors were seated.