craftfield 01 - secrets untold (2 page)

“Wow, Mom! All ours? What will we make it?”

“An ice cream shop!” Aunt Martha said behind her. “Surprise. We all chipped in.”

“But, we’ll be okay, right? You won’t need to work at the café too to help pay the bills.” She loved the idea of starting a new business with her mom and seeing her more often, but not if it caused more stress and her mom working three or four jobs to cover expenses.

“I thought we could do this together. Have our own place.” Her mom’s cheeks reddened and her gray eyes brightened. “There’s a small kitchen and two rooms and a bathroom upstairs. We can live here and serve ice cream. There’s not another shop for five miles. We’d be busy all the time.”

“But what about school? If you work that much, I’ll see you even less time than I do now.”

“We’ll help out in the spring and summer months.” Jessica sneezed.

Her mom’s excitement spilled over to Lily. She was both happy and anxious about this change.

The unbroken part of the counter looked to be granite. She and her mom would save money living here instead of their duplex. And she’d been bugging her mom about getting a regular job. Everything was falling into place, Lily could picture the shop now with bright colors and ice cream drums on display. It would take a lot of work to get this place fixed up and ready, but with them all working together, she knew they could do it.

“What do you think?” Her mom dry-washed her hands, her eyes full of hope.

“It’s great.” Something that she and her mom owned. Maybe they could get it up and running and then sell it later. It had to be better than shoveling snow and cleaning toilets.

“We could have the cash register here, and the ordering line here.” Her mom gestured toward the broken window. “What colors would you like? I was thinking a nice green and highlights of royal blue.”

Lily could almost picture it. Her eagerness mounted at the sight of her mom’s cheerful face. “And I’d be able to sample different flavor ice creams, right?”

Chapter Two

Three months later

“What if they don’t like it? What if no one comes?” Her mom wrung her hands while frown lines burrowed across her forehead.

“We’ll be packed and have to get a ticket machine for the orders,” Lily said, hefting another drum of ice cream with numb fingers, and moving it to the front of the store. Aunt Martha and Jessica were outside handing flyers to everyone who would take them, and Martha was probably nearly done with her stack as Lily imagined her stuffing the paper into people’s hands, purses, whatever was open. She shook away the image.

Her mom stood chewing her lip, her brow furrowing.

“Mom.” Lily jimmied the tub of ice cream in the display case beside the others. “Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.”

“What if the customers hate it?”

“It’s ice cream. How can they not like it? Besides if they don’t, I’ll eat it all. It tastes great!” Lily blew on her hands to warm them up. For just a few minutes, she’d love to walk outside in the warm spring air but knew her mom would freak out if she left her on her own right now. The pickup truck she’d bought was parked in Aunt Martha and Jessica’s garage. There’d been no time to even consider working on it and her bank account was negative zero dollars. No time for anything but helping her mom and aunts to get the ice cream shop up and running by mid-April. Her hardship license had been put aside for now. Once the shop was on a routine, she’d ask her mom to take her to the DMV one morning.

“Are you excited?” her mom asked, biting her fingernail. “Oh God, what if this is a terrible idea? The café already filled my waitress position. We’ll be tossed into the street—”

“Mom, stop it. You always worry about things and they turn out fine. If this place bombs, then,” she shrugged, “we’ll move on. I’m not worried about it. You should just be happy and enjoy the ride.” Lily had said the same thing when she and her mom had gone on the rollercoaster. Her mom had never ridden one before, because of her terror of heights, but it had been Lily who’d got off the ride with shaky legs and a queasy stomach. Her mom had experienced such a rush that she’d ridden three more times in a row.

“What if the ice cream melts?”

“Mom,” Lily said in a warning tone, her hands on her hips.

“Sorry.” She took a deep breath. “You’re right.” Marching to the front of the store, she flipped the Open sign over. “Showtime.”

Lily gave her mom a thumb’s up and scrambled behind the ice cream counter. Immediately, a dad with two small toddlers strode in.

“Welcome to Ice Dreams,” her mom said as the bell above the door jingled. “We have free samples and mini-cones for the kids.” She brushed her wavy brown hair out of her green eyes, her hand shaking.

“Thank you.” The man picked up one of the boys. “Which one do you want to try?”

“The blue one.”

Lily scooped up a sample spoon of the bubblegum flavored and handed to the boy. “That one’s my favorite flavor so far.”

“My turn.” The other boy tugged on his dad’s pant leg. He too was lifted up. “I want the green one and the chocolate one.”

Lily handed over the two samples.

“Which one do you like?” her mom asked.

“Both of them.” The boy licked the two tiny spoons at once.

“Only one.” His dad set him down and pulled out his wallet.

“Chocolate.”

“Okay, two mini-cones, one blue bubblegum and one chocolate.” The dad handed Lily’s mom a twenty dollar bill.

“Nothing for you?” she asked taking the money to the cash register while Lily prepared the cones.

“Nah, I’m more of a cake guy than just ice cream.” He nodded to Lily, taking the two cones from her and handing them to the boys who were jumping up and down. Then he accepted his change and dropped a dollar in the tip jar.

When he exited the shop, Lily’s mom squealed. “Our first paying customer and tip!” She dug the bill out of the jar and replaced it with a wrinkled one from her purse.

“Why did you do that?” Lily wiped her hands off on her apron.

“Cause, we’re gonna frame this baby.” She kissed the dollar and tucked it into her pants’ pocket.

“Why not frame the twenty?”

“Cause that one will help pay our light bill due next week. Have you got any spare change?”

Lily shook her head. “Nope. Remember last time I had any money was on my birthday.” And she had a broken down car she still couldn’t drive to show for it. “Why? Do you want me to get you a soda from the store?”

“No.” Her mom rummaged through her purse and tossed a few quarters, two dimes, and dozens of pennies into the tip jar.

“Why are you doing that?”

After opening the register and taking out two one dollar bills, her mom threw those in as well. “Basic psychology. People will tip more often if the tip jar has some money in it already. An empty one will take much longer for someone to add to it.” She winked.

“Never knew that. Maybe we should put the twenty bucks in it then.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“How do you know if no one’s ever tried?” Lily leaned against the counter. “Can’t hurt.”

“Oh, here come some more customers.” Her mom practically glowed with delight.

“Hi, I’m Camie Barnes,” the woman held out her hand to Lily’s mom, but her voice was syrupy sweet like saccharine. “I don’t think we’ve met. Are you two new to the neighborhood?”

“Betty Thomas. My daughter, Lily.” She nodded in her direction. “We’ve been here for years. I used to work at Sunset Café.”

The woman snorted, then plastered a smile on her face but it looked more like she was auditioning for a laxative commercial. “I see. W-well welcome. I hope your quaint little shop… lasts. The last owner had a deli here, quick service not so good food. I do wish you and your daughter better luck.” She paid for her teen’s ice cream and left.

“Guess we’ve moved up the food chain.”

What was her mom talking about? That woman looked at them like they were garbage someone had swept into a corner. “What do you mean?”

“We’ve had our first snotty customer.” She tapped her finger to her mouth. “And I’m thinking if sales go well, we can expand to more things… like ice cream cakes. That guy earlier said he liked cake. Many people enjoy cake and ice cream together.”

“Hold that thought.” Lily wiped off the ice cream scoop on her apron. “We’ve got a bunch of kids coming this way.”

A bus load full of fifth graders stormed in with two teachers, who looked ready to pass out trailing behind them.

For the next hours, Lily and her mom rang up sixty-three customers. They’d both skipped lunch.

Aunt Martha and Jessica entered their faces red from passing out flyers all day.

“We are done walking through the city. I think I know every street by heart now.” Jess fell into one of the empty chairs. “Please tell me our efforts worked.”

“Oh, they did and more.” Lily’s mom beamed. “Care to relieve us?”

“Sure.” Aunt Martha groaned as she too sat down. “As long as I don’t have to walk any more… ever.”

“Come on kiddo, we’re gonna grab some lunch. You two want us to bring anything back?”

“No, we ate on the subway when our shoes started to smoke and melt to the pavement.” Aunt Jess half-waved, sweat dripping off her narrow face.

“Let’s go pick up some pizza or something.” Lily followed her mom outside. Anything but ice cream. “There’s a place the next street over.”

“Sounds good.” Her mom, straightened her shirt, frowning at the vanilla smear along one edge.

“No one will notice.” Lily shut the front door after them. Her Aunt Martha had stenciled Ice Dreams on the glass in teal letters.

Already, the sun baked her skin as they strolled down the sidewalk. A dog walker past them with a nod, her eight dogs on a leash panting. Lily wondered if dogs could eat ice cream. When she got back to Ice Dreams, she’d have to look that up.

“Oh look, a craft shop.” Her mom peeked through the glass window. “They have picture frames too, and we need a few for the flat. I want it to look more personal, the place looks bear at the moment with no pictures.”

“Okay.” Lily’s stomach was already growling, because she was hungry and the only thing on her mind was food, not nosing around a craft shop. Lily entered the shop and rummaged through the shelves. Knickknacks and craft books from crochet to quilting lined the shelves.

“May I help you?” an older boy with windswept hair and an orange name tag with Michael printed on it asked. His dark eyes made Lily’s feet freeze to the floor.

“Pardon?”

“Are you looking for anything in particular?” He cocked his head to the side and grinned.

“Uh, you work here?”

“Last time I checked.” His smile widened. “I’m Michael Cruse, and you are?”

“You knit?” Lame.

“My grandfather owns this place, and I help out for extra cash.” He shrugged. “It beats flipping grease burgers, and I get to meet lots of women. None as pretty as you, though.”

Heat spread across her face. God, she was blushing. “Oh, I’m looking for frames. Picture frames.”

“I just need the size, your name and phone number.” He brushed back his dark hair, and her gaze followed the movement.

“Small one, enough to frame a dollar bill.” What else had he asked her? “Uh, thanks. I’m Lily.”

“Just Lily?” He leaned against one of the bookshelves with ceramic white elves and other figurines.

“Thomas.” Her stomach did a flip.

“And your phone number?”

Two could play at his game. “You just get my name for free. In order to get my number, you’ll need to impress me.”

Puzzlement filled his expression, then he smiled and her heart raced. “Fair enough.” He nodded and swept past her. “This way to the smaller frames.”

Down an aisle crammed with mirrors, frames, and throw pillows, he dug in the back and handed her a green and gold frame. When her fingertips touched his and the frame, a shock went through her. In her mind’s eye, this frame lay broken beside a pool of blood.

What the hell?
She jerked her hand away and rubbed it down her jeans. “I, ah, I’ve got to go.” She stumbled back down the row, ignoring him calling her name. She had to get out of there. What was that? Her imagination playing tricks on her? Outside, she leaned against the brick wall, taking gasping breaths. Her body shook as she squeezed her eyes shut.

It wasn’t real. She’d just hallucinated. Or maybe that frame looked like something in one of the crime shows she watched. Yeah, that had to be it. Her mind playing tricks on her because she hadn’t eaten anything all day but a muffin this morning and too much ice cream in-between customers.

“Hey, are you all right?” her mom asked coming out of the store, a bag in her hand.

“Yup. All good, just starving.” Though the idea of food now made her stomach churn. “You find something that would work?”

Her mom dug into the bag. “Yup and it’s got Feng Shui colors for wealth.” She pulled out the same emerald and gold frame that Michael had shown Lily before she ran out of the craft store. Worry spread through Lily’s gut. It had to be a coincidence. It had to be.

Chapter Three

October 18th– Present day – Four years later

Every year before Halloween, Lily’s aunts went on holiday and didn’t return until February to help at the store. At least it was the slow time for the ice cream shop. Before the ice cream shop, they visited New York once, but didn’t make it to the coast. And Chicago twice.

“Do you have all your bags packed?”

Aunt Martha nodded, her red curls bouncing. “Yes. Don’t forget Camie Barnes’ birthday party. She’s ordered six ice cream cakes.” She gave Lily and her mom a squeeze. “You’ve got our cell numbers if you need anything, otherwise, we’ll be back when the snow starts to melt.”

“Cause your aunts are allergic to the cold?” Amanda, Lily’s best friend, came around the corner carrying hers and Lily’s sandwiches.

Aunt Jessica’s cheeks reddened, and she waved bye as they strolled out the door. Nothing ever stopped them from their annual excursion.

“Hungry?” Amanda handed Lily a sandwich and they sat at the far back table in the corner.