Nantucket Threads

by Pamela M. Kelley

  Izzy still had plenty to do though with planning the online store and she had been busy on the laptop all morning. But she could just as easily do that from Mia’s condo. She’d been thinking of closing early anyway, by three at the latest, but maybe sooner could work too. She stood and was about to go flip the open sign in the window to closed, when a woman walked into the store. Izzy sat back down and smiled.

  “Welcome to Nantucket Threads. How is it out there?” The woman looked to be in her mid-fifties. She had a stylish shiny brown bob that reached her chin and was wearing a red wool hat and coat, and her cheeks were rosy.

  “That wind is picking up! I wanted to walk down the wharf and check out the harbor before heading home, and I noticed your shop. The name got my attention.”

  “Thank you. Are you on vacation?” It was a strange time of year for it, but something about the way the woman spoke made Izzy think she was just visiting.

  “Yes, you could say that. My family used to come here every summer when my kids were little. Then we all got too busy, life got in the way. I’m from California. It’s a bit colder here than I’m used to.”

  “You’re getting a real taste of our weather today. It’s going to get bad later, possibly a nor’easter. I’m hoping the power doesn’t go out, but there’s a good chance it will.” Izzy loved a good storm, as long as the electricity stayed on.

  “I don’t mind, actually. I’ve never experienced a big winter storm, and the place I’m staying at has a generator.”

  “Lucky you. I wish we did. Are you looking for anything in particular?” Usually when people came into the store, they were just wandering in and wanting to browse, but now and then someone was after something specific.

  “Not really. I thought I’d just take a look around. These sweatshirts are lovely. This is a very pretty shade.” She held up a pinkish-red sweatshirt to check the size.

  “That’s our most popular color. It’s called Nantucket Red.”

  “I love it. If I’m going to be a proper tourist, I should get a Nantucket sweatshirt. I’ll take it.” She set it on the counter and then made her way around the rest of the store, looking closely at some of the sweaters and shoes. A few minutes later, she came back to the register with a pair of black fleece sweatpants and fluffy pink socks.

  “I’m going for comfort, especially if we’re going to be snowed in for a few days.”

  “That’s smart. I live in sweats. As soon as I get home tonight, the jeans will come off and the sweats go on,” Izzy said as she rang everything up, then wrapped it all in tissue and carefully placed everything in one of her signature pink and silver paper bags.

  “You have some really lovely things here,” the woman said. “I’ll have to come back again when I have more time to poke around. I’m sure you’re ready to close up soon.”

  “It’s been very quiet today. I probably will close earlier than I’d planned.”

  The woman nodded and took the bag that Izzy held out to her. She glanced over at Izzy’s shoe collection. “Have those black boots been selling well for you? We couldn’t keep them in stock. They were flying off the shelves.”

  Izzy was intrigued. The boots the woman mentioned were a new item for her, and they had been more popular than she’d anticipated.

  “Yes. I already placed a second order. Do you run a shop too?”

  “Not anymore. I did. My ex-husband and I had an online business, The Attic.”

  “The Attic. The one that sells home goods too?” Izzy doubted it was the same one. The one she was thinking of was a huge national brand.

  The woman smiled. “Yes, that’s the one. We started it almost thirty years ago, first as a shop in San Jose and then things really took off when we went online.” She held out her hand, “I’m Marley. Marley Higgins.” As soon as she said her name, Izzy recognized it. She’d read about Marley and her husband Frank over the years and had admired the retail business they’d built.

  She shook Marley’s hand and introduced herself. “Izzy Maxwell. It’s so nice to meet you. I’m actually just about to expand online myself. I’m taking over the space next door and building an e-commerce site.” She laughed. “I don’t really know what I’m doing with the online stuff, but I’m trying to learn, and I think it might be a good opportunity for growth.”

  Marley’s eyes lit up. “Oh, it definitely would. I might have a few suggestions for you. And I could let you know a few mistakes we made, so you can avoid them. I could stop back in one day next week, when the weather is better, if you like?”

  “Really? I would love that. That would be so amazing. Maybe I could hire you, as a consultant? I don’t want to take up your time while you’re on vacation.” Izzy was excited about the chance to run her ideas by Marley.

  Marley laughed. “I’m here for a full month with all the time in the world. Tell you what, you can buy me a cup of coffee. How’s that? And we can chat a bit.”

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it. Here’s my card, call or just stop in whenever it’s convenient for you.”

  Marley took the card and tucked it in her purse.

  “It was nice meeting you, Izzy. I’m off. You should do the same soon, too.”

  “I will.” Marley opened the door to leave and a rush of wind blew in and Izzy shivered. The temperature felt like it had dropped at least ten degrees and the cold went right through her. Marley was right. It was time to close up and go home.

  As she was making her way home, walking the short distance from her shop to Mia’s condo on the wharf, she noticed a familiar truck pull into the small supermarket straight ahead. The driver smiled and waved her over. It was her good friend Will. She walked over and he got out of the truck.

  “I thought that was you. I’m running into the store for batteries. Thought I had some at home. Are you and Mia all set for the storm?”

  Izzy nodded. “We stocked up on everything earlier in the week.” She grinned. “I picked up more wine yesterday, so we’re ready now. She and Mia were looking forward to making a nice dinner and relaxing while the storm howled outside. “We’re hoping the power stays on,” she added.

  “It doesn’t sound good. I have a generator at my place though, so if it stays out and you guys want to crash with me any time over the weekend, I’ll come get you. Just give me a call.”

  “Thanks, Will. We should be good, hopefully.”

  “Well, if it gets too cold, just give me a holler.”

  A huge gust of wind whipped through Izzy’s hair and she shivered. “Will do. Bye, Will. It’s too cold out here for me!”

  Chapter 8

  Kate added the last splash of red wine to the big cast-iron pot on the stove and gave the short ribs a stir. She’d browned them first with some garlic, carrots and onions and then added mustard, spices and a full bottle of cabernet. The alcohol would all burn off as it cooked, and it already smelled amazing. She covered the pot and put it in the oven. It would simmer for a few hours until the meat fell off the bone. By the time Jack got home, it would be ready, and she’d make a side of fluffy whipped potatoes and some steamed broccoli. It was one of her favorite comfort food meals, and Jack’s too — perfect for the weather.

  It wasn’t snowing yet, but the winds were getting loud and the waves on the ocean had grown, looking like an angry swirl of whitecaps as they raced toward the beach and crashed on the shore. Kate made herself a cup of tea, grabbed two chocolate chip cookies she’d made the day before and took it all into her office, where she could stare at the ocean and think about what needed to happen next in her story.

  She eventually figured it out and was startled a few hours later when the front door opened. She glanced at the time. Jack was home about an hour earlier than expected. It was snowing now, coming down fast and furious. She was glad that he’d decided to leave work early. She closed her laptop and went out to the kitchen to say hello. She didn’t see him right away but a moment later, he was back holding a big plastic container of ice melt, little pebbles of salt
that he would sprinkle on the steps and front walkway so they wouldn’t go flying when everything froze up.

  “How is it out there?” Kate asked.

  “It’s getting bad fast. Roads are already slick. We shut things down early. No one was coming in.”

  “I’m glad you’re home. I have short ribs in the oven. Should be ready in about an hour.”

  “They smell incredible. How are you feeling?” Jack pulled her in for a quick kiss. “I still can’t believe we’re having twins. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet.” Kate had called him as she and her mother were leaving the doctor’s office earlier that day, and he’d been equally excited and shocked. She understood exactly how he felt.

  “I’m good, totally fine. Taking it easy. I’ve just been puttering around the kitchen this afternoon and writing.”

  Jack smiled. “Glad to hear it. I’m going to head out and spread this stuff around. I’ll jump in the shower after that.”

  “I’m going to head back into my writing cave for a bit.”

  Kate worked on her story for another forty-five minutes before shutting the laptop down and heading into the kitchen to check on dinner. She could tell by the smell that the short ribs were ready. She pulled them out of the oven and poked at one of them with a fork, and the meat shredded easily. She put the lid back on to keep everything hot and got the potatoes and broccoli that she’d made earlier out of the fridge and put them into the oven to warm up.

  A moment later, she jumped as a wind gust sent a tree branch whipping against the kitchen window. It was a soft branch, so it was just a scraping, but showed how strong the winds were. Five minutes later, the lights flickered twice then went out for about ten seconds before coming back with a whirring sound and Kate knew that meant the generator that Jack had installed a few months ago had kicked on. She’d questioned if they really needed it at the time, as the power didn’t go out all that often on Nantucket. But Jack had always wanted one, and now she was glad they had it. She glanced out the window and saw that the streetlights were out and houses across the street were totally dark.

  Jack was in the shower—she could hear the water running. She called her mother and sisters, curious if they’d lost power too. Abby and Kristen still had it, but they both lived a little further inland, where the wind was slightly less wild. Her mother answered on the first ring and beat her to the question.

  “Did you lose power, honey?”

  “We did. But now we know Jack’s generator works.”

  “Good! Ours just went out too, but we should be good for a few days. Hopefully it will come back on sooner than that. It usually does. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m fine. At least now I know why I’ve been so hungry.” Kate had never had a weight problem before. She enjoyed food like the rest of her family, but she’d never been a big eater.

  “Take advantage of it, honey. Enjoy it while you can.”

  Kate laughed. “Oh, I am. I made short ribs. Used your recipe.”

  “That sounds good. I’ve been cooking this afternoon too. Baked a big loaf of sourdough bread and I have a tray of lasagna in the oven. We’ll be eating that for the next few days.”

  “How’s your new guest? I don’t know that I’d be too happy about going on vacation and being stuck in a nor’easter.”

  “I don’t think she minds. She wants to see what it’s really like living on Nantucket in the winter. Better to find out now before she decides to buy property here.”

  “True. But I wouldn’t want to be stuck in my room all weekend. She’s not going to be able to drive anywhere for at least a few days. Jack said the roads are terrible and getting worse.”

  “I saw her at breakfast today and she was heading into town to do some shopping. She said she was all set with soup for tonight, but when I see her at breakfast tomorrow, I’m going to insist that she join us for dinner. Maybe we’ll play some cards or watch a movie. She seems very nice. Did you know she and her husband owned that website you girls like so much, The Attic? Well, her ex-husband owns it now. That’s how she can afford to buy something here.”

  “No, you didn’t mention that. She sounds interesting. I love The Attic. I actually just bought a cute pillow for the baby’s room last week. That reminds me, I should probably go buy another one. I need two of everything now!”

  “Yes, you do. Have I mentioned how excited I am that you’re having twins?”

  Kate laughed. “Maybe once or twice.”

  “Okay, I’ll let you go, honey. Enjoy your short ribs.”

  Kate ended the call and was still smiling when Jack walked into the room, his hair still damp and looking comfy in sweats and a sweatshirt. “Was that your mother?”

  She nodded. “They lost power too. Not yet for Abby and Kristen. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving, actually.” Jack poured water for both of them while Kate made their plates and brought them to the table. They chatted easily over dinner. Kate told him about her mother’s semi-famous guest.

  “Cool. I’ve heard of The Attic, but have never seen the site. Just the commercials. I don’t do as much online shopping as you and your sisters. That reminds me, though—speaking of your mother, I meant to tell you something yesterday and it slipped my mind.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “Well, I don’t know if there’s anything to it, but I overheard something I probably wasn’t supposed to hear. Two ladies in line for seafood were chatting, and they mentioned your mother. I don’t think they made the connection that I’m married to her daughter. Anyway, I recognized one of them—she owns another bed-and-breakfast and she said something strange like ‘Lisa Hodges should have known better. She’s going to be in a lot of trouble now.’ And they seemed quite pleased about that. Any idea what they might be talking about?”

  Kate frowned. “Violet? She was a bit of a trouble-maker when my mother was trying to get town approval for the Beach Plum Cove Inn. I have no idea what she was talking about. My mother hasn’t mentioned anything.”

  “Well, maybe don’t say anything then. No sense getting her upset. Hopefully there’s nothing to it.”

  Chapter 9

  Lisa was up early the next morning. She glanced out the kitchen window at her backyard and the ocean beyond. It was all a blanket of white and, for the moment, the snow had stopped. Normally, even in the cold weather, she’d go for her walk along the beach, but not today. She had no interest in trudging along in what looked like four or five inches of snow.

  So instead, she decided to try a new recipe. Usually, she made a quiche of some sort or scrambled eggs and bacon along with fresh cut fruit and bagels, muffins and toast. She thought it might be fun to try to replicate her favorite breakfast dish from Panera. There wasn’t one on Nantucket, but now and then when she was on the Cape, she’d stop into the Panera in Hyannis. She loved their breakfast puff pastry that was filled with a cheesy hot custard.

  She made hers in a muffin tin, pressing store-bought puff pastry in the cups and baking that first, then pouring in the spinach, cheddar and artichoke custard and baking until it was set and the pastry golden. She hoped that Marley was in the mood for something a bit decadent. If not, Lisa would be eating them for the next few days.

  When the pastries were done, she brought them into the dining room and set them on a warming tray. Then added fresh fruit, muffins and bagels just in case Marley wanted something lighter.

  But fortunately, when Marley saw what Lisa was eating, she helped herself to a pastry as well and ignored everything else. She brought her coffee and plate to where Lisa was sitting and they chatted as they ate. Marley told her about her day in town and how she’d stopped into Izzy’s shop.

  “We agreed to meet for coffee next week. I’m excited to help her. If it goes well, I was thinking maybe I could use her shop as a case study of sorts and possibly do some consulting work, with other companies that are looking to go online or improve what they are already doing.”

  “That sounds like it could be an i
deal fit for you. And you can do consulting work from anywhere since the business is online, right?” Lisa asked.

  Marley nodded. “Yes. Though I do like to meet people in person when possible and actually see their business and get a feel for it. Walking into Izzy’s store gave me immediate insight into who she is, what her brand is, and how that could translate online. This will be a fun project for me.”

  “It sounds perfect and will keep you busy while you’re here.”

  “Yes, and not too busy. I’ll still have plenty of time to explore the island and to relax.”

  “Speaking of relaxing, Rhett and I want you to join us for dinner tonight. I made a huge lasagna last night and some fresh garlic bread.”

  Marley looked tempted. “Are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”

  Lisa laughed. “Don’t be silly. It will be fun. I made tons and we have plenty of wine. I even picked up tiramisu from the Italian bakery yesterday. That’s Rhett’s favorite. We’re being a little bad for breakfast. I’m just going to have salad for lunch, so I can splurge at dinner. So, you’ll join us?”

  “I’d love to. I’ll eat light at lunch ,too, just a bit of soup or something. This was so good, I almost feel like taking a nap. I’m going to head up to my room and curl up with a book, I think. And I might try to tackle knitting this afternoon. I bought a book, needles, yarn, everything I need, and I signed up for a class too, next Tuesday morning.”

  “Hmm. Maybe I’ll join you on Tuesday, if there’s room. I’ll call on Monday. It’s been ages since I’ve tried to knit. I could use few classes as a refresher.”

  “I hope you will. That will be fun.” Marley stood. “What time should I come down for dinner?”

  Lisa thought for a moment. “Let’s say six. We’ll have some wine and cheese first.”

  Marley headed upstairs, while Lisa poured herself another cup of coffee. She knew Rhett would be in any moment. He was out shoveling. She’d offered to help, but he’d insisted that he could handle it. He was just doing the walkway as they had a plow service that had already come and plowed and shoveled out their cars. They paid a little extra for that, but it was well worth it.