Episode #25: The Weekly Mercies of Pam Ellis

Today would be a fun day at the store. We were having a book fair of sorts we had seven authors from the area who were here to do book signings and we had projects for the kids. I Adjusted a table and then went into the back. I pulled out the ice chest that had been carefully sanitized after the last use and pulled into the tea-making area. While iced teas were not something we did a lot, I assumed we would do quite a bit today. As our icemaker would probably not be able to keep up, I emptied the ice already made into the cooler to make more room for new ice.

“I see you started early.”

I smiled at Lacie and Jared as they entered from the back. “As instructed. Although, I just emptied the ice into the cooler and I probably should have done that first.

Jared waved his hand. “I’ll swing over to the soda fountain a couple doors down and buy some ice off of them later if we need it.”

Lacie sat down, rubbing at her lower back. “Okay, the authors should start arriving at the opening time to set up their tables. Jared will help them set up and make sure they move their cars over the library parking lot.”

Jared gave a bow. “And of course, offer to drive them back here as their shofar.”

Lacie nodded. “I’ll manage the checkout station. Rob from church is coming for extra security. You remember him, right Pam?”

I nodded. The man was built like a football player and had helped out with a couple of events. He had some security job with a weird schedule. He wore plain clothes and had saved us from a shoplifter a few times on busy days.

Lacie nodded. “Pam will man the tea counter. Oh! And there is this artist who I found online. She does mainly watercolors, but she has recently started on chalk.”

I glanced at Jared and lifted a brown. He gave a small shake of his head. Did that mean he didn’t know how this related to this event or that I shouldn’t ask?”

Lacie smiled up at me. “Oh, I promise her work is amazing.”

I decided to risk it. “Are we selling her work here?”

Lacie looked confused and then laughed. “Oh, sorry. My pregnancy brain. I messaged her because I saw on her social media account that she was thinking about selling stickers and I wanted to see if she would let us carry them. Well, she is in town today to visit that cute new bridal shop in town and we talked. She is going to do our chalkboard sign for the day and we will probably carry some of the work.”

I smiled. “That does sound good.”

“Well,” Jared slapped his legs. “I guess we had better get everything finished. What’s left to do?”

I was grateful to see Jared entering with another bag of ice. I was struggling to keep up with the orders, I didn’t need to fall further behind for lack of ingredients.

I handed the mom the four cups of our berry delight, a favorite among the kids. It was a sweeter tea and we had added a touch of sweetener to these as we blended them with ice.

A couple stepped up to the counter. The young man had his hands in his pockets and was bouncing on his toes. The young woman smiled. “I still haven’t decided what to have. What’s your favorite?”

I smiled and hoped this wouldn’t take too long. Two more people had joined the queue. “The Lavender Vanilla tea with a little half-and-half”

“Iced or hot?”

“I usually do it hot, but it’s good either way. Wait, aren’t you Pace, the artist?”

She tucked hair behind her ear. “Yes, I guess so. I’ll have it hot”

I nodded and started making the tea. “Where are you from?”

Pace smiled. “I grew up near the coast. My father was a shipbuilder, but I’m currently living out in the Hill Country. Do you know Lost Maples?”

I nodded. “My family took a trip out there a few years ago to see the fall colors.”

“My fiancé’s family owes a campout that way.”

Something clicked in my head. “Would that be the one Lacie does the women’s retreats at?”

Pace glanced at the man beside her. “Umm, Jeremiah? Did you hear that?”

The young man’s head snapped to me and then his fiancé. Deep red filled his cheeks. “I’m sorry, Pace. I wasn’t listening like I should have.”

She looped her arm through his. “It’s okay I know with all the time sitting today and now hanging out in a bookshop has been hard for you. He’s a doer.”

I smiled. How interesting that an artist and an active young man would end up together.

“What was the question?” He asked. He had stopped bouncing on his toes and his full attention was on Pace.”

“Has Lacie, the owner of this shop, been out to the camp?”

Jeremiah nodded “Oh yeah. They host a widow's retreat every year. That’s actually how Ellie and Samuel met.”

“Really?” Pace smiled. “Tell me about it.” She took her tea and tapped her card.

I smiled as I watched them walk away Jeremiah animated as he told a story.

I dropped into bed exhausted, but I grabbed my mercies notebook. I smiled at the five new books I had bought and had signed by some of the authors who had been in the shop as well as the stickers by Pace Lacie had given me. I smiled at the Jane Austen quotes on them.

Mercies today from God:

The beauty in art

The beauty in the art of words

A successful day at the shop

My new books