Copyright 2012 © Linda Carroll-Bradd

Plastering on a smile for her most cantankerous customer, Celina turned and had to bite back a gasp. Only two weeks had passed since the first fitting, but she could see the side seams would have to be let out so the front could button properly. The banker’s wife did enjoy her cakes and pastries. “Yes, ma’am. The dove gray wool with black collar and cuffs. Such a smart fashion choice.” If only she could afford a new coat half as fine.

She grabbed her box of sewing pins, and slung the measuring tape around her neck. “Go ahead and step up on the platform.” To avoid pointing out the obvious problem, she ran her hand over the fine wool to check the sleeve hem then looked at the back side to see how the pleat folded. “The length at your wrist looks good, don’t you agree?”

Mrs. Peabody held out a pudgy arm, and looked at her reflection in the oval mirror on the wooden stand. “I suppose.” She half turned to get a glimpse of the back and then faced the mirror again. “But these front panels are wrong. Did you deepen the seams?”

“Possibly today’s dress is of a heavier weight, now that we’re further into December.” Oh, the merchant’s dance of choosing the most tactful words. With a quick move, she pulled the measuring tape across the open span of the jacket’s front pieces and noted the gap’s measurement. “Nothing’s permanent. I can taper the side seams…” She held the tape along Mrs. Peabody’s side, as if gauging where to make an adjustment when what she needed to do was let out the seams at least an inch on each side.

The bell over her door tinkled, and a whoosh of cold air swept inside.

“I’ll be right with you.” Celina glanced over her shoulder and spotted Mikel Toussaint, one of the two owners of the general store. Her heartbeat kicked at the sight of one of the town’s most eligible bachelors. “Oh, hello.”

“Mikel!” Keena ran around the counter to greet the tall, dark-haired man. “See what I made.”

“Ah, a necklace fit for a princess.” He scooped up the little girl in his arms then tickled her tummy before turning to acknowledge the women. “Hello, Mrs. Innes, Mrs. Peabody. How are you ladies this fine day?”

“Fine?” Mrs. Peabody sniffed, turning back to preen before her silvery reflection. “A Colorado winter hardly deserves that compliment.”

“A winter day in the mountains without snow is a fine day, my papa always says.” He smiled, white teeth flashing above his green woolen scarf. “Back in the old country, in Espana, on a day like today, people sit on verandas, enjoying wine and pintxo.” He raised Keena to head height and swung her around, causing her to erupt into a fit of high-pitched giggles. In a flash, a peppermint drop appeared in his hand and he presented it to the little girl.

Mikel’s smile softened his dark, slashing eyebrows, and nose with its hawk-like bend, making him almost good looking. Celina had heard ladies whisper about his older brother Danel’s rakish handsome features. But her preference was for a man who knew how to smile. Celina shook her head at his foreign word that she’d learned meant some type of tasty food from his Basque homeland.

A throat clearing behind her was a not-so-subtle reminder that she was with a customer. Her stomach tightened with a nervous twist. “What can I do for you, Mr. Toussaint?”

“Oh, my errand. I forget when surrounded by three lovely ladies.” He set Keena down with a pat on her head, and then reached inside his jacket for a flat brown envelope. “I know you look for magazine with eager eyes each month. All the way from Philadelphia.”

Godey’s Lady’s Book. Her link with the latest in the fashion world was the one item of pleasure in her tight budget. When she accepted the mail, she felt the warmth left by his hands on the paper, and her fingers slid to capture it. “Thank you for dropping by with this.” She jerked her head toward the waiting customer, hoping he’d take the hint and depart.

“I am off to café for early dinner and wish you all a good evening.”

“Bye, Mikel.” Keena dashed to the window so she could watch his exit.

“Yes, yes.” Mrs. Peabody waved a hand in his direction. “Good evening to you. Now, Mrs. Innes, back to my jacket.”

Celina lifted the envelope in a good-bye salute, and then laid it on her desk before crossing to the fitting platform. To satisfy her customer, she etched light chalk marks at the waist and bust line of the jacket, and then stepped onto the platform to ease the garment off Mrs. Peabody’s rounded shoulders. “Those markings will do the trick. I can have this ready by Saturday at noon. Will that suit?” That allowed her another week to work on holiday decorations and presents for Keena.

“Yes, that will do. I want to wear it to church services on Sunday.” She stepped down and headed to the changing area, her boots making dull thuds on the wooden floor. “I’ve often commented to Mr. Peabody on that man’s strange eating habits.”

Strange? Wondering what she meant, Celina folded the jacket and laid it on the wooden display case that held samples of embroidered collars, cuffs, hankies, and aprons she sewed during her evening hours.

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