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“What’s left?” Skylar asked.
“Just the arches. I think we will need to get those from the warehouse,” she said.
They headed toward the cashiers, and Carly put in her request for the arches as Skylar started to unload the cart. The young cashier smiled, seeing all the supplies. “Parade float?”
“Yep,” Skylar said.
“Carly’s are always the best.”
“She does pour her heart into it,” she heard Skylar say as she rejoined her.
“The warehouse guy is going to get them ready out back. We’ll swing around to get them.” She handed the cashier the ticket with the item code on it. “Three of these, please.”
The cashier’s eyes widened as she rang them in and saw the final bill. Over four thousand dollars. “Sure you need three?”
Her design required it and she was sparing no expense. She nodded, opening her purse.
“Carly—are you sure?” Skylar said, lowering her voice. “The store’s budget is usually a quarter of that.”
She waved a hand, taking out her wallet and retrieving her own personal credit card, not the store’s business card. She ignored Skylar’s raised eyebrow as she paid for the items. “Thank you,” she said, tucking her wallet away.
Not before Skylar noticed it. “Oh my God—that’s gorgeous!” She reached for the pale coral-colored wristlet and Carly sucked in a breath as her cousin saw the expensive logo clasp.
“I got it on sale,” she said, feeling her cheeks flush. She wasn’t one for extravagance or name brands. She still wore the jeans she’d had in high school—the side perk of never growing taller—but the wallet had been a splurge. Something she’d decided to treat herself to.
There had been a matching purse, but she didn’t want to be too flashy. The wallet could be hidden in her oversized, three-year-old bag.
Skylar’s face held a look of suspicion as she nodded and reached for the shopping bags. “Well, I’m happy to see you spending money on yourself as well as this float.”
“I’ll expense most of it,” she said, struggling under the weight of the bags as they headed outside and across the parking lot to their vehicles. They put the bags in the back of Skylar’s car and the two of them climbed into Carly’s vehicle to go around back for the arches. Carly reached into her bag for her new sunglasses as the midday sun blared directly into her line of vision.
Skylar stared at her. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Carly pretended not to understand as she put the vehicle in Drive and headed around the back of the store to the loading dock. “Nothing. Why?”
“The wallet, the Gucci sunglasses... Trust me, I’m here for it. But level with me—did you win the lottery?” She lowered her voice. “You can tell me and I swear I won’t tell anyone—or hit you up for a loan,” she said with a grin.
Carly sighed and shook her head. She knew her spending more on two items than she had on herself in two years must look odd to those who knew her well. “I just realized you’re right when you tell me to reward myself, to treat myself to nice things sometimes.”
Skylar didn’t look convinced, but she sat back in the seat and let the subject drop as Carly stopped the car in front of the open warehouse door.
The arches were propped against the side of the building and a young teen stood ready and waiting to load them onto the roof rack for her. He wasn’t much bigger than Carly, but he had surprising strength as he lifted each one himself and placed them carefully onto the top of the car. He secured them with the rope and bungee cords that she provided.
A few minutes later, the arches were secured and Carly handed the young warehouse worker a tip for his help. He was working hard that summer and deserved the recognition. Too many young people didn’t know the value of hard work these days.
The young man’s face lit up as he tucked the money into the apron of his smock. “Thanks, lady! Have a good day!”
Carly smiled as she climbed back into her car.
Skylar shook her head. “I’m not going to pressure you for answers, but if one of our long-lost relatives died and left us an inheritance that you’re not telling me about, I’m going to be pissed,” her cousin said, teasing in her tone.
But there was also something else. A slight hurt that Carly was obviously keeping something to herself. They were so close and shared everything.
But for now, Carly just wasn’t ready to share this particular secret yet.
“I promise you, if that was the case, you’d be the first to know.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
