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Candy and Roni’s sister, Jenni, came in next. Jenni, who’d driven Spooky from her friend’s rescue, along with several other animals in the middle of a snowstorm, was responsible for Spooky and Roni finding each other.
Jenni walked over to the cat tree to pet Spooky. “Hello, sweet boy. Have you missed me? You want to come hang at the farm for a few days?”
Spooky immediately stood and turned around to face the wall.
“I’d say that is a definite no,” Roni said with a laugh.
“I think he likes reigning over your shop.” Jenni frowned at Spooky, then watched as Roni add the finishing touches to their peppermint lattes. “You need any help?”
They’d both worked at the shop while they were growing up, before Grandma died and their mom left for Virginia. So, Jenni knew how to make the signature lattes as well as she did.
“I think we’re good.” They each took a tray, and Roni followed Jenni over to the table with the others and set the drinks in the center.
Melanie reached for a cup. “Brianna called to say she’s on her way, but she’s going to be late. She said not to wait for her.”
“That’s okay. She is probably the only one who isn’t impacted by what’s going on down at the Riverwalk.” Roni took a latte for herself, then sat in a chair. “Thank you all for coming; we really need to put on our thinking caps this time.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Candy said, taking a drink and then licking the whipped cream from the rim. “What’s going on?”
“Melanie and I took a trip to the Riverwalk this morning.” Eyebrows went up, and she felt the need to clarify. “I wanted to check out my competition, Frankie’s. In case you haven’t noticed, my business is suffering. I’m never this slow, especially at Christmastime.”
“That must have been fun,” Jenni said, eating the cherry off the top of her drink. “What’s it like? I think I’ve heard of Frankie’s.”
“Nice. Really nice, and new,” Roni said with a frown. “The worst part was it was packed.”
Jenni cringed. “Yikes, I’m sorry.”
Roni was tempted to go grab the rest of today’s cookies out of the case. She needed some chocolate.
Melanie pulled out her notepad and picked up her pen. “As it turns out, Frankie’s isn’t the only problem. The whole Riverwalk is the problem.”
Candy’s forehead puckered into a scowl. “What do you mean?”
“There were people everywhere,” Melanie said. “If you’ve been wondering where all the customers have gone, that’s where they are. The Riverwalk has a lot more than a new coffee shop.”
“They have a Santa,” Roni said, looking at Nicole, who blinked several times.
“We wondered why there haven’t been as many kids at the booth this year.”
“And an adorable cupcake shop,” Melanie added and pulled out her phone and laid it on the table, showing Candy and the others the pictures she’d snapped that morning.
Candy gasped as she picked up the phone and studied the pictures, expanding them, her eyes widening with each shot. Candy’s Confections was right next door to Roni’s. “My bakery business has also been a lot slower lately, but I’ve been so busy helping Lincoln and Jenni with their rescue animals, I haven’t been paying attention. I guess I better start or I might not have a business next year.”
“Here’s the worst part.” Melanie laid two flyers on the table—one for Frankie’s Tree Trimming on the night of the Caroling Kickoff and the other for a Tree Lighting at the Riverwalk itself the very next night.
“With live music?” Candy said, pulling a flyer toward her.
“And food trucks.” Jenni tapped the paper.
“What are we going to do?” Nicole asked.
“We’re going to have to fight fire with fire.” Roni leaned forward and slapped the table. Together, they could fix this. “We have to find a way to draw people back downtown to our events.”
Jenni cocked her head, concern filling her eyes. “Do you really think it’s necessary? People love coming to the Caroling Kickoff. I doubt we’ll lose carolers because they’d rather go to a coffee shop and decorate a tree.”
“You might be right, but do you really want to take that chance?” Roni asked her sister. “Look around this place. Have you ever seen it this empty? Especially at Christmastime?”
Jenni chewed on her lip, and her eyes widened. “Do you really think they wouldn’t come? What about all the animals? With Lincoln taking on horses and other farm animals, we have more rescues than ever this year.”
