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“I love these. You know what, fill them with the cookies, and I will buy them as gifts for my guests that stay a week or more at the B&B.”
“Now that’s a good idea,” Roni said, staring down at the images on the tins. “You know, Jimmy should paint these. He told me he’s having problems with the owner of the gallery in Denver where his work is displayed. He wants Jimmy to paint more Christmas scenes, but Jimmy’s having trouble finding the inspiration. Don’t you think these would be perfect?”
“I do. But didn’t you say he hates Christmas?” Brianna asked. “How is someone who hates Christmas supposed to create the joy of the season in his paintings?”
Roni sighed. “I did say that. It’s not that he hates Christmas. He hates what Christmas has become. He hates the noise and the commerciality of it all. I bet he would love these. Not only that, I bet paintings of these images would sell like hotcakes. People love vintage. The simple times of bygone eras. He could paint them on wood, canvas, metal.”
“And on really small canvases,” Brianna added. “So he could sell them in your booth at the Caroling Kickoff.”
Roni’s eyes widened. “That’s a great idea. Only not in my booth, but one of his own. It could be the first step to opening his own gallery.”
“It is a great idea. Not only that, but he could sell his work in his parents’ coffee shop,” Brianna added.
“And mine!” Roni said. “I display local artists’ work all the time. There is no reason why he can’t have an art career right here in Pineville.”
“There’s only one problem,” Brianna said.
Roni looked at her expectantly.
“The festival is next weekend. Hopefully, he’s a fast painter. Hence small canvases.” She held up a tin.
Roni grinned. “I can’t wait to tell him our ideas. In the meantime, these tins are for his dad. Do you think Owen could make a box to display them in?” She picked up three of the tins.
“I’m sure he’d love to. That’s a really nice gesture, Roni.”
“His dad has been through so much. I remember him as being a really nice man. I just want to help Jimmy make his Christmas nice.”
“Is that all?” Brianna asked, tilting her head.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it seems like you’re spending a lot of time thinking about someone you didn’t want to talk about.”
Roni grinned and was tempted to tell her about the kiss that didn’t happen and how she was pretty sure she was hoping it would. In fact, yes, in the morning’s light, she wished he had. “You’re right. Let’s talk about my coffee shop instead. Grams created Coffee Corner to be a place steeped in tradition where memories were made.”
“Exactly. Your family never ran a generic coffee shop like so many others out there. Yours was unique to Pineville. I remember how good it used to smell whenever we went in as kids.”
Roni smiled. “That was Grandma. She was always cooking up something sweet and homey. Even if it was just mulled cider in the slow cooker for us kids.” Roni took a deep breath. “I need to stop trying to compete and get back to the basics, get back to my roots. I stopped all Grammie’s traditions, like molasses cookies in tin and her cider. It’s time to make some real changes.”
Brianna grinned. “I love that.”
“You know, in a weird way, I have Jimmy to thank for this revelation and his parents’ coffee shop—Frankie’s.” Her lips twisted as she said the name.
“Seems like Jimmy being back is turning into a good thing. So, are you ready to give him a break?” Brianna asked.
Roni grinned. “Maybe. Just a little one.” She thought about what he’d said to her the other night. “You know, all these years I thought he went to college and never came home. But he did.”
Brianna’s face filled with surprise. “What?”
“He was here that first Christmas at the exact moment Eric kissed me.”
Brianna’s eyes got huge. “What? You never told me this.”
“It was the one and only time I kissed him.”
She shook her head, her mouth falling open. “You kissed Owen’s brother. I remember you had a crush on him.”
“Always, yes. Don’t tell Melanie.”
