Falling to Pieces by Vannetta Chapman Read Free Book Online

Shop.”
    “Wunderbaar!”
Deborah exclaimed.
    Max rolled over in his sleep, let out a sigh, as if he understood what Callie had decided.
    Callie smiled and found that she actually felt good about the decision. “When I arrived, someone met me here at the door with a key and Max, but I don’t even recall the man’s name. I don’t believe he was Amish, but I was so tired that evening, I remember very little. Any idea who looked after Max for the last month?”
    “That would have been Mr. Simms. He always had a soft spot in his heart for your
aenti.”
    Cocking her head to the side, Callie looked at her quizzically. “Soft spot? As in romantic feelings?”
    “Oh, I don’t know. Do you mean was he
in lieb?
I really couldn’t say.”
    Callie began to giggle, picturing Daisy on a date. “My aunt was in her seventies, Deborah.”
    “Do you think such things stop with age?”
    “Last week I would have said so, but then last week I wouldn’t have imagined myself owning a quilt shop either.” Callie made a mental note to look through the journal and see if Daisy had mentioned Mr. Simms.
    “I think it’s a
gut
decision. I’m very happy for you.” Deborah paused, then pushed on with what was troubling her. “There isone more thing.” She nodded at the stack of quilts she’d left the day before.
    Callie stepped out from behind the counter. “Martha and I moved them here while we were dusting.” She picked up the top two, brought them back, and stood beside Deborah. “It’s expert craftsmanship,” Callie said softly, almost reverently, her mind flashing back again to the quilt her mother had owned. “I assume you know that.”
    “Danki.”
    “Explain to me what your agreement was with my aunt.”
    “Daisy agreed to sell them here in the shop, for an 80/20 split.”
    “You had a contract?” Callie’s fingers traced the pattern of the medallion quilt.
    “No, we had a verbal agreement. You’ll find that often Plain folk do business this way.”
    Callie wondered if she should be tactful, then decided as a business owner—even a temporary one—it was more important to be clear. “I’d prefer to have something on paper.”
    “All right.” Deborah didn’t even hesitate. “If it makes you more comfortable.”
    “I think it would be best.” Callie glanced up at her. “It helps to keep good business records.”
    “Of course.”
    “I could draw them up on my laptop and have them ready for you next time you come into town. Did you have a set price that you wanted to ask for each quilt?”
    “Actually that was something I wanted to talk to you about. I’d like to change the way we were offering the quilts. In fact, I’d like to try something completely different. Something I don’t think Daisy knew how to do, but I have a feeling you will.”
    Nearly all the tension had drained out of Callie’s shoulders as the mountain of work had been completed in the last few hours. At Deborah’s words, it all came crashing back in an instant. “Idon’t know what you have in mind, but I doubt seriously there’s anything different I can do.”
    “That is your laptop, your computer?” Deborah nodded at the slim black box resting on the other side of the counter.
    “Yes …” Callie drew the word out, wondering what an Amish person, someone who didn’t even use electricity, could possibly know about a laptop.
    “I would like you to sell our quilts on ibby.”
    “Ibby?” Callie realized again there was going to be a learning curve to this Amish language thing.
    “Yes, ibby.” Deborah frowned, pulled one of the strings of her prayer
kapp
forward and began fiddling with it. “Ibby is on your computer. It is a big store.”
    “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but I’ve never heard of Ibby.”
    “Ibby. It’s like our auction houses, except much larger.”
    “eBay?”
    “Yes. Maybe. I’m not sure. Is it an auction house?”
    “Oh, my. Yes, it is an auction house. Deborah, where did you