Mrs. Avery's Adventures

Chapter 2

Piper spent a busy morning at the site of her soon-to-be photo gallery. She was excited about the opening, even though it was still a few months away. It didn"t matter to Piper; she still had plenty to do and many pictures to take and prepare to hang in the gallery. She was leaving most of the decorating and construction of the gallery up to her interior decorator, Valerie Doft. But this didn"t let Piper off the hook; she still had a lot on her plate to ensure the gallery opening would be a success.

When she arrived at the gallery, Valerie had a list of things for her to do sitting on her desk, and she spent most of the morning making phone calls and ordering supplies. She worked at her desk at a steady pace. Daisy had curled up in her own personal little bed, which had been placed next to Piper"s desk, and was delicately snoring. Daisy had been a gift for Piper from Courtney on her 50th birthday, and the dog had begun her life with Piper as a spoiled diva. Daisy was still a puppy when she came to be with Piper; her previous owner had been an older woman who passed away but had doted on the puppy extravagantly. The dog was smart and well trained, and although she tolerated other people, her true love was Piper. Piper and one handsome police dog named Scout.

Piper was hanging up the phone, her ordering complete, when Valerie walked upstairs to the office. "How"s it coming, Piper?"

The petite woman stood at the top of the stairs looking across the room at Piper, smiling. Piper returned her smile, thinking to herself how lucky she was that Valerie was working with her on the gallery. The woman might be petite, but she was a ball of fire and had more energy than anyone Piper knew.

"Just finished the last call. You"re spending so much time here at the gallery. How is your own showroom coming along?"

"Oh, don"t worry about me. I"ve got my showroom right on schedule. Of course, it is a big advantage that the showroom is right here in the Pelican Promenade with your gallery. I simply rotate my workers from one site to the next. It"s job security for all these workers."

The two women shared a laugh, and Piper thought to herself how fortunate it was indeed that they were in the same location. And they could thank their mutual friend, and Piper"s godmother, Charlotte Potter, for this. As if she read her mind, Valerie mentioned her friend.

"I heard from Charlotte today. She"s planning on coming down next week to see how the progress is going. She’s busy up at Citrus Beach, and now she"s taken on the renovation of the Promenade. Although personally, I think it"s just what she needed. The woman always has to be busy, and renovating the plaza is perfect for keeping her busy."

"And the Promenade needed Charlotte just as much,” Piper said. “This old plaza has been here for years with just a few stores, struggling along. I couldn"t believe it when my godmother said she was taking it over."

"And she"s not afraid to make the necessary improvements, which is really attracting new shops as well,” Valerie said. “Even some old shops are planning on renovations. I have been contacted by some owners looking for help with their interiors."

Piper grinned. “I guess it"s job security for all of us."

"I must tell you, I was a little worried after the murder of the bookstore clerk. I was afraid people would run from the area. But thanks to you solving the crime, it"s put the shopkeepers at ease."

Piper"s smile faded as she remembered the murder that had happened not so long ago. Giving herself a little shake as if to wipe the memories away, she stood up from the desk.

"Well, thankfully, that"s behind us, and it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. One I never want to repeat, either." Glancing at her watch, Piper was astonished at the amount of time that had passed since she had arrived. "I"m off to the cafe. We"re supposed to meet Joel there, and Tessa is going to pick up the dogs to walk them. Can I bring you back anything?"

"No, I"m fine. Enjoy your time away, because there"s plenty of work for you to do when you get back. I have a list of errands for you," Valerie warned with a grin.

Piper opened the door to her desk and pulled out a leash. At the sight of it, Daisy stretched and got to her feet. Then she walked over to Piper, tail wagging, anxious to leave. As they walked by Valerie, Piper impulsively gave her a hug and thanked her for all the work she"d been doing.

"I"ll be back in half an hour."