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she remembered what he said when he gave it to her before leaving for Florida. “It may not be pretty to look at but it’ll carry you to the moon and back!” And he must be right, Amanda thought, because it was twenty-five years old and still running.
    Focusing her eyes on the old-fashioned general store ahead, she read the new sign in the front window. “Now selling custom made West Furniture.” She hadn’t seen it last week when she stopped by to purchase groceries. If the furniture was decent, maybe she could find a rocking chair for her front porch. She wondered who the manufacturer of West Furniture was.
    After entering the crowded store, Amanda was stunned when she received her answer mighty quickly. The floor creaked beneath her boots as she walked toward a corner of the store. “Noah?” she whispered in surprise.
    “ Hey, Amanda, what are you doing here?”
    The knuckles of her hands were white from clenching the straps of her small black purse. “I should be asking you the same thing.”
    He didn’t answer. But he didn’t have to. She already knew. “So you’re the talent behind West Furniture,” she glanced at the plump older man standing patiently beside Noah.
    He was holding a check in his hands. “Yes, Detective,” Noah placed his hand on the high oak end table behind him and rubbed the smooth surface. “You solved the mystery,” he patted the back of the smiling man beside him. “But this old man owns the evidence now.”
    The man tossed the check to Noah and turned to Amanda. “I’m Horace Randall, owner of Randall’s General Store,” he chuckled.
    “ Nice to meet you. I’m Amanda Brookfield.” After shaking his hand, she tapped her foot and glared at Noah. “And pardon me, but I’m still in shock.”
    Horace winked at her. “You’re not alone. I was in shock myself when he approached me about selling his furniture. I’ve known him since he was a boy but never knew he had this talent,” he pointed his finger at Noah.
    “ You are a sly fellow. Not only about the furniture, but also about your girlfriend. It would be wise of you to bring her into town more instead of keeping her a secret! Now, I have some things to attend to. See you kids later.”
    Amanda opened her mouth to speak but only stammered. “Does he t-think we’re dating?” She asked softly.
    Noah shrugged and leaned toward her. “Is that such a bad thing to think?”
    Her face blushed as he kissed her cheek. “No, it’s not a bad thing. But it’s not true,” she crossed her arms and moved a few steps away from him. “Now tell me all about this furniture.”
    “ Amanda, it’s not much to tell,” he answered casually. “It’s something I love to do.”
    “ Is it just a hobby, or have you made it into a business? And why do you seem so secretive about it?” she questioned.
    “ Look, it’s not a secret, Amanda. It’s been a hobby of mine since I graduated college. I’ve just developed it into a small business the last couple of years,” he pulled her to him gently. “But you can’t say anything to my father about this.”
    The sudden frown on her face displayed her bewilderment. “Why in the world not? You’re father doesn’t know about this? It’s something he would be proud of. And by the way, he’s worried sick because you haven’t been home for a couple of days.”
    “ I’ll be at Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. And for your information, I’ve been gone because I had to finish Horace’s order before Thanksgiving. I’ve been working day and night the last three days. Good thing I found a building for lease down the street from the general store. It’s turned into a terrific workshop.”
    She was so close to him, she felt the roughness of his light beard when her forehead brushed against his jaw. “I was worried about you, too.”
    He barely heard her faint admission. “Oh, you were?” His fingers found their way into her hair, touching the soft curls. “I’m surprised to hear that.