New Leaf Read Online Free PDF Page A

he never came into her store again. When he smiled, flashing those strong white teeth, her knees went weak and her brain went on vacation.
    Forget about him
. She had a customer to dealwith. “It’s good to be cautious with supplements. Toxicity can be dangerous, but so can a deficiency. As parents, we need to know what we’re doing before we throw vitamins at a problem. If you can afford to take your daughter in to be checked, that’s the wisest course of action.”
    “I can afford it. I just had no idea the leg pain might be caused by a vitamin D deficiency. I hoped you might have something over-the-counter for muscle cramps.” The redhead rolled her eyes again. “I don’t know if I can survive another night of her screaming, and heaven only knows how soon a doctor can see her.”
    “Does she like dill pickles?” Taffeta asked.
    “She loves them.”
    “Well, until you can get her in to see a pediatrician, give her a dill pickle at bedtime. If she gets cramps during the night, give her another one. The white vinegar in the pickling brine often helps ease leg cramps, and in small doses like that, it should be safe.”
    After the mother and child left, the shop went quiet. Taffeta could only shake her head because she’d talked herself out of another sale. Oh well. She felt obligated to give her customers the very best advice she could.
    By this time of morning, Taffeta was usually busy. She suspected the lack of customers was due to icy streets and sidewalks. Just what she needed, a lull in business. It gave her too much time to think.
    She threw herself into the task of cleaning shelvesand merchandise, but even when she started to break a sweat, she still couldn’t evict thoughts of Barney Sterling from her mind. One look from him had made her skin tingle from head to toe. She wondered how it would feel if he kissed her—or touched her.
Where did that thought come from?
Irked with herself, she rearranged her display window, refusing to let herself watch the East Main traffic for a white truck with COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT emblazoned on the side. Then she caught herself freezing in midmotion when a white vehicle turned the corner.
    Mary Alice Thomas burst into the shop just then, stomping her fur-lined snow boots on the entry mat. “Brrr, it’s brutal out there today.”
    Taffeta always enjoyed this woman’s visits. Most people in town called her Ma, which Mary Alice claimed was due to the beginning letters of her first and middle names, but Taffeta suspected it was because the older woman seemed so motherly and sweet. A little on the plump side, she had perfectly coiffed gray hair and looked darling in a bright red wool jacket over slate gray slacks. Her wide smile creased both cheeks, which were apple pink from the cold, and her eyes twinkled with a zest for life.
    “Trust me to go shopping on a day like this!” She drew off suede gloves that matched her footwear and tucked them in a pocket. “I had no choice, though. When you run out of things, you’re out and have to get more.”
    “Well, you’re in luck,” Taffeta assured her. “Yourspecial vitamins came in yesterday afternoon. I intended to call you in a few minutes.”
Liar, liar
. Taffeta had completely forgotten. “I got sidetracked rearranging my display.”
You got sidetracked by lusting after a dangerously handsome deputy
. “Just a sec, and I’ll get them for you.”
    Mary Alice chattered as merrily as a bird greeting the new day as Taffeta ran her credit card. She owned Simply Sensational and Beyond, and a potpourri of perfumed scents emanated from her clothing. Taffeta was left feeling lonely when the woman departed. Ma Thomas filled a room with warmth.
    The rest of the day dragged by. Taffeta spent hours removing merchandise from shelves to give them a good scrub. When she glanced at the clock and saw that it was only a half hour until closing time, she sighed with relief. She’d managed to twiddle her way through one of the