she asked Buckie with a friendly smile.
He frowned. "Actually, it's pretty slow this week."
But this is a great time to do some long-term planning,"
piped in the ever-optimistic Kate. "I've been encouraging
Buckie to have some of his better prints reproduced into note
cards and postcards and such, plus I've been checking into
some mail-order outfits that I think he could get into, not to
mention setting up a Blue Moose web site. You know North-
west art is pretty popular these days."
Buckie reached over and patted Kate's arm with open
admiration. "Kate's such a whiz when it comes to ideas and
marketing and all that stuf I don't know what I'd do
without her."
With mixed feelings Maggie remembered how invaluable
Kate had been to Jed's business with that same sort of per-
spective-and then how suddenly that had all changed,
mostly due to her. She smiled at Kate. "Well, if you ever get
bored just working for Buckie, you might consider starting
up your own marketing consultation service. I'm sure a lot
of businesses in town would find your ideas very helpful."
"Hey, watch it, Maggiel" warned Buckie. "Don't you go
luring my right-hand girl away from me."
Kate laughed. "Don't worry, Buckie, I'm not that easy to
get rid 0 But Maggie does have a good point. A consulting
business might be something I could do on the side-and
drawing in more customers at other places wouldn't hurt
your business a single bit."
12Melody Carison
"You know, Kate," said Maggie, "I've had some thoughts
of my own about how the newspaper could help promote
businesses. And you're always so full of great ideas-maybe
we should get together and discuss them sometime.
"I'd love to," said Kate with a smile that could've been
used for a toothpaste ad.
For the first time since their original conflict over Jed,
Maggie wondered if she and Kate might actually become
friends one day. "Great," she said. "I'll give you a call soon.
With business so slow right now, it might be the perfect time
to start making some plans for the tourist traffic that will
come with the upcoming ski season."
"You mean, if we ever get any snow," said Buckie sul-
lenly.
"It'll come," Kate reassured him. "It always does sooner
or later."
1.
Maggie hadn't planned to stop by Jed's shop today as she
knew that Leah had invited him for dinner at the house
tonight. But seeing Kate and hearing how Buckie was
reaping the benefits of that new relationship made Maggie