Katie's Way by Marta Perry Page B

just look around a little,” Lisa said. Katie’s heart sank. People who said that were seldom serious about buying.
    She tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound as if she were pushing Lisa to buy. “Have you had your shop for a long time?”
    Lisa shook her head, a tinge of sorrow in her eyes. “No, only about two years. It was a retirement dream of my husband’s—to run a little gift shop in a small town like this. Mark was so enthusiastic about it. He had so many ideas for the place. But he passed away after we’d only been open a few months.”
    â€œI’m so sorry.” Katie’s heart went out to the woman, whose dreams had been shattered so quickly. “Yet you still run the shop?”
    Lisa tilted her head to the side, as if she were considering the question. “It does seem strange, in a way. The shop was Mark’s dream, not mine. At first I suppose I found the routine comforting, and the idea of selling the place was overwhelming when all I could do was get through one day after another. Then one day I woke up and realized that I was enthusiastic about it, too.”
    â€œSo your husband’s dream became yours.”
    â€œI guess so. Mark would laugh about that.” She smiled, though a hint of sorrow touched her eyes. “Running the shop suits me, and I want to make it a success.”
    Success was not a word an Amish person would use readily in that regard. A business should pay its way and provide a living for its owner and a means of supporting the community.
    The trouble was, Katie had begun to worry that her place would not even do that. “Tell me,” she said impulsively, “do you make enough sales here in Pleasant Valley to . . . well, to be worth it?”
    â€œNot as much as I’d like,” Lisa said. Her gaze sharpened on Katie’s face, as if she’d said something insightful. “It’s not easy to make a go of a shop in a small farming community unless you’re selling something lots of people need. Like Bishop Mose and the harness shop, for instance.”
    Katie nodded. What the woman said was true enough, and folks here didn’t need quilts.
    â€œThat’s why I’ve been trying to organize the shop owners to try and increase the number of visitors to town,” Lisa said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. “We need people coming to Pleasant Valley who will want the unique things we have to offer, like your quilts and Caleb Brand’s furniture.”
    â€œJa, I see. But how would you get more people to come?”
    â€œThat’s not as hard as you might think. We need to reach the people who would stop by if only they knew about us. For instance, a website on the Internet would draw people’s attention.” She gave Katie a questioning look, and Katie nodded.
    â€œJa, I understand about that.”
    â€œGood. And I thought if we ran some special promotions it would help. For instance, say we all had sales at the same time. Or we could have an outdoor sidewalk sale on a particular Saturday. Or place an ad in the tourist booklets they put out in Lewisburg. Or—”
    Lisa cut herself short, laughing a little. “Sorry. I do run on, but for someone who wasn’t that enthusiastic about running a shop, I suddenly find I have too many ideas. I can’t go into anyone else’s shop without thinking what I’d do if it were mine.”
    â€œJa?” Lisa’s enthusiasm was infectious. Katie found she was smiling back. “So if this shop were yours, what would you do?”
    Lisa glanced around. “Well, the decor is just right . . . so cozy and colorful. What you need is something to bring more people into the store. For instance, what if you had a quilting class, or if you started a quilting group that met here? I’ll bet you’d find lots of people who were interested in that. And once they came, they’d want to