“It would put Hope Harbor on the map, though—and we have the talent to pull this off. Other towns don’t.” She drummed her fingers on the counter. “I suppose we could hire someone to do it—but everyone’s budget is already stretched to the limit. We can get merchants to donate time, but money for an event planner in this tight market could be an issue.”

Event planner?

Like the ones she’d worked with on the charitable affairs she’d volunteered for on behalf of her father?

“What are you thinking?” Marci squinted at her, a speculative gleam in her eye.

“Nothing worth mentioning.” She stuck her notes back under the counter. “I do agree an event planner would help.”

“Do you have any experience with this sort of project?”

Was the woman a mind reader?

“No. Not exactly. I mean, I did help plan a few large-scale events in a previous life, but that was long ago.”

“I bet it’s like riding a bicycle. And from what I know about the residents’ backgrounds, I expect you have the best qualifications in town to organize a festival like this.”

Christi stared at her. “You mean put this together by myself?”

“No, no, of course not—but we do need a leader. Someone to spearhead the effort and keep us all on track. I’d have to run the idea by the board first, but I have a feeling it will get unanimous endorsement—especially if I tell them someone’s agreed to be the point person. Would you consider it? I know the town would be forever grateful.”

Sweet heaven.

What had she gotten herself into?

Heart hammering, she wiped her palms on her slacks again. “It’s kind of an overwhelming prospect. I don’t even know that many residents.”

“This would be a fantastic way to meet a boatload of them.” Marci slid off the stool, as if the matter was a done deal. “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t I call the board members this afternoon, get their feedback? If everyone gives a thumbs-up, we’ll schedule a meeting to discuss your plan and appoint committee heads. They’ll do the legwork, and you can be the big-picture person. Sound reasonable?”

In theory, yes.

But from what she’d observed in the past, the person leading the effort often ended up doing the yeoman’s share of the work, despite the existence of committees.

“If everyone pitches in, that could be manageable, but—”

The bell over the door jingled, and two women entered.

“Ah. Customers. I’ll let you get to work.” Marci was already halfway across the store—as if she was afraid her newest recruit was already getting cold feet.

Smart woman.

She was out the door with an “I’ll call you soon” tossed over her shoulder before Christi could protest.

A wave of panic swept over her.