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“Don’t flex them!” she scolds. “We only have so much room in here.”
There’s the princess I’ve missed.
“What are you wearing?” She checks out Rhett’s shirt with a little laugh. “That would go great with your new hat.”
“I knew I forgot something.”
She unspools string lights and directs me how to hang them over the window scene. I climb the ladder she brought and get to work. It’s a slow process, but it isn’t strictly a two-person job. Nor is any part of the work outside of her reach, despite her shorter arms.
If my smile is smug, I’m only human.
“How long has this building been empty?” I ask.
She shrugs. “A couple of years. Mom had it deep-cleaned at the start of the new year, though.”
“That would explain the freshly-sanitized smell.” It’s a little overpowering, probably from being shut up all the time. “What was it before?”
“Henderson’s was an old-school department store. They had a little bit of everything, but they couldn’t compete with the big box stores in Bend. Mom’s the realtor, and she’s tried to draw in a new business, but it’s a tough sell.”
“It’s a big space. What would you want to take over?”
She sighs. “Sephora.”
I laugh. “That would be convenient.”
“But seriously, a bookstore in Sunshine would be amazing. Or a toy store. We don’t have a dedicated home decor store, either.”
“Or an outdoor store.” I’m on vacation, but I still noticed. I had to shop at one of the national chains in Bend yesterday. I’m surprised my dad didn’t sense it through the Force and call to scold me.
“Yeah, but are those really all that necessary?”
I can see the mischief shining in her eyes from up here.
“They’re vital, princess.”
She gives me more slack on the string lights. “Honestly, it’s probably going to wind up becoming another thrift store one of these days.”
“Will finding a new tenant be part of your tourism job?”
“Not directly, but that won’t stop me from trying. We have a few empty spaces in town I’d love to help fill.”
“Maybe you’ll get your makeup store, after all.”
“That’s always the dream.”
After I get the string lights secured, she has me hang spangly tinsel puffs that look like fireworks. Then, metal stars at varied heights to make a backdrop. She’s right—it’s a lot crammed into one space, but she made it work.
I climb down from the ladder, and she shifts two dividerscovered with a huge flag bunting behind the display to block the view of the rest of the store.
“Can I ask you a question?”
She stills. “Sure.”
“What is this music?”
She laughs and grabs her phone, the source of the questionable sounds. “You don’t like Four Arm Burn?”
She shimmies her hips, and—okay. The music isn’t so bad if it gets her to dance like that.
