“Micah!” she says, her eyes wide. “What happened?” The store is nearly empty, which isn’t surprising for a quarter to four on a Monday. Even during the summer tourist season, our busyness comes in waves, timed with the kayak and canoe tours.

It’s why I rarely show up on time. Usually, I pick up an iced latte next door for Dani, though, and all is forgiven.

I tuck my bike helmet under my arm. “I’m not that early.”

“So, there’s not an emergency?”

I ignore her teasing tone, heading straight for the back office. I drop my backpack in a locker, placing my helmet above it on the dusty shelf. I take my time, refilling my scratched-to-hell Nalgene from the tap. Despite the outside temp in the mid-eighties, I shiver in the air-conditioning and reach for one of the fleeces hanging beside the door. Pulling it on, I make sure the UPNorth Outfitters logo is visible and make my way to the front of the store.

“Hi, Micah,” says Dani’s little girl, Noel. She’s swinging her legs, sitting on the counter and eating a freeze pop.

“Hey, kid,” I say. As a rule, I don’t care for many people. But I like Noel okay.

“What happened to your hair?” she asks, and I grimace, flattening down the sweaty fluff on top of my head. Most of the time I like her, anyway.

Dani hurries over. “I hate to cut and run, but since you’re here, I need to get over to the post office before four thirty to get these online orders out.”

“You know, you can have UPS pick them up,” I point out for the fiftieth time.

“This is easier. You know I don’t trust the internet.” For someone so sensible, she’s nonsensical.

“And yet, it’s how you get your merch orders in the first place.”

She rolls her eyes lightly, lifting a sticky Noel off the counter. “Well, that’s only because James set up my website for me. Lord knows I don’t manage the thing.”

No, we all know who manages it. Who really manages everything around here. Well, that’s not fair. Dani runs a tight ship, and the town loves her small sporting goods store. But love doesn’t equal money, and James McArthur is singlehandedly responsible for keeping Dani in the black. Canoe tours and cliff jumping make us tour guides money, but it doesn’t keep the lights on. The online store does that. James does that.

He’d do a lot more if she’d let him. Not that she can see it. Which is funny because literally everyone else can. I mean, if I can, and I’m basically useless when it comes to feelings as a whole, then it’s like neon billboard in Times Square obvious.