Dani passes me the cash register keys, and I slip them over my wrist. “Think you might have a chance to fiddle with the window display tonight? I tried to replicate your magic, but…” She sighs dramatically. “You’re better. You have such an eye for it.”

I feel the corner of my mouth twitch but quickly stifle it. “Flattery, boss?”

“Please?” she asks with a pathetic pout.

“If I have time.”

She leads Noel out the front door, sending me a beaming smile over her shoulder. “You’re the best, Micah!” she says. “I don’t care what anyone says about you!” It’s her standard farewell and meant in a completely teasing way, but it smarts. Not that she would know.

The door closes behind her with a jangle of bells, and I slump in place. A glance at my Garmin watch shows me I have at least an hour before the group of kayakers returns from their excursion, bringing my best friend, Duke, with them. In the meantime, I turn on the speakers, changing the satellite radio to a sauntering alternative station, and make my way to the front window display. Dani said she fiddled with it, but it’s mostly undisturbed from last month when she asked me to feature all our water shoes.

I chew the inside of my lip, considering. It’s August, so the college kids will be returning and bringing their families. I scan our NMU swag. There are other places in town to get Northern Michigan University gear, but ours is higher quality, so I pull out a few key items and place them on the counter. Then I scan our flashlights, beach towels, and day packs, choosing a few to complement the NMU colors of green and gold. I top it all off with a pair of board shorts and decide to leave some of the water shoes but toss in a pair of high-end Chaco sandals.

Cliff jumping in August is a sort of rite of passage for the NMU students, and college students have more money in August than December. It’s science.

I spend a few minutes replacing the old, slightly dusty, and sun-faded display with the new one, arranging everything so it looks like you could basically pack up the window and head straight for the cliffs.

I’m finishing up when I see a flash of turquoise, and there’s Duke ambling down the sidewalk, trailing eight very tired and slightly sunburned kayakers. In contrast, Duke looks as fresh as he probably did five hours ago when he pulled out. Dude is relentless. And I’m by no means out of shape. We all take turns guiding tours and have to be in top condition. It’s not a hardship, honestly. What other job requires you to play outside?