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    "Of course I'll take your money," I said, returning her grin and joining her at the cash register. I rang up her sale.
    I didn't move for the next half-hour, just ringing up sales while Jenn cut fabric and grabbed notions. We finally cleared the store of all customers.
    "Why does that always happen?" I asked. "There's either a crowd or nobody."
    "Don't you know? They stand on the sidewalk until they see others entering, then everyone jumps in at once," Jenn said, illustrating her point with extravagant gestures. Away from Kym, I liked Jenn. "And once they're together, it's a feeding frenzy. People buy because others are buying-it's as simple as that."
    I laughed. I stretched, pulling one arm over my head, then the other, working out the kinks.
    There were at least twenty bolts of fabric sitting next to the cutting table, and the fat quarters were in complete disarray.
    "Can you handle putting away the fabric?" I asked.
    "I would, but I'm already late. The kids'll be home."
    "Did you try Kym's cell?" I said. She was probably having lunch with Kevin. I didn't want to think what they might be up to. What Buster and I weren't up to.
    Then I remembered. "Oh, I forgot. No cell phone." Kym was our resident Luddite.
    "I know," Jenn said. "Even my eight-year-old has a cell."
    I struggled to keep from expressing my opinion about third graders with cell phones. "I could try Kevin's," I said.
    The bell on the front door chimed, and Kym entered from the street.

    "You two just standing around gabbing?" she said. "Good thing the store's not busy."
    Jenn and I looked at one another and burst out laughing.
    "You just missed a major rush, Kymster," Jenn said. I laughed harder because I knew Kym hated it when Jenn called her `Kymster.'
    Kym frowned. Jenn waved goodbye and headed off for her purse.
    Kym followed her into the kitchen to stow her own purse, and called back to me. "I've got to use the rest room, Dewey. Can you stay up front until I get back?"
    What choice did I have? I didn't like to leave the floor unattended. Shoplifting quilters were rare, but I couldn't afford any missing inventory right now.
    When I heard the bathroom door open, I yelled down the hall to Kym, "Check out the whiteboard in the classroom before you come back. I want you to pick some jobs to do."
    I was putting away the last bolt of fabric when Gussie came out of the classroom, in a big hurry. Her hair was standing straight up, the way it did when she had been nervously running her fingers through it. She was carrying her tote bag full of scraps and recyclables. She didn't seem to see me, intent on something outside. I saw a yellow car waiting at the curb.
    Gussie didn't see Celeste either, trailing her. She started when Celeste put a hand on her. Gussie looked out the door as though that was where she wanted to be.
    I took a hand applique book off the shelf that was in the machine quilting section. I found others out of place, and stopped to straighten them. I took my time. I needed to make sure I didn't end up with a catfight in my store. With my luck, we'd have another rush, just as these two were heating up.

    Celeste's eyes flicked to the car outside, and her mouth thinned. "Aren't you going to help us finish mounting the quilt?" Celeste asked. It seemed like quilting was the last thing on her mind.
    "You don't want me around," Gussie said. Her voice was so sad, I was embarrassed to be a witness.
    Celeste crossed her arms across her chest. Her tone of voice was harsh, as though Gussie were a recalcitrant child. "I'm trying to help you. You don't know Larry like I do."
    Gussie found her voice. "You're selfish, Celeste. You've never wanted me to do well. As long as I could be the poor neighbor, the one who always needs help, you like me. But the minute I stand on my own two feet, you're threatened"
    Celeste was unbowed by Gussie's accusations. "Larry is not the man to help you stand on your own, Gussie."
    I felt tears well up in my eyes. These two had