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customer—a very stylishly dressed middle-aged woman. “Please excuse me.” Anna had anticipated her client’s needs well. Just as the woman turned to look for someone to help her, Anna stepped into her line of sight. “May I answer any questions?” Anna asked, her gentle smile lighting up her face.
    “Yes,” the woman responded. “I love this bench.” She pointed to the five-foot-long wooden bench on which a myriad of beautifully colored cashmere shawls were neatly stacked. “Is it for sale?”
    “Yes, ma’am. The bench is a nineteenth-century reproduction of a seventeenth-century English farm bench. It’s an antique, and is in very good shape. It would be perfect for a mudroom or an entranceway.”
    The woman nodded. “I’d pictured it in our foyer. How much is it?”
    “I believe we’re offering it for four thousand.”
    “So much for a reproduction!” The woman sounded dismayed.
    “An antique reproduction,” Anna gently reminded her. “But as a first-time customer, I can offer you a discount of ten percent.” Anna glanced over at Cameron, who nodded her approval. The woman seemed to consider the offer as she examined the piece more closely. Anna instinctively knew when to back off. “Please take your time, ma’am. I’ll be over here whenyou’ve made a decision.”
    “Well managed,” Cameron whispered after she’d joined Anna behind the register. “You’re doing beautifully here.”
    “I’m surprised there’s so much activity today,” Anna quietly responded.
    Star Harbor was well off the beaten path, but tourism was up. Many people were discovering the little town and deciding to stay. “I think we’ll be seeing a lot more people looking to decorate new homes,” she predicted.
    Anna got busy with another customer, so Cameron headed to the back, where she had a small office and an even smaller workshop she used to repair antiques or examine new acquisitions. She was happy to share the office with Anna, but the workshop was solely Cameron’s domain.
    A large nineteenth-century architect’s desk took up much of the space in the office. The desk had been a gift from her Uncle Nigel—her mother’s brother—when Cameron had first opened her Newbury Street boutique. It had been both a vote of confidence in Cameron and a poke in the eye to Clarissa. The desk had served her well in Boston, so when she opened the Front Street Boutique, she thought it was just the thing to accompany her to Star Harbor.
    When she’d gotten settled, she pulled out her laptop, logged into the store’s wireless network, and pulled up the documents Anna had sent to her. Slowly, methodically, she made a list of everything they needed to accomplish over the next few days. By the time Anna retreated to the back for her half-hour lunch break, Cameron had compiled a comprehensive to-do list for the two of them.
    “She took it,” Anna said, sounding triumphant.
    “The bench? Great!” Cameron responded.
    “And you were right. She just bought a house in Falmouth.” Anna placed her brown-bag lunch on the desk, pulled up a chair, and sat down. “Just so you know, I got the inventory software figured out,” she said. “It didn’t take too long, mostly because the Boston store concluded its own run a few days ago. I called Joan and she talked me through a few of the more squirrely points.” Anna unwrapped her sandwich and took a large bite.
    “Joan is great, isn’t she?” Cameron said with a smile. Joan Elgar managed her Newbury Street boutique and was just as enthusiastic about her job as Anna.
    Anna swallowed before speaking. “Yes. She was really sweet about helping. I could tellthat taking inventory was pretty intense.”
    “It was,” Cameron smiled. “But we dealt with it well there, just like we’ll deal with it here. By the way, that sandwich smells delicious. I have to go grab some lunch before it gets too late.”
    “Are you going to the LMK?” Anna asked, referring to the restaurant-bakery