Page 24 of The Summer We Started Over

She should have shut the door in his entitled face. She didn’t. “Um, haven’t you noticed there are other shops that are actually open?”

“Maybe, but that sweater you have in the window? My sister would love it so much and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Okay, Barrett thought, that was a point in his favor. The sweater lying on the shelf in the window was hand-knitted in shades of hyacinth and blue by a Nantucket woman. Her trademark smiling whale swam just above the left breast.

“It’s expensive,” Barrett warned the guy.

“It’s for my sister,” the guy repeated.

When he spoke, he smiled. It was a great smile.

“We’re not officially open.” Barrett hesitated. She was having trouble thinking clearly. “But come in. Since it’s your sister’s birthday.” She moved to the shelf and picked up the top sweater. “This comes in three sizes.”

“She’s small,” the guy said. “Like you.”

“It’s three hundred fifty dollars.”

“Okay, do you take credit cards?”

“We do,” she answered. “Um, come over to the counter.”

As she transacted the sale, she forced herself to focus.My first sale, and a big one!

She handed him the receipt and couldn’t help saying triumphantly, “You are my very first customer.”

“Cool. Do I get a medal or a ribbon or something?”

“No medal, but I’ll wrap it for you since it’s her birthday.”

“That would be excellent. Thank you.”

Barrett reached under her counter and brought out a folded box, tissue paper, wrapping paper, ribbon, and Scotch tape.

He held out his hand. “I’m Drew Fischer. You probably got that from my credit card.”

She shook his hand, finding the action slightly embarrassing. But she was a businesswoman now. She told herself to grow up.

“I’m Barrett Grant, after Elizabeth Barrett Browning. My sister is named after Edna St. Vincent Millay—she’s Eddie.”

“Barrett is kind of cool,” Drew said. “Eddie…a little more unusual.”

“My sister has the personality for it,” Barrett assured him.

“Does she live on Nantucket, too?”

Barrett carefully pulled the dark blue ribbon over the package, and tried to form the bow, focusing on not wrinkling the ribbon. “Well, no and yes. I mean she’s here now, but she’s been living and working in New York.”

“That package looks nice,” Drew said.

“Thanks.” Barrett smoothed it out. “Here you are. I don’t have any gift cards yet, but you can buy birthday cards at the pharmacy.”

She handed Drew the box.

“Nice ribbon,” he said. Then he laughed at himself. “Lame. Um, Barrett, I’m not as idiotic as I seem. Could I take you out for dinner sometime? Or lunch? Or coffee?”

What? “Well…How long are you going to be on the island?”

“I work in Boston, but my family has a house here, so actually, I could be here a lot.”

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