Page 40 of Sandbar Storm
“Kids are out of school, the water’s warmed up, the families are here, the renters are rotating in and out, it really is prime time,” Libby explained.
Libby had lured businesses. She’d convinced other business owners to stay when they would have shut down and moved out. She’d fended off a billionaire development.
But if no one came to shop, eat, drink, or get their hair done in Irish Hills, it would be hard to claim victory. Irish Hills needed people to thrive, not just promises.
As early as Siena got in, fueled by nervous energy for the shop’s opening day, Libby was already downtown, hard at work. She had an office set up across the street.
She called it phase two, and Dean Tucker was about to start renovations. There would be six more spaces for shops or restaurants when Libby was done. Siena had seen renderings, but even if she hadn’t, Libby painted a picture with her descriptions of what Irish Hills could be in another year.
Libby arrived to give Siena one more ‘atta girlbefore they opened.
“Everything looks wonderful,” Libby said. She walked through Siena’s carefully displayed showroom floor.
“The classics are all here. These are the perennial pieces that built her brand.”
The clothes were beautiful. They made women look sophisticated and helped them feel confident at the head of the boardroom table or at a cocktail party. Siena was proud of her mother, and she could see Libby was proud of both of them.
The pieces her mom had contributed for exclusive debut at the store were in the same vein. But she’d allowed some new summer colors.
Libby stopped at a clothes rack that Siena had struggled to integrate into the rest of the pieces.
“Oh, she’s added the kaftan to her line!”
“Ha, no, those aren’t Vivian Blackwood Designs. They’re, uh, just no label craft projects. She has hand sewn almost one a day since she’s been here. She is supposed to be resting; instead, she’s making muumuus.”
“I love them—do me a favor, ring this one up for me. Or put it aside? If you sell out and have to sell it, cool. But otherwise, I need this one. She had a lavender one on the other day that had me hating my stupid khaki shorts.”
Libby did not look like the kaftan type. But Siena did what her new aunt asked.
“Wow, and the botanicals on the walls. I love those too.”
“Ha, the décor isn’t for sale, Aunt Libby, but next time I head to Tecumseh, I’ll grab you some.”
“Great, it’s going to be great. You have help?”
“Yes, Alison Barton, she’s great. She was working at Target, so she had retail experience. She is coming in. She’s all trained. Two of us should be good for today.”
“My Aunt Emma wants to help if you need it too. She loved selling last summer; my rich old aunt loves working a cash register. Who knew?”
“Thank you, I just don’t have a good sense of how busy we’ll be.”
“Busy. This is the first really warm weekend. Memorial Day is great, but we’re in summer now, well, more or less.”
“You’re a dynamo. All the Sandbar Sisters are. I’m sort of amazed. The victory you pulled off here...”
“Thank you, honey. Well, Stone Stirling likes to say I won, but he’s lurking around. He bought the old Hudson place, and he’s turned Irish Hills into his summer headquarters. He’s conceding, but maybe he’s just waiting for me to fail.”
Siena did not see Aunt Libby failing at anything.
Siena clicked on a little light in the window. It glowed “Open.”
“Here goes nothing,” Siena said.
“It’s awesome. And thank you, I know it’s been hard with Viv. She isn’t sold on this store idea, and you went out on a limb. One I had to keep you out on.”
“I’m glad you did. I’ve loved setting this place up and having help from the Sandbar Sisters to cheer Mom up.”
“She seems better, happier, I think.”
