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Alfred looked puzzled. “You dated Steven Tyler, Rosie?” he asked.

“It was just a fling, dear,” she said, patting his arm.

Avery had faithfully re-created all four of the members of KISS down to Paul Stanley’s Starchild makeup and—heaven help us—his chest hair. She’d stenciled A KISS IS STILL A KISS on the window in red letters.

Mac turned to look at me. He didn’t even try to stifle a grin.

“Don’t you dare say the word ‘interesting,’” I hissed.

“I like it,” he said.

“She managed to connect a metal band, Casablanca and Valentine’s Day,” I said. “I like it, too.” There wouldn’t be another Valentine’s-themed window like it anywhere in town.

“Can we go back inside?” Liz said. “My girls are freezing.”

“I’m all right,” Rose said as we made our way up to the front door.

“I wasn’t talking about you,” Liz said, pointedly crossing her arms over her chest.

Rose rolled her eyes as she figured out Liz’s meaning. “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she said.

Avery was waiting for us in the shop, too twitchy to stand still.

“Sweetie pie, you did a wonderful job,” Rose exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug. “You make me want to run off and become a groupie.” She turned and smiled at Mr. P. “Not that I’m going to.”

“Charlotte helped a lot,” Avery said. “She did the Paul guy’s chest hair, and she styled all the wigs.”

Rose turned her smile on Charlotte. “Good job,” she said, eyes twinkling.

“Absolutely,” Liz said. One eyebrow went up and she gave Charlotte a sly smile. “Nice work with the chest hair.”

“What about me, Nonna?” Avery asked. “Do you really like it?”

“It’s fantastic,” Liz said.

Avery threw her arms around her grandmother. “Do you mean it?”

“Of course I mean it,” Liz said. “Would I lie to you?”

“Uh, yeah,” Avery said. “You said you liked the smoothie I made for you yesterday and then I caught you pouring it down the sink.”

Liz kissed the top of Avery’s head. “Smoothies have fruit and yogurt, ice cream even. They do not have kale. Kale is not something we’re supposed to drink.”

“It’s going to get people’s attention,” Mac said. He gave her a fist bump.

Avery looked at me. “Do you like it, Sarah?” she asked.

“Yes, I do,” I said. “You did a great job.”

I glanced at Charlotte. “You too.”

Rose was standing beside me, and I put my arm around her shoulders. “You know what this calls for?” I said.

“Cake!” Avery, Mr. P. and Liz said at the same time.

I raised my eyebrows and looked down at Rose. “Tomorrow’s moving day, but maybe after that you could christen the oven in your new apartment.”

Rose clasped her hands together. “What a wonderful idea.” She linked her arm through Avery’s and started for the storeroom. “What do you think we should make?” I heard her say. “Lemon chiffon or maybe angel food with fruit and whipped cream?”

“I’ll go clean up,” Charlotte said.

I smiled at her. “Thanks.”

“I’m going to see what I can find out about this Wellington Group,” Mr. P. said.

The phone started to ring. “And I’m going to get that,” Mac said.

Only Liz and I were left, standing just inside the door. “Thank you, Sarah,” she said.

“For what?” I asked.

“For letting Avery fill your front window with four aging rock and rollers, or at least a reasonable facsimile of them.”

I looked over at the window. “I like it. I’m not just saying that. She did a good job. It’ll get people talking. It’ll bring in business.”

“I’m so glad you came home,” Liz said.

I smiled. “Me too.”

I was right about the window. Another ski tour on the way out of town after lunch stopped when someone on the bus spotted the “band” in the window. Forty-two people piled out and stood on the sidewalk to check out the band. The tour guide, a man in his twenties wearing a navy ski jacket and a knit Red Sox hat, came inside.

“Your window display’s fantastic,” he said.

“Thank you,” I said. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Avery by the cash register, grinning and looking like she was about to come out of her skin with excitement.

A middle-aged woman opened the door and poked her head inside. “Can we take a look around?”

“Of course,” I said.

“Did you do the band?” she asked, walking over so she could see the display from the back.

I shook my head. “Two of my staff did.” More people were coming in behind her.

The woman took a couple of steps closer to me. “I did them, you know,” she confided. “Well, two of them.” She turned down the waistband of the gray spandex pants she was wearing. KISS was tattooed on her left hip.

“Good for you” probably wasn’t the most appropriate answer, but it was the only thing I could think of to say.

We ended up doing more business than we’d done in the store in the entire month of January.

Avery stayed to help, eating up the compliments on her work and answering questions with enthusiasm and maturity.

It was a few minutes after closing time when the bus pulled out of our parking lot.

“I can’t believe they all liked the window,” Avery said with a satisfied smile, leaning against the cash counter.

“I told you that you’d done a good job,” I said.

“I’ll get the vacuum and start cleaning up,” she said, pushing herself upright.

I walked over to Charlotte, who was straightening up a display of wineglasses and charms.

“Thank you for helping Avery,” I said. “She’s so excited.”

“I didn’t really do much.” Charlotte smiled. “Avery did most of the work.”

I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You always say that,” I said. “And you’re always wrong.”

Mac came in from the storeroom. “What time are we starting in the morning?” he asked.

Sunday was moving day for Rose, the only day we were all free to help her.

“Eight thirty,” I said. “Do you want me to pick you up?”

He shook his head. “Thanks. I don’t mind walking.”

I looked at Charlotte. “I could pick you up,” I said.

She nodded. “If it’s not too much trouble. I’m bringing a thermos of hot chocolate and some muffins so we can take a break after a couple of hours.”

“I’m borrowing Glenn McNamara’s cube truck,” I said. “That way we should be able to move the big stuff in just one load.”

I’d tried to rent the truck from Glenn, but he wouldn’t hear of it. “Just put some gas in it, Sarah,” he’d told me. “And we’ll be square.”

“What are you going to do with the SUV?” Mac asked, reaching for the bottle of hand sanitizer we kept by the cash register.

“Leave it in Glenn’s parking lot. That way we can back the truck close to the steps at the house,” I said.

“Do you want me to drive it?” he said. “We could put a lot of the small things in the back.”

I nodded. “That’s a good idea. Could you drop me at Glenn’s? It’s faster than if I walk over there.”

“Sure,” he said. “In that case, is eight o’clock too early?”

I shook my head. “Not for me.”

Charlotte came downstairs in her coat and boots.

“I’ll see you in the morning,” I said.

She nodded. “I’ll be ready.”

Avery pulled on her hat, a purple monkey with ears and tufts of black hair. “Yeah, don’t worry, Sarah. I’ll make sure to drag Nonna out of bed in time.”

Liz made a face at her. “I’m not drinking anything with kale in it,” she said as the three of them went out the door.

Rose was winding Mr. P.’s scarf around his neck. “Rose, would you two like a ride?” I asked.