Page 7 of Buckle Up, Buttercup

My youngest brother is the quietest Tucker, and that suits him fine. He’s observant and actually thinks before he speaks, a character trait the rest of us didn’t inherit. Of my three brothers, he’s the most likely to help with this project of Shadow’s to brighten up downtown Pine Gulch’s main drag.

Personally, I think it’s already perfect despite the dirt street and railroad tracks running up the middle of it. It’s home. But if Shadow wants to make it a little brighter, that’s fine, too.

“You got it,” I promise, flashing her a final smile before turning to face the building to my right. I let out a sigh of excitement at seeing the Buxom Bodice Outfitter in a new light, knowing she’s all mine.

The building’s gorgeous with dark paneled siding and red window trim. A door on the right side leads to the Whiskey Business Saloon. But the left and the two apartments on the second story? Those belong to me now.

A deer with giant boobs winks down from a wooden sign that announces the shop as the Buxom Bodice. Bright cowboy boots, turquoise jewelry and trappings, and silver belt buckles shine from the huge singular front window. The building’s quiet as I stand there, but her longtime owner just sold her to me, so it’ll be an adjustment, I’m sure. Like all the buildings in Pine Gulch, she’s got a big, saucy personality.

“Hey, sweet girl,” I say softly, stepping forward to run my fingertips up the front door admiringly. My black magic pings and twitches, and tiny sparks fly from my fingers. The front door creaks and groans, an angry sound that has me cocking my head to the side as a warning sensation fills my chest. My magic shouldn’t hurt her—it’s meant for healing.

Shadow joins me. “She snapping at you, Bloob?”

I stick the key in the door and unlock it. Yet when I push on the glossy red surface, it doesn’t open. Frowning, I push a little harder. It gives way quickly, and I stumble forward, falling onto matte rust-colored entry tiles.

Shadow jumps to my side and grabs me by the elbow, helping me upright. When I stand, wincing at the pain in my kneecaps, she gives me a concerned look. “You okay?”

I nod. “Guess that door’s a little bit stuck. I’ll have to work on that. Thank gods I can fix her right up.”

“Yeah,” Shadow murmurs, glancing up at the ceiling as the Bodice lets out a grumbly, unhappy-sounding groan. Shadow turns to me with a forced smile. “Okay, I’m gonna leave you to it because I’m off to meet Dain. Comm me if you need me?”

A thumbs-up is my answer, and she heads back out the door, which opens easily, the bell above it dinging to announce her departure.

Looking around the store, I admire how beautiful she is. Shoe boxes are stacked floor to ceiling on the left-hand side. Displays of jewelry, shoes, and western-style clothing fill the space in long rows leading to the checkout counter and changing rooms toward the back. I haven’t been in the storage section yet, but that’s where all the extra product sits, and I purchased everything in stock from Rebekah, the prior owner.

“Hey, Bodice,” I say softly. “We’ve met many times over the years, of course, but I’m so proud to be in partnership with you going forward.”

Silence.

I frown.

The Buxom Bodice has always been such a friendly building, greeting me warmly every time I’ve entered, and I’ve lived in Pine Gulch my entire life. This silence seems almost hostile. But then I consider how the woman who literally started this business sold it and left, and I don’t know how the building might be feeling. Left behind, perhaps. Of course, if Rebekah didn’t have a brand new grandbaby I’m sure she’d never have left PG. Sometimes plans change depending on what life throws at you.

Walking to the nearest wall, I rest my hand on the wooden planks. They shudder beneath my fingertips, and my magic sparks again.

She’s unhappy. Deeply unhappy. But that’s not a thing I can fix with my black magic like I can other building ailments—termites, foundation issues, stuff like that. This is emotional, and that’s as complicated for haven buildings as it is for humans and monsters.

The heart is a prickly, noncompliant patient on the best of days.

I’m about to attempt reassuring her when the door swings open again, and my three brothers burst through with hoots and hollers. Jasper and Jack raise the roof as they come in like twin bulldozers—black hair, green eyes, that same olive skin we all got from our mother, Elena. Jace comes in quietly behind them, as observant as ever with his arms crossed. His upturned nose is covered in freckles, his hair a paler shade of brown like mine. Well, when I don’t use my magic to recolor it to royal blue, my favorite color in the literal entire world.

“So?!” Jasper yanks me to his chest for a hug. “You did it? The Bodice is yours?!”

“Mmph, yeah…” I manage with my face smashed into his broad, muscular chest. My older twin brothers stand two heads taller than me. Even for humans, they’re big. But Jace? Jace is normal-sized like me—he barely breaks six feet.

When the building lets out a series of angry squeaks, all three brothers look up and around.

Jack turns to me with a surprised look. “Okayyyy then. Was gonna say congrats to you both, but it seems like maybe I should just say, ‘Hey, girls, it’s gonna be fine’?”

The Bodice falls into silence, and I shrug. “Big changes for everyone. I walked in the door sixty seconds ago.”

“You mean fell through,” Jack says with a playful wink. “We were across the street watching.”

I resist the urge to slap any brother I can reach. Jace rolls his eyes at the older two but then smirks at me.

When I’m released from the prison of my brother’s overexuberant embrace, I pull back and smile wryly. “Aren’t you three supposed to be at the Rhubarb Ranch right now? You had an appointment and⁠—”

“Don’t worry,” Jace says softly, smiling. “They’re running behind from grabbing stuff at the Feed Shop. We figured we had enough time to come congratulate you two.” He looks up and around the quiet ceiling of the Bodice. “So…umm, congratulations?”