Page 9 of Foxer Upper (Harmony Glen #8)

MAGGIE

Harmony Glen has provided me with an opportunity, and I’m happy to take it. Thanks to the upcoming Harvest Festival and its craft contest, I can sort of kill two birds with one stone, work-wise.

I need content for my socials, of course, but I always have the reno for that. But to switch it up, I’m going to do a thrift flip. And the best part is that when it’s done, I’m entering it in the craft contest, where I think I might have a good chance at winning.

The festival is a big deal in Harmony Glen; there are all sorts of booths, vendors, and competitions. Most of the town comes out to play, and I’ll be no exception. And when it’s all done, I plan to go home with a blue ribbon, or a trophy, or whatever the award is.

Which means I have to make something good, and if it’s a flip, I have to put enough into it to prove that I really did something crafty. All of this is why I’m currently at Nifty Thrifty, browsing around to see what I can find.

Like many businesses in town, it’s a converted house, which suits the aesthetic quite well.

It’s painted a cheery cornflower blue and there are window boxes that still have some lingering flowers in them.

Inside, the layout lends itself to the stock: bathroom stuff in the former bathroom, bedroom items in the former bedrooms, etc.

I’ve been here a few times and the store is meticulously organized and very curated; from what I can tell, the displays get refreshed each week.

As expected, the place carries typical thrift store stock: home decor, knickknacks, clothing and accessories, kitchenware and cookware, furniture, and more.

It's the furniture section that has my attention at the moment, because I’m pretty sure I just spotted a treasure. I scurry over to what I’m positive is an antique desk.

It has gorgeous lines and is a great size—small, but not tiny.

It needs work; the top is scuffed and scratched, one of the drawers is hanging askew, and most of the hardware is missing.

Still, I can see the potential, and for $10.

00, it’s worth it. I snatch the tag off of it and continue browsing, considering exactly what I can do with the desk.

It’s not until I’m wandering around a section of small home décor items that my plan comes together.

First, I find an arched mirror that is taller than it is wide.

Then, tucked into a corner, I score two identical square mirrors.

None of the mirrors have any kind of framing or trim; they’re basically just pieces of glass.

But combined with the desk, a vision is forming.

I grab a few more items—an ornate brass candleholder that I can use my coupon on, a set of sheets that has potential as curtains, and some vintage knobs and handles. I take my finds to the checkout counter.

Victoria, the bubbly Black woman who owns the store, smiles at my selection. “Seems like you found some good stuff today!”

“I did, but then, I always do. You always have good stuff here.”

She beams even brighter. “Thanks for that. I work pretty hard to make sure we aren’t offering junk. It means a lot of time sifting through donations and garage sales, but I wouldn’t give it up for anything. It’s the best.”

“I know what you mean,” I say. “Scouring until you find the perfect treasure is a special thrill.”

“Yes! You get it.” She rings me up and helps me load the desk into my vehicle.

Once I have everything loaded, I swing by Harmony Hardware to pick up a few more things: extra sandpaper for my circular sander, some spray paint, some stain, and several pieces of decorative trim and wood appliqués.

Gabe is manning the store, as usual, and it occurs to me that I’ve never seen any other employees there. He must have them; it would be insane to run the place completely on his own. But he puts in his fair share of time, that’s for sure.

Gabe spots me immediately, and is it my imagination, or does his face light up when we make eye contact?

“Maggie, hi!”

“Hey, Gabe. How are things?” The hardware store is busy today, but all his attention seems focused on me.

“Everything’s good. What can I help you with?”

I show him my list, and he guides me around the store, helping me make my selections. It’s not really necessary; I know where everything is by now. But who am I to turn down his company?

I hear the ding of the register and spot a young man with dark skin and hair helping people check out, which confirms my suspicion: other people do, in fact, work here.

Once I have everything I need, Gabe takes over the register to check me out. “Miguel, I’ve got this. You can go on break,” he says, dismissing his employee. The kid nods and wanders off, and Gabe focuses on me.

“Working on a new project?”

“Mmm-hmm, but it’s a secret. You’ll have to wait and see what I’m up to.”

“A secret? How mysterious. I can’t even get a clue?”

“All I’ll say is that I’m working on something for the Harvest Festival craft contest.”

“Interesting,” he replies. “Hey, would you want to get coffee sometime this week?”

Like…a date? A girl can hope. I nod as warmth suffuses me. “There’s nothing I’d like better.”

“Good. I’ll text you.”

“I’m looking forward to it.” It’s true. I am. There’s something about him that keeps me coming back, that’s for sure. More than my certainty that he knows exactly how to work a tool, that is. Ahem.

MAGGIE

At home, I let stain stripper sit on the desk for an hour before scraping it all off. When it’s ready, I tune the house stereo to Monster Radio and stream it to my headphones. Nothing helps drown out the monotony of sanding like good music.

Asher, the evening DJ, has an equal love for classic rock and classic literature, so I’m not always sure what to expect when I turn on the radio. Luckily, he’s blasting good tunes tonight, and I belt out Sweet Emotion alongside Aerosmith, all without missing a word.

Steven Tyler and Joe Perry are immediately followed by the smooth countertenor of Steve Perry, which makes me laugh. Their names sound like two people merged into one and formed a new band. Journey encourages me to not stop believin’, and I sing-shout along to that one too.

I’ve made good progress when my phone lights up. I check it to see a text from Laney.

Everything is a mess. Can I come stay with you?

Of course!

Things aren’t going well for her lately, and if I can cheer her up, I’ll do it in a heartbeat.

I clean up my work stuff immediately. Within an hour, my best friend arrives, looking worse for the wear. She’s normally the most cheerful person I know, but everything about her right now is glum. Even her hair seems less shiny. I immediately envelop her in a hug and pull her inside. Poor thing.

When her business—the tea shop of her dreams, inspired by her late mother—went under recently, she not only lost her livelihood, she lost the lease on the apartment above it.

Now she’s depressed, unemployed, and homeless. Which is why I quickly settle her on my couch. In minutes, she has a purring Jasper on her lap.

“Get comfy.” I turn on the TV and fire up my favorite streaming service, flipping to the comedy menu. I pass Laney the remote. “Pick whatever you want. I’ll make popcorn. And get wine.”

Laney and I have been best friends for most of our lives. We kept in touch while I was away, of course, but it’s been ages since we had a good old-fashioned girls’ night. It sucks that everything in her life is going wrong, but I’m still grateful to spend some time with her.

When I get back to the couch, arms loaded with popcorn, glasses, and a bottle of wine, Laney has settled on a movie called Spellbound, which seems to be about a witch and her humorous mishaps at finding true love.

“I love this cat,” Laney says as I sit down. “He’s so snuggly.” True enough, Jasper has turned himself into a fluffy donut on her lap, and is purring so hard we have to turn up the volume on the movie.

MAGGIE

Two weeks later, Laney has long since dusted herself off and moved out, much happier than she was when her shop closed.

She’s been mostly incommunicado, but I suspect she’s doing more than fine.

Dorvak the baker reached out to her, and the two of them have been spending every spare minute together.

Which means it’s time for me to refocus on my projects.

I head into Harmony Hardware with yet another shopping list, and my body homes in on Gabe like a missile.

He’s leaning against the counter, all tall and lean, staring at his phone and grumbling.

I’ve never really thought about his height, but he’s got probably six or seven inches on me. And I’m almost 5’10”.

“Those racist, bigoted, monster-hating bastards!”

“Gabe?”

He glances up absently. “Oh, hey, vixen.”

That fully stops in my tracks. He has a nickname for me? “Vixen?”

He pauses and focuses on me. “Oh, Maggie, hi…” He seems flustered, like maybe he spoke without thinking. “Um, sorry about that. It’s a vulpine thing. Just…never mind.”

My mouth turns up in a half grin at his discomfiture. “Nope. What does it mean?”

He shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. I was distracted and it just kind of slipped out.”

All the more reason to get the scoop. I walk up to him and place my hand on his arm. “Gabe, please tell me what it means. Pretty please?” I bat my eyelashes in an exaggerated way, and he chuckles.

“Don’t make me explain,” he pleads.

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll go look it up. Might as well get it over with.”

He wrinkles his nose, and if I had to guess, I’d say he’s embarrassed. It’s frustrating and unfair that his fur prevents him from blushing. We should all be so lucky. “It’s what vulpine men call their…partners. Girlfriends, wives, whatever.”

“Oh,” I say, not expecting that. “Is that how you think of me?”

“Maggie, it was just a slip of the tongue. Please don’t make a big deal out of it.”

Not a chance, buddy. “Gabe, it’s fine. I actually like that you have a special name for me. And if it slipped out on accident, it might mean that’s how you see me. Subconsciously, anyway,” I say quietly. It’s how I want him to see me, of course, but I shouldn’t press too hard.

He sighs and shifts, taking both of my arms in his hands. “Okay, fine. Cards on the table. I do have feelings for you. I’m attracted to you. More than I expected to be. But I have a less than stellar dating history, so no pressure, okay?”

I nod. “I get it. We can talk about it later. But if you want to call me vixen, I don’t mind. In fact, I kinda like it. Now, tell me why you were cussing at your phone.”

He rolls his eyes. “Ugh. The assholes who own the Homecraft chain of giant hardware stores are considering adding a location only 10 miles from here.”

“And that’s bad for your business, because they’d be major competition. Right?”

“Yeah, but that’s not all. They’re openly and vehemently anti-monster.

They only carry tools designed for humans and their ads don’t disguise how they feel about the various monster species.

They’re racist and they don’t even try to hide it.

To build this close to Harmony Glen, which has been welcoming from day one… it’s offensive.”

I frown. “Well, that’s gross. You said it’s something under consideration? So it’s not a done deal, yet?”

“I don’t think so,” he says, shaking his head, scanning the article he has open. “But it’s not like I have the power to stop them.”

“Maybe, maybe not,” I say, an idea forming in my mind. “Would you be willing to appear on my social channels again?”

“Sure,” he says, sounding confused. “Why?”

“I have close to 800,000 followers, and most of them spend a good deal of time in hardware stores. If we make a video explaining what Homecraft is doing and why we’re upset, we might be able to persuade my followers not to shop there.

Nothing convinces a business to listen to consumer complaints like affecting their bottom line. ”

A slow, sexy grin spreads across his face. ““You’re not just gorgeous, you’re a genius, vixen.”

Well. With a reaction like that, I certainly feel like one.

MAGGIE

Once I get the supplies I need from him, I go home and plan my content immediately.

I don’t think framing it as anti-Homecraft is really the right move, at least not as an opener.

The better plan is to add to my diversity series and highlight why inclusivity benefits everyone.

If I happen to mention stores that aren't inclusive near the end of the video, well, that’s just part of presenting a complete picture, isn’t it?

Feeling inspired, I grab my vlog camera and head into town.

I go to Cool Beans first and explain to Gillian what I’m doing.

She agrees to be featured on camera, so I shoot a few minutes with her and then head to the bakery.

Dorvak will never agree to participate if I ask him, but luckily for me, I know his weak spot.

“Laney,” I say, hurrying to the counter. “I need a favor.”

She shoots me her wide, cheerful smile. “Hey, Mags. What’s up?”

“I need Dorvak to appear on my socials. Really briefly. He doesn’t even have to talk. He can be in the background while I talk to you.” I explain what I’m doing, and she nods enthusiastically.

She heads into the kitchen, and a few minutes later, she emerges, Dorvak in tow. As agreed, he briefly lurks in the background while I chat on camera with my bestie.

I scurry around town, talking with other monsters who are willing to appear on camera. Mack agrees, as does Seb, the gorgon librarian. Spenser, the mothman who owns Moonbeam Books, is shy, but he gives me a few brief comments.

I manage to catch Arman, the town’s friendly genie, who is more than happy to contribute. I even spot Dr. Khoran, who’s out walking Nugget, and get his thoughts. The adorable little dragon is an extra perk that will be great for content.

Once I have my footage, I hurry back home to put it all together and film my own parts.

Then the tedious task of editing begins.

The video begins to take shape as I work in their comments: Gillian’s appreciation for tools that work with her talon hands, Spenser’s need for items that accommodate his wings, Mack’s preference for large and easy-to-manipulate tools, especially when he’s in his bear form.

Laney discusses her partnership with Dorvak and how it made both businesses more successful—as well as his need for extra-large potholders and spatulas.

I intercut the whole thing with scenes from around town, showing how peaceful and neighborly Harmony Glen is. And then I mention Homecraft and how it plans to open nearby, bringing its bigotry with it.

Overall, I’m happy with how it all turns out, and once it’s polished, I don’t waste any time uploading it.