“You’re not turning my life upside down,” I tell the kitten. “No way.”
With that, I promptly close the door and head out into the late afternoon.
A gentle breeze tickles my face, and I breathe in the roses growing in Mr. Paxton’s yard. Kids play hockey in the street, and Mrs. Jensen and Mrs. Polly sit on Mrs. Polly’s porch drinking tea and sharing daily gossip. It’s almost too idyllic to be real, and I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I walk down the street. I love this quaint community. It’s a little slice of heaven on an island.
Or maybe that’s just how I’m seeing things lately. The last three days, I’ve felt like I’ve been walking on air and wearing a constant smile. Though Sebastian only left me with a couple of kisses and leftover pizza, we’ve been texting constantly every day, and tonight, our schedules finally align. We’re going on our first date.
Grinning to myself, I take the shortcut through the laundromat parking lot and then zip down an alleyway. It deposits me right in downtown, where I jog across the street to Knit Happens.
The bell above Knit Happens’ door chimes as I push inside, fifteen minutes late. My hands still ache from this morning’s dyeing session—I pushed through three custom orders despite the warning twinges in my knuckles. The familiar scent of wool and lavender sachets wraps around me like a hug.
It’s my haven, a place where understanding and support reign. Even though we’ve only been gathering for half a year, these women feel like my soul sisters in a way I can’t fully put into words.
“There she is!” Alexis looks up from her crochet hook, silver bangles jangling. “We heard about you and the hunky vet.”
“What?” I nearly drop my bag. I haven’t even told Hannah about Sebastian yet; I wanted to wait until we were face-to-face.
Hannah laughs and shakes her head. “Pine Island.”
I roll my eyes and sigh. Yeah. That sounds about right. This entire town is one huge gossip hub. There’s always someone watching, waiting to pass on juicy tidbits whether you want them to or not. Absolutely nothing stays private here.
“So, what’s going on?” Maya asks, eyes big. “How long have you been seeing each other? How come you didn’t tell us about him?”
Hannah and I exchange a knowing look. Even if I had been seeing Sebastian for a while, I might not have brought him up ina crafting session right away. It’s been years since a man was a permanent fixture in my life, and that’s by my own design.
“Spill,” Devin demands, patting the cushion beside her. “Every detail.”
“We haven’t even had an official date. He brought over some supplies for the kitten and stayed for pizza, which was completely unplanned. We’re going out tonight.”
I walk over to the tea station and select chamomile then switch to green instead. Need caffeine for tonight. For Sebastian. My stomach does that annoying flutter thing.
“How do you all even know about this?” I sink onto the floor cushion, legs protesting the movement.
“Cynthia saw you walking into the vet the other morning when she was driving to school.” Hannah looks up from her knitting project, and I catch a brief look of hurt flash across her face.
“And then Rach—her cousin works with Cynthia—said it was a complete meet-cute between you and Sebastian,” May adds with a grin.
“And who is Rach?” I glance around at all the smiling faces, my head spinning.
“A tech at the vet’s,” Devin says, matter-of-fact. “She’s a good friend of Sebastian’s. Says he’s a great guy.”
“Ah.” I nod. “Got it.” The lady with the burgundy-streaked hair sitting behind the counter.
“Did you find the kitten a home yet?” Hannah’s subject change feels like a life raft.
“You want her? Though Barkley might use her as a chew toy.”
“Pass.” She laughs, but it sounds forced.
“Good point.” I nod, avoiding her gaze, feeling bad that I sent her a picture of the kitten but didn’t mention Sebastian. And now here we are, with everyone already knowing, when I had hoped to get here early and talk to her privately about him first.
I’m sure she understands, though. Ever since she and Michael got together, her life has been extra busy. Albeit, in a way very different from mine. Now, she has family dinners, school pickups to grab Michael’s daughter, Katie, and a new puppy that needs walks three times a day.
With her family life taking up so much time, I haven’t felt guilty about accepting extra orders or staying home to live stream on the nights when Hannah and I used to “stitch and bitch”—as we called it—at her old house. Now, though, I wonder if I’ve been spending too much time focusing on my own stuff. A stab of guilt hits as I realize how out of touch I suddenly am with my best friend.
“This is the first date you’ve been on in a while, right?” Devin sips her tea, her brown eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Yeah. It is.”
