“I startled Ms. Hayes. From her perspective, I can see how if she’s Malibu Barbie, I’m King Kong,” Joe said.
Goldie rolled her eyes again.
This man annoyed her. That was it. He annoyed her.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to introduce you and well, meet you myself.”
“No harm done, right, Ms. Hayes?”
She sniffed in answer. He could have done a better job making it clear, and Goldie had decided not to give Joe Cassidy the satisfaction of anything.
“Okay, so you all head in. I’ll touch base with Joe really quick here,” Libby said. She turned her attention to Joe. J.J. and Hope turned their focus onto Goldie.
“We have so much to catch up on. Thank goodness I made a pitcher of green juice,” J.J. said.
“Green juice?” Goldie asked.
“Don’t ask, and also, don’t drink it too fast,” Hope said.
The two women guided Goldie up to Nora House.
Goldie took a sharp breath in.
“Oh, my gosh, it still looks so beautiful.” There was simply not a better spot to see Lake Manitou than this wall of windows unless you were on that expansive lakeside porch.
“Right? Nora House doesn’t disappoint,” said Hope.
They proceeded out to the porch, and Goldie scanned the view for a moment.
“The pontoon, and oh my gosh! Our raft!”
“Right, Aunt Emma gave it all to Libby. She’s making sure it’s appointed to keep us floating and happy.”
“Libby said you’re a stylist.”
“Please, I do hair. I do it well. Calling me a stylist is a little high tone for Irish Hills.”
“Well, Libby’s hair looks amazing, and I know you’re the reason.”
“True, true.”
Hope added a dish of a creamy-looking dip to the center of crackers.
“And she tells me you own a restaurant here now.”
“I do, Hope’s Table. We’re small but mighty,” Hope said.
Libby joined them.
“What did Joe say? How’s it looking for the Two Lakes?”
“J.J., number one, thanks to Dean, we’ve got the hottest contractor I’ve ever seen working at that place,” Libby said.
“Oh, I told him, only hire silver foxes with six packs. He listened, for once.”
“You two are terrible,” Hope said.
“Well, you’ve only got eyes for the neighbor boy,” J.J. said.
