“Really? That’s kind of funny. Of course anyone can come over.”
Jane settled back in her seat and watched the passing scenery. Andie seemed quite at ease with leaving Tides unattended, but still, she sensed a bit of tension thrumming along underneath her sister’s calm demeanor.
Maybe it was just excitement over the conference, or maybe it was something else. Visions of Andie and Mike seemingly doing something behind her back and her mother’s mention of the dimensions and size bubbled up.
It was probably all her imagination. Reading the mystery books for the book club had certainly renewed her interest in mysteries. But if there really was something going on, this trip with her sister might be the perfect time to try to wheedle some information out of her.
CHAPTERTWENTY
Bunny called Liz as soon as she got home from her library meeting with Sam. She was eager to ask Liz if she could have been wrong about Mr. Smith’s town of residence, but that wasn’t going to happen right away since Liz was busy. They made plans for the following afternoon, and Bunny occupied her time with the crossword puzzles Sam had given her.
Sam was right—they were challenging. Still, Bunny had made good progress that night, and when she awoke in the morning, she finished three of them while having a cup of coffee. They weren’tthathard.
She couldn’t wait to tell Sam, so she messaged him:Crosswords are a piece of cake! Completed the first three already.
After a few minutes, she got a reply:Good work. Try the one on page 98. That’s a doozy.
Sam was right. Itwasa doozy. After working on it for a few hours, Bunny decided to get to her painting. She’d finished the one with the shells and had started a seascape with waves crashing on the rocks.
She mixed up some shades of brown using burnt umber, yellow ochre, and white and started painting the rocks using the side of her palette knife to replicate the sharp edges.
Over the next few hours, she only took a few breaks to check her phone to see if Sam had messaged her again. Not that she was waiting around for him to strike up a conversation or invite her out or anything. They already had plans to meet again tomorrow after she talked to Liz, but she couldn’t resist checking in, just in case he’d thought up something new they should try. Apparently, he hadn’t, since no further texts came.
She was setting out some molasses cookies and getting the kettle ready for tea when she heard Liz tapping on the slider door.
Bunny rushed over to open it. “Come on in. I baked some cookies.”
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that!” Liz stopped at the painting. “How lovely!”
Bunny felt a flush of pride. “Thanks!”
Liz stepped into the kitchen, her eyes widening at the plate of cookies. She sniffed the air. “Bunny, these smell amazing!”
Bunny inhaled the aroma of sugar, spice, and molasses as she turned up the burner under the kettle. “I love baking—it’s so therapeutic for me.”
Liz took a seat at the table and reached for a cookie. “Don’t let Claire find out. She might get worried.”
Bunny laughed as she fixed the tea. “I doubt that, but it’s still fun. So, what have you been up to?”
Liz smiled. “I was busy mailing some things I found in the basement to my sister and brother.”
Liz was still cleaning stuff out from her childhood home and often sent some of the sentimental discoveries to her siblings.
“That’s nice. I’m sure they appreciate that.” Bunny sat at the table and dipped her tea bag into the mug of steaming water. Normally, she loved this neighborly chitchat, but today, she wanted to get right to the point.
“And I had another little errand.” Liz took her time adding sugar and cream to the tea. Bunny was almost ready to prompt her when she said, “I stopped by the animal rescue to look at the dogs.”
“You did! Oh, that’s so exciting. Did you get one?”
Liz shook her head. “No, not yet.”
“How come?”
Liz sighed. “I want to adopt the perfect dog, and there are so many to choose from! I’ve been going every day to visit them, and I just can’t make up my mind.”
“I know exactly how you feel. I’ve thought about getting one, too, but I’m not sure exactly what kind I should get.” Bunny thought about Dooley. She wanted a dog just like Dooley. He was quiet, obedient, and lovable.
“So anyway, enough about me. What’s going on with you? Did I hear you had a date?”
