“What’s that box doing there?” Tessa asked. “I need the table.”
Sophie let out a frustrated sigh. “Might as well be a door prop. It’s full of the world’sworstmoose birthday party decorations.”
“Why? Are they that terrible?” Cadence asked, unpacking a grocery sack of produce into the fridge’s bins.
“Because this company apparently thinks Rudolph is a moose.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Wish I was.” Sophie shook her head. Now was not the time to mention the bounced check. Not in front of Tessa. As the oldest, Tessa had a tendency to try to fix everything. Though Sophie knew it came from a well-meaning place, she didn’t want the help. Or worse, the pity that might come with it. She’d make a call to her lawyer, Mr. Jenkins, later today, and figure this snafu out on her own.
After years blindly trusting someone else to take care of her and her daughter, Sophie had to prove she could do it herself.
Cadence abandoned her grocery duties to examine the disaster harbored in the oversized shipping box. “Wow, there are . . . I don’t even have words.”
“Tell me about it.” Sophie tucked her face down toward the box to hide her weariness. She wished her hair was loose from its bun to curtain the tears threatening to sting her eyes. She prided herself on being the calm, consistent one of the trio. She’d faced much worse than botched birthday decorations, but for some reason stupid Rudolph on every item was about to break her apart.
“Hey, why don’t you come with me to Anchorage Thursday?” Cadence suggested. “I have to take Rilee to the airport and I was going to do a little shopping. We’ll find something better.”
“I can’t leave Tessa—”
With a dismissive wave, Tessa stopped that. “Thursdays are slow. Beverly and I can cover the shift just fine. Go get new decorations. Those moose imposters are horrible enough to makemecry.”
Sophie was grasping at straws, afraid to lose the potential tip money. “What about the bread?”
“You can help me bake it the night before if you’re feelingthatguilty.” Tessa swiped under her eye with the back of her hand.
Tessa’s not really crying, is she?Sophie wondered.
The only thing Sophie despised more than her ex-husband was inconveniencing the people she cared about most. Tessacouldmanage just fine without her. And if she omitted that she was avoiding Denver this week, Sophie would still feel guilty taking him away from his book for a trip to Anchorage. The deadline was next week and he still had several chapters to write. “I don’t want to be a third wheel.”
“Soph, I promise it’s no trouble.” Cadence repacked the dreaded Rudolph napkins and plates, folding the flaps of the box. “It’ll be fun. We’ve both been so busy lately. It’ll be nice to slow down and catch up a bit.”
“You’re right. Thanks. That would be a great help, really.” In three days’ time, she could find the extra cash she needed for new decorations. Any refund would likely take weeks to process, so it might mean cutting into the rent deposit she’d been squirreling away. Sophie hated how she had to calculate every single dollar.
Someday, she hoped it would all be different. But she had no idea how.Too bad I’m no good at writing my own books.
“Think Denver could pick up Sophie from school?”
Having lived in Hawaii for so long, Sophie forgot how spread out everything was in Alaska. Anchorage was a two-and-a-half-hour drive each way. Even if they left after dropping Caroline off at school, it would make for a full day. “I’ll ask him.”
“Have you seen the butter?” Tessa called from the counter, riffling through unpacked grocery bags. “I need to set it out so I can start the cookies soon.”
“Isn’t this your day off?” Sophie asked.
“There are no days off in the restaurant business.”
“Tessa, Soph and I are completely capable of whipping up a couple batches of cookies per your recipe. We’ve done it before. Go home and relax. Read a book. Take a bubble bath. Go for a hike.”
The three sisters stared at each other during a long beat of silence, then in unison erupted in laughter. Though Tessa had come a long way since transitioning to small-town life, she was still learning to relax. To slow down. “Hike with the bears? No, thanks!”
“I’ll get the rest of the bags out of the trunk,” Sophie said, heading to the door. “It might be the only safe hiding spot until I can get a return shipping label. Caroline likes to explore this place more than you did as a kid,” she directed at Cadence. “And she might have a meltdown if she sees what’s inside.”
“It would be a fun joke,” Tessa mused.
“She’s turningsix, not sixteen.” Though Caroline was sharp as a tack, she didn’t take practical jokes well. They usually resulted in incessant sobbing.
“Cut her some slack,” Cadence chimed in to Sophie, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Caroline’s the only kid she’s ever been around. We can throw Tessa a bear-themed birthday party next year.”
