“It was our pleasure.” Lauren smiled at me. “And speaking of moved, you’ve done wonders, getting her home shipshape in such a short time. It ought to sell quickly. I just learned that a major communications company is moving its headquarters here, so about a hundred new people will be relocating to Wedding Tree.”
Lucky them. I added another cake-smeared paper plate to the stack in my left hand.
“Speaking of moving, Jillian called this afternoon and told me she’d accepted a teaching job in Atlanta,” Peggy said.
Everyone murmured at once.
“No!”
“Really?”
“Why?”
Peggy lifted her shoulders. “She said she wanted a fresh start.”
“She’s going to join us at the beach tomorrow!” Zoey said.
I knelt down. “It sounds like a wonderful time.”
“Yeah,” Sophie said, “But she’s movin’ away. An’ you’re moving, too.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Why does everyone have to go away?”
The lump in my throat grew bigger. “So new people can come. Maybe you’ll get new neighbors with children you can play with.”
“But they won’t give us painting lessons.”
“Or tell stories about Mr. Monkey!”
Tears tracked down both girls’ faces. My eyes were getting pretty watery, too.
“I love you, Mizz Hope,” Sophie said solemnly.
“Yeah.” Zoey nodded.
“Oh, I love you, too!” I gave them both a big hug, touched by the easy way they said the words I didn’t dare voice to their father. Their warm little bodies smelled like outdoors and cake and banana-scented sunblock, and I thought my heart might crack. I kissed their cheeks. “Have a wonderful summer.”
“Can we come see you in ’cago?”
I blinked back my tears. How was I supposed to answer that? “I’d love it if you did.”
Thank God Griff came to the rescue. “Hey, girls—who wants a piggyback ride to the car?”
“I do!”
“Me, too!”
Moods instantly elevated, both girls tried to climb on his back.
“Hey, Matt, come over and saddle up, too,” Griff called.
Matt dropped the paper plates he was gathering into the trash and came over. Sophie jumped on his back. “I’ll take them to the car, then come right back,” he said.
“You should go on home and tuck them in,” I told him. “This is the last night before their beach trip.”
He nodded. “Come over when you get through here,” he murmured to me.
Sophie hugged his neck. “Bye!” she called to me.
“Bye.” Zoey waved.
