Aster:
I’m still laughing about Chip’s reaction to Lolly’s entry.
Aster? The flower shop owner.
Lolly:
I know. He’s insane. He was holding the article spotlighting my peppermint bark. He knew, but he just wanted to cause a scene. I swear he lives for trying to infuriate me.
Lolly? The candy store owner.
The women that waved.
Are they…my friends?
Aster:
So insane! Claire, it looks like you and your hubby have your work cut out for you.
Lolly:
For real! We looked for you outside Stella’s after the meeting, but you’d both disappeared. How are you feeling about having to judge this year?
Muting the text thread, I don’t respond. I can barely find people who want to be my friend in New York. The last thing I’m going to do is make friends with fictional people.
Nope. Not happening.
Chapter 20: Touché
Everett
Stella’s vague statements might as well be riddles with no answer because I have no idea what they mean or how to solve them so we can go back to New York. I’m not used to not having the answer. As captain, I lead my team, but I feel like I’m completely floundering when it comes to leading us home. The last thing I want is to disappoint her.
Her mouth falls open as she stares at something on her phone.
“Whatcha looking at?” I ask as she sets her phone on the table, screen side down.
“A couple of the girls from the meeting are texting me.” She massages her temples and physically shakes off whatever thought is in her head.
“Did you respond?”
“No, I don’t even know who they are.”
I shrug. “Doesn’t mean you have to ignore them.”
“If strangers were texting you, would you respond?” Her gaze flicks upward as she takes a deep breath, reaching for her mug.
“To them we aren’t strangers,” I whisper. “Maybe they have information that could help us.”
“This is all too much,” she says, sliding her phone off the table and putting it into her coat pocket.
“I know it’s a lot, but we got?—”
“Here we go,” Ruth says, approaching our table with our plates. She sets them down and then hands me a syrup container from an unused table behind her.
I cover my toast with the sticky substance and then pass it to Claire.
“Can I get you anything else?” Ruth asks.
