She smiles up at me and holds up a swath of an intricate black-and-white knitted pattern. She studies my face and nods, looking pleased. “This will look really good on you.”
I grin. “Love you.”
“Oh, I love you more than I can say,” she says.
I head back to the house to get ready for work, and for the first time in a while, I’m not restless.
I’m ready.
Maybe not to tell Jackson quite yet, but to show Juju the depth of what I’m feeling.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
THE MERRIER
JULIANA
Erin texts in our girls’ thread late the next afternoon.
Erin
Girls’ night? I didn’t get my fix at the broomball game.
I’m halfway through wiping down the countertop at The Kitty-Corner when I read it, and I can practically hear her voice in my head—dramatic, whiny, and always amused. Goldie’s perched on a stool at the counter, hair in a messy bun, sipping a hot cocoa.
“Girls’ night, huh?” She waves her phone.
“Sounds good to me,” I say.
“It’s perfect timing,” she says, snapping her fingers. “Oh wait, can Ava come? We were supposed to hang out together tonight.”
She texts the question to Erin too.
“Of course,” I say before Erin can even weigh in. A second later my phone dings.
Erin
The more the merrier. Does this mean I have to be on my best behavior, though?
Goldie and I laugh.
Goldie
I think she’s been around you enough by now to know your vibe.
Goldie and I wait for a minute, expecting a retort from Erin, but it doesn’t come right away, and when she texts again, it isn’t what we’re expecting.
Erin
Should we go to The Hungry Walleye? Break tradition and show Ava something a little nicer than The Loon?
Goldie
But The Loon is our headquarters. It’s where we go. And besides, Ava has already been to both places by now. It’s not like there is a plethora of choices in Windy Harbor.
Erin
Will she think we’re not cultured if we go to The Loon?
