The blush on Andrea’s cheeks turned into a raging fire. “We’re friends.”
“Of course you are,” Diana said with a glare at her sisters. “Now, tell us about the boys. Katie said the story they’re writing is wonderful.”
“They’re putting a lot of time and effort into it. I’m incredibly proud of them.”
“I would be, too,” Diana said quietly.
Andrea knew some of the story behind her friend’s sudden arrival in Sapphire Bay. Diana’s marriage had been as horrible as hers. She’d fled her husband with her dog, Charlie, and a lot of guilt and embarrassment. Meeting Ethan in Sapphire Bay had changed her entire life.
With the last pin slipping into the hem on Barbara’s dress, Andrea sighed. If Diana could find her happy ever after, there might be hope for her, too. But the thought of letting another man that close to her and the boys was terrifying.
David parked his truck in front of The Welcome Center. Before he flew back to Manhattan, he wanted to speak to Pastor John. Last Christmas, BioTech had sponsored five college scholarships. With more funding for next year, Pastor John would coordinate the new application process.
Kylie, the owner of Blooming Lovely, a flower shop in Sapphire Bay, parked beside him. Carefully, she swung her legs out of the truck and slid onto the asphalt. “Don’t mind me,” she said to him. “It takes a little longer to get anywhere nowadays.”
Her baby bump had grown so much that he was surprised she could fit behind the steering wheel. “If you’re taking anything into The Welcome Center, I could carry it for you.”
“That’s very sweet, but I’ll be okay.” She opened the back passenger door and took out two large containers. “These aren’t heavy. I made a double batch of chocolate chip cookies this morning. I thought they might come in handy for tomorrow.”
“Is something special happening?”
She shook her head. “Not special in the sense you mean. The students in the hospitality class make lunch for the children who go to The Welcome Center’s programs. They always appreciate some extra home baking.”
“I’m sure they do.” David held out his hands. “I know what you said, but I’d like to carry the containers. Otherwise, I’ll be worried about you tripping over something.”
Kylie frowned. “Have you been talking to Ben?”
“You’ve tripped over before?”
“Only once, and it wasn’t a biggie. Luckily, Andrea and Paris were with me.”
He wasn’t sure her husband would see it as lucky. “It’s just as well I’m here then, isn’t it?”
Reluctantly, she handed him the cookies. “I thought you were going back to Manhattan today. Have your plans changed?”
“How did you know when I was leaving?”
“Don’t worry. News travels fast, especially if you tell Mabel anything.”
That made sense. He’d seen Mabel in the general store the other day. The questions she’d asked him didn’t seem out of the ordinary, but she remembered everything. “I’m flying home this afternoon, but I wanted to talk to John before I left.”
As they walked toward the center, David kept a careful eye on Kylie. He’d met her and her husband, Ben, at their Christmas tree farm last December. As well as selling high-quality trees, their gift shop was one of the best he’d seen.
This year, BioTech was buying all their corporate holiday gifts from them. Everyone was excited, including Ben. Finding new markets for their locally produced gifts benefited everyone.
Kylie opened The Welcome Center’s front door. “Are you looking forward to going home?”
“I’ll be happy to finish a few of the projects I’ve put on hold, but I’ll miss Sapphire Bay.”
“Once you’ve been here for a while it’s hard to leave. I thought I’d miss San Francisco when I left, but this is so much better.” As soon as they were inside, she held out her hands. “I can take the cookies now.”
David shook his head. “If you trip, Ben won’t be happy. Are we taking them to the kitchen?”
Kylie sent him the same look Andrea did when she was annoyed. “We are. But just to make it perfectly clear, I can still do everything I did before I was pregnant.”
A sound coming from the end of the hallway saved him from answering. A large, fluffy gray cat raced toward them with something dangling from his mouth.
Charlie and three other children were running after him.
