“Nothing.” Kathleen smiled. “It’s just nice to see this side of you. I don’t often see the Lynda who buys periwinkle dresses and silver earrings on impulse.”
Lynda felt her cheeks warm. “Blame Isabel. She’s a terrible influence when it comes to shopping.”
“I don’t think it’s Isabel’s influence,” Kathleen said softly. “I think it’s Sapphire Bay. You’re different here, freer somehow.”
Lynda couldn’t quite meet her friend’s eyes. There was too much truth in what Kathleen was saying. Shewasdifferent here—less guarded, more willing to step outside the careful boundaries she’d drawn around her life in Denver.
“Well, whatever the reason,” Lynda said, reaching for her silver bracelet, “I’m wearing this dress.”
Kathleen looked triumphant. “Matt won’t know what hit him.”
“This isn’t about Matt,” Lynda insisted, even as a traitorous part of her mind wondered what he might think of the dress.
“If you say so,” Kathleen replied. “Have you spoken to Robert at your clinic?”
“I did,” Lynda said with a heavy dose of relief. “I sorted the staffing issues with a Zoom call to everyone and a promise I’d fly to Denver next month.”
Kathleen grinned. “Yeah, for modern technology.” She glanced at her watch. “Isabel should be here with Frank and Tommy any minute. She texted that they’re on their way to pick us up.”
Lynda frowned. “I thought you’d be going with Patrick.” Not long after Kathleen arrived in Sapphire Bay, she’d met PatrickDevlin, one of the foremen on the tiny home project. They’d become firm friends and spent a lot of time together.
Kathleen shook her head. “He’s on babysitting duties while his grandsons and their wives have a date night at the fundraiser. I’ll meet you in the living room when you’re ready.”
The doorbell rang just as Lynda was applying a final touch of lipstick.
“They’re here!” Kathleen called from the hallway. “I’ll let them in while you finish up.”
Lynda took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. The woman staring back at her looked both familiar and like a stranger. She had the same silver hair and blue eyes, but there was a brightness to her expression she hadn’t seen in years.
She grabbed her small silver clutch and headed to the living room, where voices and laughter greeted her. Isabel stood by the window in a deep green dress that looked beautiful with her blonde hair. Frank was beside her, dressed in a sports coat and an open-collared shirt, looking handsome and relaxed. Tommy, fidgeting in his “dress-up” outfit of khaki trousers and a blue button-down shirt, was the first to notice her entrance.
“Wow, Dr. Morth!” Tommy exclaimed. “You look pretty!”
The others turned, and Isabel’s face lit up with delight. “I told you that dress was perfect. You look absolutely gorgeous.”
Frank nodded in agreement. “Tommy’s right. You look lovely, Lynda.”
“Thank you all,” Lynda said, feeling a warm flush rise to her cheeks at their genuine compliments.
Isabel approached, adjusting one of Lynda’s silver earrings slightly. “These are perfect with your dress. I’m so glad you bought them.”
“I wouldn’t have noticed them without you pointing them out to me,” Lynda replied with a smile.
Kathleen emerged from the kitchen, elegant in a floral dress that looked perfect on her. “Sorry to keep everyone waiting! I just needed to grab my jacket.”
“You’re right on time,” Isabel assured her. “You might need to grab a jacket, too, Lynda. It’s just started to rain.”
Tommy tugged at Frank’s sleeve. “Can we go now, Grandpa? You said there’d be ice cream.”
Frank ruffled Tommy’s hair with affection. “Yes, there’ll be ice cream. And yes, we can go now.” He turned to the women. “Your chariot awaits, ladies.”
As they filed out to Frank’s SUV, Isabel shared her umbrella with Lynda. “When I dropped off the books, Matt turned on the lights you hung in the barn. They look amazing.”
“Everyone worked hard,” Lynda replied with a smile. “Matt and Carol have organized other events at the barn, so they knew the best way to arrange everything.”
Isabel leaned closer to Lynda. “Matt seems quite interested in you.”
Lynda shrugged. “He’s interested in a lot of people.”
