“She’s always at town hall meetings,” Miriam added with a distinct grumble.
“Which you know because you’re never at town meetings?” June asked innocently.
To this, Miriam gave another, even more distinct grumble.
“Wow, thank you!” Eleanor said, a touch snappishly. “This is all so helpful!” Then she crumpled. “Sorry, sorry. I’m being a jerk. It’s just that she told me that if I don’t fill out a bunch of permits, I’m going to end up buried in fines. So I was hoping to hear that actually she’s somebody who has never been right about anything.”
Diana crinkled her nose. “Ah.”
“Yeah,” Eleanor said with a sigh. “It’s stressful. But I’m trying to keep a good attitude about it all.”
“Oh, I can do you one better than that,” Miriam said. “Miss Winnie Burnett with her, yes, I admit it, impeccable sense of style, might be very knowledgeable about town bylaws, but you, Eleanor, my darling, have a secret weapon.” She gestured to herself. “Moi. I can out-busybody Miss Burnett any day of the weekandI’m retired, so I have nothing but time to help.”
“Nothing but time and forty-seven other committees,” Diana said.
“You, a busybody?” Candence said. “Never!”
“I cannot hear whippersnappers or naysayers!” Miriam declared loudly. “If you get afoul of any town laws, give me a call. I’d love to help.”
“Well, I will accept that help happily,” Eleanor said, looking relieved already. “I might have spent twenty years married to a lawyer, but that doesn’t mean I’m one myself. The word ‘bylaws’ on its own makes me break out in hives. I was going to muscle through it for the sake of making my dream come true, but…”
“But what are friends for if not helping you?” Miriam finished.
Eleanor laughed, her worries practically vanishing before June’s eyes. “Yes, exactly. Thanks, Miriam.”
The chatter turned briefly back to Eleanor’s upcoming renovation plans before the group started to turn their attention to the book they’d read for this month’s meeting. June tried to pay attention, but she found her mind drifting.
Eleanor looked so hopeful every time she talked about her bookstore, even when she was dealing with complications. June could barely remember the last time she’d felt that way about something, the last time she’d seen something she wanted and made it happen with the power in her own two hands… and the hands of some friends when she needed help.
No matter how much she tried to fight it, her mind kept drifting back to what Eleanor had said about her singing. Maybe it wouldn’t be the worst thing to go to an open mic sometime, or even grab a karaoke session with one of her friends…
She dismissed the idea again, however. It was impractical, surely.
The things she had in her life was enough. Definitely, it was enough. She didn’t need singing.
She wished she sounded a bit more convincing even in her own head.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Eleanor would never, ever dare to doubt the powers of Miriam Landers.
She hadn’t done so before, but she now had abundant evidence as to why such a thing was a terrible idea, indeed. It had taken Miriam approximately twenty-six hours to hear about Eleanor’s worries over the permit situation that Winnie had mentioned, research all the relevant town ordinances, and bring back a stack of paperwork that had to be at least two inches thick.
And certainly the woman had spent… at least part of that time sleeping, hadn’t she?
“How you doing in here, El?”
Garrett came in from the kitchen, a glass of wine in each hand. He set them both on the table, then put a warm, wide hand on the back of her neck, kneading the tight knots in her muscles that had cropped up practically the instant she’d started looking at the permits.
“Um,” she said. “Good?”
There was not a lot of confidence in her tone. Garret squeezed a little harder, and she leaned back into his touch.
“Well, I don’t think you’re going to resolve it all tonight,” he said, looking at where the papers were scattered across her dining room table. “So, maybe it’s worth taking a break. Then we’ll reassess tomorrow.”
“Aw, you said ‘we,’” she teased, smiling up at him.
“Don’t give me that look, woman,” he said, dropping into the chair behind her. “I’m helpful.”
