She smiled. “Ah, yes, that happens too.” She took the form and put it on her desk, rapping sharply as if to indicate that she would get to it swiftly the next morning.
“Thank you, Miss Elsa,” he said, hurrying to leave so the woman could also get to the remainder of her evening.
“Goodnight, Mr. Meadows!” she called back.
Tyler still had to go home to an empty apartment. He still didn’t know if things with Cadence could be repaired. His future was still a big question mark with no answers in sight.
But he was going to chaperone his daughter’s field trip. He was going to have a wonderful day with her at the cove.
And for today, that was victory enough.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
It was a rare day that June didn’t have to be at one job or another at lunch time, and even rarer that such a thing occurred while Benjamin was safely off at school. So, when the opportunity arose on Friday, she invited Cadence and Eleanor to lunch, as Diana was occupied in the store and Miriam was at one of her countless social obligations.
“Should we meet at the diner?” Cadence teased when June spoke to her on the phone.
“Oh my goodness, bite your tongue!” June laughed. The diner had good food, but eating there socially had lost some of its shine after June had started working there. “No, I’m calling it. Anchor Bistro. That’s where we’re going.”
“Anchor Bistro it is,” Cadence agreed. Eleanor too, was agreeable, so the trio gathered around noon for a much-needed break, chat, and meal.
“Ineeda Reuben,” June declared as she sat down. “I don’t know why, but Ineedit.”
“I know why,” Cadence said, flipping through her menu. “It’s because you’re a smart lady with good taste. I also want that.”
Eleanortsked. “Oh fine, be super decisive and quick,” she jokingly complained. “I’m going to do my usual thing andagonize over the choices on the menu until I twist myself up, thank you very much.” She pointed at the menu. “Like this. Should I get the seared salmon over the mixed grain salad, or should I get the roasted vegetables with halloumi?”
Cadence covered her ears. “Stop saying delicious things! You’re going to ruin my decisiveness!”
“Not me,” June said. “I’m Reuben all the way. Stay strong, Cadence, you can do it.”
Eleanor teased Cadence by reading off various menu options, each more mouthwatering than the last, while June cheered her on about staying on “team Reuben” like she was a sports coach. Eventually, Cadence shot a glare at each of them and compromised by getting half a sandwich with a cup of corn chowder on the side. June stayed true to her original plan, while Eleanor eventually opted to bypass both of her original ideas. Instead, she ordered a summer orzo with roast corn, blistered cherry tomatoes, and rich chunks of feta.
“Okay, so what’s new with everyone,” Eleanor asked after they’d done the appropriate oohing and aahing over their meals.
“Eleanor, you can’t mess with us like that,” June complained. “We have small kids. You remember how it is. There’s no ‘new.’ There’s just getting through the day.”
Despite her words, her tone was lighthearted. She knew that any complaints she shared with the other two, who were both moms themselves, would be taken in the spirit in which they were intended. They all loved their kids, even when they were making life extremely hectic.
“Well, there’s getting through the day right up until they decide suddenlyeverythingis new,” Cadence pointed out, gesturing with her sandwich. “Favorite food? Suddenly canceled. Favorite game? Boring.”
“So what you’re saying,” Eleanor teased, “is that it’s mean to ask what is new ifnothingis new and ifeverythingis?”
“Yes,” June answered immediately.
“That’s correct,” Cadence confirmed.
Eleanor took a contented bite of her orzo.
“You know,” she said cheerfully, “sometimes I miss the ‘little kid’ days but sometimes it’s really nice to have a son who cooks his own dinner.”
“Hm, yes, he can’t reject your food if you don’t make it,” June agreed. “That’s solid logic.”
The three women all laughed.
June leaned back in her chair, enjoying her relaxation. Then, a poster tacked into the front window of the bistro caught her eye. It was an ad for the open mic night, the one that Miriam had mentioned at their last book club meeting.
Eleanor, too observant by half, caught sight of what June was looking at almost immediately.
