And she did. She just… couldn’t bear to think about it too much.
Not just in general, but here, specifically. Unless she wanted to tear up in the middle of book club, that was. Which, shockingly, she did not.
“You’re all amazing,” she told her friend gratefully. “I think I’m just… going to sit with it for a while.”
“Well, we’re here when you’re ready to talk,” Miriam reassured her. “Whenever that may be.”
“Thanks,” Cadence said, taking her turn to squeeze the older woman’s hand. “And hey,” she added, forcing some lightness into her tone, “I wasn’ttotallyfull of it when I told Tyler I was busy with the gallery. I’ve been doing some reorganizing and things are lookinggood. I’m thinking about having an exhibition so that everyone can marvel over my labors and impressive eye for design.”
“Okay, okay,” Diana said. “I would like to be clear that Iamhappy for you, but let’s be clear who is the design queen of this little club, okay?”
“My apologies, my lady,” Cadence said, sketching a bow from her chair.
“Apology accepted,” Diana said primly, making everyone laugh.
“Are we currently accepting ideas?” June asked. “Because I feel like people would totally come out for some limited time exhibitions. That would help you get locals coming in a few times, rather than just once in a while.”
Cadence snapped her fingers and pointed at June.
“Yes. That’s a great idea. Keep ‘em coming.”
“Okay, well I only had the one idea, sheesh,” June said, sticking out her tongue. “But if you have any more pearls of wisdom, I am happy to contribute to making them into reality.”
“Seconded,” Eleanor said.
“Thirded!” Diana chimed in.
“My heavy lifting days are behind me,” Miriam said, “but I am available for snack providing, moral support, and, of course, gathering the locals to attend.”
“Some say gathering, others say bullying,” June teased, holding up the hands like she was weighing the scales between the two.
“Say what you want,” Miriam retorted, her nose in the air, “but they are both effective at getting butts in seats. So laugh it right up, little missy.”
“Drat,” June muttered. “I’ve been knocked back down to ‘little missy.’”
As everyone laughed and the conversation gradually turned toward the book they had read for that evening’s meeting, Cadence thought about her good luck.
Things with her husband might be complicated, and she might feel pangs of hope and longing whenever she considered the idea of repairing matters between them. But she had a wonderful job, a wonderful kid, and wonderful friends. And when you put all that together, it added up to a pretty wonderful life, indeed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Every step that Eleanor got closer to her bookstore’s opening, the happier she got with the progress she was making on transforming the big, rambling house she’d purchased, sight unseen.
Yes, a tiny part of her would be sorry when the renovations were over, but then she would have the bookstore itself to keep her busy… plus, she still had plenty to get done before opening day.
Even so, she took a moment to enjoy herself as she finished the last coat of paint on the rear side of the house. Everything looked fresh and clean andhers.
And, yes, she did still leave some of the more advanced stuff to Garrett, since he was a pro. But she didn’t think she was flattering herself to say that she was improving. She had come a long way since she’d nearly taken out Garrett with an improperly hung shelf.
Speaking of the man in question…
“Looking good out here,” he said as he emerged through the backdoor, an icy cold glass of lemonade in his hand. If Eleanor was improving in building and other construction projects, Garrett was developing some top-notch snack preparation skillsunder her careful tutelage. The glass he gave her was no boxed mix—this was fresh lemon juice and a spoonful of sugar, mixed to just the right level of sweetness and tartness.
“Mm, thank you. This is delicious,” she said, accepting the glass and taking a sip. “And for the compliment too. I think it looks pretty good myself.” She took another sip, the icy drink a perfect counterpart to a hot day spent working outside. “How are the sprinklers looking?”
While Eleanor had been painting in the back, Garrett had been connecting a sprinkler system to her outside water supply. They got decent rain here, as close to the coast as they were, so Eleanor had chosen a type that could be easily turned on or off, based on the rainfall. It was something that appealed to Eleanor both in a financial manner and an eco-conscious one. No sense in wasting water or money when it came free from the sky!
“All hooked up and ready to go,” he said. “The connector is in the basement, near the water shutoff, but apparently there’s an app you can get on your phone too.”
