“Rude,” Cadence Meadows said as she entered the room.
“True,” Miriam muttered out of the side of her mouth to Winnie.
Winnie just pasted on that smile again. This group might be close enough for some good-natured teasing, but that feltwayabove her pay grade.
“Teasing is Miriam’s love language,” Diana reassured her.
Winnie did not necessarily feel super reassured.
“So, Winnie,” Miriam said, propping her chin jauntily on her fist. “What do you like to read?”
Oh, gosh. Winnie had the distinct fear that there was absolutely a wrong answer to this question.
“Uh, I’m mostly a romance reader,” she said.
“Yes!” The older lady actually pumped her fist. It was sort of adorable, Winnie had to admit. “Another romance reader! Did you like the book?”
Miriam’s positive reaction emboldened Winnie. She dug her copy out of her purse.
“Loved it,” she said, flipping idly through the pages.
Miriam looked horrified. “Did youwritein the book?” she demanded. “Heathen!”
Winnie froze.
Eleanor came through the door then, a platter of charcuterie in her hands.
“Miriam, don’t tease poor Winnie,” she said, shaking her head at the older woman’s antics. “Winnie, honey, do whatever you want with your own books. Miriam just likes to stir the pot.”
Miriam shrugged, entirely unbothered. “It’s so rare that I meet someone who doesn’t know my gambit,” she admitted. “Forgive me, Winnie, for being a pest.”
“Um,” Winnie said.
Eleanor handed Winnie a glass of wine.
“You’re doing great,” she reassured her. “Miriam really is trying to welcome you. She just forgets what it feels like to be the new kid.”
This time, Miriam did look a little apologetic. “I really am happy you’re here,” she said warmly.
Winnie felt herself start to relax… she even dared make a joke.
“Well, it’s probably been a minute since you’ve been the new kid,” she said.
Miriam lookeddelighted. “Because I’m old? Goodness, Winnie Burnett, you have hidden depths. Well done.”
Eleanor offered her a wink. “You’ll get the hang of it,” she promised.
Winnie felt a rush of gratitude… and the sudden mentalclickof her mind reorienting. Of course Eleanor had seen Winnie as being aggressive when Winnie had drawn her attention to the town rules and regulations. Eleanor had been, per her own words, the new kid in town. And Winnie had made the town seem unwelcoming.
“Hey,” she said on impulse. “I’m sorry about giving you a hard time about the fence and stuff.”
Something about the way Eleanor looked at her made Winnie feel really seen.
“Oh, it’s bygones,” Eleanor said dismissively. “Let’s start fresh?”
“Yeah,” Winnie agreed. “That sounds great.”
They shifted gradually into talking about the book, then, although the conversation frequently flitted in and out of personal topics. Winnie spent more time listening than talking, but she didn’t feel excluded. The women went out of their way to make her feel included, ultimately. And gradually, as Winnie listened to June laugh about her son’s new obsession with soccer and watched Cadence blush when her friends teased about her reunion with her husband, Winnie felt herself become, increasingly, one of the group.
