Footsteps on the path leading up to the front door brought her attention back to the present moment. She wiped her hands on the apron tied neatly around her waist.
Beatrice Rushton stepped through the door, a bottle of wine in one hand and her eyes sparkling. “It smells divine in here. What are you making?”
“Come on in!” Evie trilled, rushing to kiss her friend’s cheeks.
She took the offered bottle and ushered Bea into the kitchen. “Take a seat if you like, or you can help me with this rice.”
The rice maker had switched to “warm” and all Bea had to do was spoon it into a bowl, so she got to work doing that while they caught up on the day’s news.
“How’s your leg healing?” Bea asked as she set the bowl of rice in the centre of the small, round dining table beneath a gable window.
“It’s feeling a lot better. The bruising was the worst part, and it’s not as painful today as it was a few days ago.”
Just then, Taya and Penny arrived. They chattered loudly as they clattered across the hardwood floor in the living room. Taya brought a chocolate mousse for dessert, which she immediately set about rearranging Evie’s refrigerator to house. And Penny brought chips and salsa.
Evie held up the chip packet. “We’re eating Mexican food tonight, so this is perfect.”
“I’m back on dairy,” Bea said. “It didn’t seem to help my allergies to go dairy-free, so I’m looking forward to eating all the cheese.”
Evie laughed. “An excess of dairy, coming up!”
Finally, all four of the women sat around the table. Between them, steam rose from the large casserole dish of enchiladas, a bowl of seasoned rice and another of refried beans. The fresh salad was colourful, and when spooned onto plates, the entire meal look healthy and delicious. Evie had barely eaten a thing all day. She’d spent much of the morning in the darkroom. When she worked on developing photographs, she could focus for hours without realising how much time had passed. When she finally emerged to help Janice in the bookshop, they’d been overrun by a group of tourists, and she didn’t get a chance to catch her breath until after closing. Now she was starving.
They ate between snippets of conversation and hoots of laughter. Evie loved how their friendship only deepened the more time that passed. They knew each other so well after so many years. These women were the only people on the planet she could be entirely herself around without insecurities or hesitation, and she knew they loved her regardless.
“I’m loving my work,” Taya said as she dabbed a napkin to her red lips. “It’s so fulfilling and interesting. There’s always something new and different for me to do. I never know what each day will bring, and the number of challenges I’ve already faced — well, if you’d told me ahead of time, I might not have done it. But the funny thing is, I’ve handled them all. And I feel good about that.”
“I’m not one bit surprised,” Evie said as she added salad to her plate. “I knew you’d be amazing. Besides, it runs in the family. Obviously, your dad is pretty adept at managing resorts or he wouldn’t have such a hugely successful company.”
Taya shrugged. “I suppose you’re right. I never thought about it that way before — I don’t think I’ve given him credit for all he’s achieved. He’s been a big success for most of my life, and I don’t remember what it was like before that. I’m sure he worked long hours without much to show for it, but that must have happened when I was small. The only part of it I recall was that he wasn’t around, and I held that against him for a long time.”
“We all have our issues from childhood, even when our parents did a good job. I think that’s part of living through your thirties and forties — you finally find peace about the way your parents raised you and realise they did the best they could,” said Evie.
“You’re right,” Taya said. “I know my parents did—they were wonderful. Dad was gone much of the time, but he worked so hard to build a life for all of us. And he was there for me when I had to raise Camden on my own — he stepped up to be the father figure in her life. She’s so well grounded, and I think a lot of that is because of my parents and their involvement.”
“And because of you. You’re a great mother. No doubt you learned that from them,” Penny said.
Taya’s eyes glistened. “Thanks. I needed this lunch more than I realised. It’s always so encouraging to sit down with the three of you and download everything going on in my life.”
“I’ve been looking forward to this as well. Best part of my week.”
“What are you going to do about that hole in the floor of your bookshop?” Bea asked before taking a bite of enchilada.
Evie sighed. “I don’t know. Obviously I need to do a better fix than putting a big pot plant over it. I’m worried the pot will fall through the floor.”
“Have you spoken to a contractor yet?”
“I’ve been meaning to get the number of the guy you used.”
“Brett’s good, and I’m sure he’ll be able to help you out. I’ll text you his details.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you want to replace the whole floor?” Penny asked.
“I’m thinking of doing an entire renovation. Bea already did that in the café, and it looks so good. When I walk into the bookshop after visiting her side, it looks dowdy and old.”
“I love your bookshop,” Bea objected. “It has character.”
