Isabelle smirked. “What? She’s single. This is self-care with a flirtatious finish.”
“It sounds like a dating app in soap form,” quipped Joy.
The women laughed.
“Thank you. These are perfect.” Lainey grinned. Somehow, she got the feeling she was going to enjoy being with these women.
Still, the question lingered in the back of her mind—who the hell were they?
Maybe these weren’t just Dani’s friends. Maybe, just maybe, she could be part of the group, too.
Emelia stepped forward with a small basket lined with lemon-yellow fabric. The scent of lemon and mint wafted up. “Lemon mint bars. It’s a new recipe I’m trying out.”
“Yum. They smell amazing.” Lainey took the basket and turned to the women. “You all sit. I’ll bring this into the kitchen and get some wineglasses.”
“I’ll help,” Joy offered, following her in.
Lainey reached into the cabinet for the glasses while Joy hovered near the island. “Party planner, huh?”
“Pfft.” Joy waved her hand. “That’s just my excuse for needing social time. Teaching sixth graders gets rather stressful sometimes.”
Lainey laughed. “Fair enough.”
Joy glanced around the kitchen. “This is very restful. Have you lived here long?”
“A few months. Still getting settled.”
“I heard you have a son in Jack’s class.” Joy cocked an ear.
Lainey froze for a second, surprised Joy already knew that. “Yeah,” she said. “That’s actually how Dani and I met. Luke and Jack became good friends when we moved here in the spring. Dani and I are co-room parents this year.”
“Hey, where’re the wineglasses?” hollered one of the women from the living room.
Lainey smiled and yelled back. “Hold your horses. We’re coming.”
She found a tray to put the glasses on and then opened the fridge. “I know I have some cheese here.” She poked around and found it. “Great. Joy, there’s a container of crackers in that cabinet by you. Grab it, please.”
Lainey set out a cheese board with pieces of cheddar and blue cheese, surrounding them with crackers. “That’s the best I can do on short notice.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” said Joy. “We’ve all eaten. Although that cheddar does look yummy.”
The two women brought the trays back into the living room. Lainey looked around and thought it was too bad it was so warm. A cozy fire would be perfect with friends sitting around it. Maybe this winter.
Dani had already pulled the corks on bottles of red and white. “What’s your poison?” she asked Lainey.
“Oh, white, please.”
“One white coming up.” Dani looked at the others. “You all can help yourselves.”
“I get special treatment?” Lainey teased.
“Only the first time,” quipped Isabelle. “We did surprise you.”
The women settled in, sampling the cheese and lemon mint bars, which Lainey decided she could eat every day.
“Where do you bake?” she asked Emelia.
“Oh, I used to own Lilypad Confections in town. Now I do videos and teach baking out of a converted barn at my house. Titus, my husband, renovated it for me.”
