“Sara, why didn’t you share with me that Zander tried to contact me several times after the malt shop incident?” Essie asked.
“Essie. This wasn’t Sara’s fault. She had to protect her job.” Zander sent an incredulous glance at Essie as if shocked she’d brought the ban on their friendship up.
“Found out, did you? I told all three ladies that keeping the two of you apart was the absolute wrong thing to do,” Sara said.
“Like you can shove something into a box when it’s already free,” Edmund said, appearing in the doorway and waltzing inside like he owned the place.
“Exactly!” Essie agreed with both of them, trying not to focus too much on the hazy figure now leaning against the countertop.
“I doubt your mother will write us an apology letter, and my mother and Esther aren’t here to agree,” Zander said.
“I don’t think you need anyone’s approval now,” Sara said quietly.
Essie’s gaze zipped to meet Zander’s. Sara was right. What were they going to do? Was Zander even interested in being her friend?
“Hey. Just wanted to let you know I’m here early.”
Everyone at the table turned to stare at Ivan in the kitchen doorway. He continued talking, obviously not picking up on the charged atmosphere. “I’m going to do the last of the cleanup in the garden. The local weather gal is calling for rain tomorrow. Do you want me to put up that emergency tent you ordered? I might need some assistance.”
“It’s supposed to rain?” Essie mentally kicked herself for not checking. Of course she’d missed adding that to her get-ready-for-the-event list. Quickly, she pulled up the weather app on her phone and groaned. “It’s a seventy percent chance. Yes. Definitely, let’s set up the tent. I’ll help.”
“Me, too,” Zander volunteered.
“Oh, you don’t have to…” Essie began.
“Great! That tent takes some muscle.” Ivan jumped in, talking over her. “I’ll be glad to have your assistance too, Essie. You’ll need to make some decisions for us. I’ll get busy cleaning. When you finish lunch, come join me. I’ll put you both to work. Don’t rush. I’ve got an hour’s worth of effort before we can focus on the shelter.”
Thank goodness she’d ordered those big fans. The heat and humidity that shimmered off the garden’s hard surfaces had threatened to give Essie a headache before she’d detoured to her car for her sunglasses. Ivan and Zander had stripped off their shirts as they constructed the miles of canvas and a hundred poles into a shelter.
Essie’s gaze kept returning to Zander’s chiseled body as he worked. His glistening skin pulled tight over bulging muscles demanded her attention. In shorts and a tank top, Essie wished she could go topless as well. She snorted, imagining how ridiculous she would look.The world isn’t ready for all my plus-sized glory.
“Stop it.”
Yanked out of her self-criticism, Essie glanced up into Zander’s blue eyes. “What?”
“Stop thinking whatever was running through that beautiful brain of yours,” Zander said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. You always get the same expression when you’re worrying about something negative. I noticed that when we were kids.”
“You learned….” Essie studied him, wondering what planet he had come from. No preteen boy ever paid that much attention. And she didn’t really have aI’m thinking about something negative look. Did she?
“Yes. When we planned to go fishing, and it started to rain, I’d see you with that same expression. Or when your mom suggested you skip the mashed potatoes at dinner.”
“I have a no-carbs face?” Essie asked, trying to make light of his observations.
“Essie. Tell me what you were focused on.”
“Going topless,” she blurted out.
“You’re hot?” he guessed.
“Yes. Not that I would subject you and Ivan to that view. Ewww!” Essie shook her head, laughing at herself.
Zander’s expression hardened, and he leaned over her to state in a quiet, stern tone, “I never want to hear you say anything bad about yourself again. If I do, there will be consequences, Little girl.”
Her breath had frozen at the first sentence and gushed out as he finished the second. “Consequences?”
