We all turned to Sam.
“Neither did I. I mean, sure, he and mom used to sing along to show tunes on the radio, or on the tv, but honestly, I haven’t heard Dad croon in ages.” He gaped at his dad, who took a breather while Ms. Vine whispered to him.
“He wanted it to be a surprise,” Harper said. “Ms. Vine roped in Reina for a few music classes atSerenity Springs.”
Sam’s brows knotted. “What’s that got to do with my dad?”
Harper jumped up. “I forgot your drinks, Ange. Be back in a sec.”
Ange opened her mouth. I gently kicked her under the table. Harper obviously didn’t want to answer the question.
She didn’t have to. By the time she returned to our table with a bottle of white wine, glasses for all of us, and a couple of sodas, he’d put two and two together. “Dad’s considering moving, right?”
“I honestly don’t know,” Harper said. “All I can tell you is that according to Reina, he’s having a blast when she’s teaching him and Ms. Vine, and a few others. Why don’t you ask him?”
We fell silent, because the music started again. Halfway through “One For My Baby”, Jimmy’s voice faltered and he coughed. Reina paused, until he signaled her to pick up the tune again.
“Bravo,” Sam shouted when the last note faded. He jumped to his feet, and, to my relief, he took a step back to applaud wildly. Otherwise only a spell could have saved Ange and me from being hit by his swinging elbows.
Reina and Ms. Vine helped the star of the evening off the stage. Jimmy met his son halfway across the room and hugged him tight.
“That’s so sweet,” Ange said. “Shall we leave them to it or were we interrupting a date?” She winked at me.
“The answers, in their correct order, are yes and no.”
“Good. He’s a nice man but you deserve to discover the real you without any romantic entanglement, now that you’ve put your ex in his place,” Harper said.
Nick cleared his throat. “If you’d rather have a no holds barred girls’ night, I’m happy to join Jimmy and his son.”
“Don’t be silly,” Ange said. “Unless you want to check on Jimmy’s health and need an excuse?”
Nick planted a kiss on her head. “Still the smartest woman in the county.”
“And?” She twinkled at him.
“And the sexiest, funniest, most adorable. The rest I’ll tell you in private.”
“Correct answer.” Ange waved him off.
He laughed as he moved out of the way, only to be replaced by a less welcome sight. Linda had turned up again, like a bad penny. Her high heels clicked like castanets on the wooden floorboards, and her figure-hugging dress was half-covered by what I hoped was a fake fur mink coat.
Given the late spring temperatures outside and the balmy ambience inside, her dress choice was obviously meant to impress – or to kill, although she might be the victim if she overheated to the point of spontaneous combustion. I silently cackled at my own wit.
Ange moved a few inches closer to me as Linda stopped in front of me. Up close, her face had a sheen and flushed tinge that owed nothingto her make-up and all to mother nature. Unless I was mistaken, Linda was going through a heck of a hot flash.
Her next words confirmed it. “I’ve run out,” she said through gritted teeth and grasped for my hand. I removed it from the table and put it in my lap.
She tore off her coat and flung it over a chair, exposing naked arms. Her mehndi popped on her pale skin.
“Nice henna tattoo,” Ange said. “I just got one myself. Did you choose a template?”
“Of course not. It’s all done free hand.”
“So it is. I think I’ve spotted a tiny smudge.”
“You have?” Linda clapped her hand over it before she returned her focus to me. “You have to help me.”
I arched my eyebrows at her. “Good evening to you, too.”
