It was a lovely fish. Joyce shifted the strap of her purse a little higher. “If you wrap the filets up and save them for tomorrow, I’ll do them with that nice butter and dill sauce you like.”
“Yeah?” Mitch nodded. “It’s a deal. I won’t feel like cooking them anyway after I get through cleaning them.”
“Good, because I’ve already made you baked ziti for your dinner. See you tomorrow. Night, Ruthie.” With a wave of her hand, Joyce went down the steps, Beryl right behind her.
They went right instead of left, cutting through the path between the trees that bordered the property, and didn’t stop until they were at Harper’s door.
Beryl rang the bell. “We’re not going in.”
Joyce shook her head. They’d already talked about it. Tonight, they were staying in. At their place. They were each doing a deep-conditioning hair mask, which meant they’d have to sit for a full hour with that goop on their heads while wearing plastic shower bonnets.
Frankie answered. “Hi! How are you? Come in.”
Joyce shook her head and held out the wrapped loaves. “Just dropping these off. One for you and your family, one for Jack. You’ll see he gets it, won’t you?”
“I will,” Frankie said. “He and Harper just got back.”
“So did Mitch,” Beryl said. “With fish.”
“I heard.” Frankie tucked the loaves protectively against her body. “You sure you don’t want to come in?”
“It’s dear of you to ask,” Joyce said. “But we’re going to have to give it a miss. We just got off work and we’re having a sisters night in.”
“We’re doing a hair mask,” Beryl added.
“Doesn’t that sound like fun? Not to mention something I should look into myself.” Frankie touched her hair. “All right. Enjoy your night. Some other time then. And thanks for the bread! I know we’re going to love it.”
“You’re very welcome. Night,” Joyce said, even though it wasn’t even five yet.
She and Beryl headed back through the trees. Once they were in their house and changed into their relaxing clothes, Joyce got out the hair mask. It came in a big tub. They were going to slather it on, cover their hair with cheap plastic shower caps and sit with it while they had leftover spaghetti Bolognese for dinner and watched some telly.
Joyce read the instructions. “Berry, listen to this. It says you can leave it on longer than an hour if you want.”
Beryl had just turned the kettle on. “How long?”
“Overnight if you want.”
Beryl made a face and shook her head. “I don’t think I’d like that. How would I sleep?” She looked into the tub of product, as Joyce had just unscrewed the lid. “Looks like salad cream. No, I don’t want that on overnight. Maybe a bit longer than an hour, though. Might as well get our money’s worth, don’t you think?”
“I do.” Joyce sniffed the stuff. It was pleasant enough. Faintly floral. “As soon as we get some tea made, let’s get to it.”
“All right.”
The kettle clicked and soon they had two mugs ready to go. They put those on the coffee table and Joyce went to work, spreading the thick hair mask onto Beryl’s hair. Once she was done and her shower cap on, she did the same for Joyce.
They looked at each other and laughed.
“We’re a right sight, aren’t we?” Beryl sat on the couch. “Bring a few of those biscuits over, would you?”
“You’re going to ruin your dinner.”
Beryl sipped her tea. “I’m old enough that if I want to ruin my dinner, I will.”
Joyce rolled her eyes and brought the biscuit tin to her sister.
Beryl’s phone rang from her purse on the kitchen counter.
“I’ll get it for you,” Joyce said. She fished the device out of the handbag and gave it to Beryl.
