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“Good.”
Summer hugged them both, then hurried toward the dugout. Erica watched her go.
“About that potluck she mentioned. We’re invited.”
“As a couple?” Allison asked.
“Ha ha. Crystal apologized for weirding out about you being here and she invited us to join everyone Friday night. Jackson and Bethany, too.” Erica looked at her. “Is Bethany too young to be in a crowd?”
“She is, so I’ll stay home with her, but you should go.”
“By myself?”
“Yes. Summer will love having you there. And next year, you need to sit with the softball moms.”
“I won’t be sitting with any of them. Summer isn’t playing next year.”
Allison sighed. “You know what I mean. Don’t lose touch with them. If they ask you to go somewhere, say yes. They want to be friends. Accept the invitation and expand your social circle. It’ll be good for you.”
“I hate change.”
“Now you sound like your daughter.”
“There are worse things.”
32
“Oh, Mom.”
“Don’t cry. If you cry you’re going to mess up your makeup.”
Summer blinked a couple of times. “I’m not going to cry. You are.”
Erica laughed. “I can appreciate the moment without tears.”
“Then I’ll cry for both of you,” Allison said, already sniffing.
“I came prepared.” Mara handed over a tissue, then dabbed her own cheeks. “Summer, you’re stunning.”
“I want to point out that I do really good work,” Erica said, smiling at her daughter. “But I had a lot to work with.”
Jackson, playing with his farm toys, and Bethany, asleep in her car seat carrier, didn’t seem to have an opinion.
They were all in Erica’s bathroom to watch the transformation. She’d started by giving Summer a decent trim and adding a few layers. Once that was done, she’d applied makeup, going for a more natural look with just a little sparkle. She’d finished by using her large barrel curling iron and creating a head full of beautiful beachy waves.
She touched one of the curls. “I used a lot of product so these should last most of the night. Now let’s get you into your fancy clothes.”
Summer had wanted a short dress. They’d found a pretty, deep blue tank dress that shimmered. The simple style flattered Summer’s athletic shape while allowing her to move easily. The hem was high enough to be sexy and yet not so high that she would be flashing the world.
Her daughter had shocked her by saying she wanted to pair a high heel with the dress. They’d bought cute strappy sandals with three-inch heels and Summer had spent the past four days walking around in them.
They went into the large closet and Summer stepped into the dress. Erica zipped it up, then steadied her while she slipped on the sandals.
Erica looked at her daughter and sighed. “You’re stunning. Grandma is going to want pictures.”
“Aren’t you?”
She laughed. “Yes, I want pictures, too.” She glanced at her watch. “What time do Donovan and his friends arrive?”
