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From where I sat at the kitchen table, I couldn’t see into the backyard next door, but Mira had been over there for a few hours.
I blew out a slow breath and stood, stretching my arms over my head with a groan.
There was no sign of either of them by the pool or patio. I started picking at my thumbnail without even realizing I was doing it.
What did theydoover there every afternoon?
With a frustrated huff, I picked up my phone and tapped out a text.
Me:How’s it going? I’m done with my work if you want to send her back.
Liam:We’re watching SportsCenter and drinking beer. I might show her how to properly light a cigar next.
Me:I sincerely hope you can hear me rolling my eyes from here.
Liam:Oddly enough, I can.
Liam:Fine. She found weird magnet block things in the playroom, and we’ve been building a fucking epic castle.
Then he attached a picture, and my heart went all warm and gooey.
Mira had her tongue tucked between her front teeth, her face the picture of concentration as she set a bright-red tile on top of a tower.
Playing with blocks on a beautiful summer afternoon.
The man didn’t deserve a gold medal for doing something so simple, but every ounce of his being had rejected the idea of being involved with Mira. And despite that hefty reserve, he was taking care of her well, from what I could see.
I smiled and told him to let me know if I needed to come get her, then set my phone down to go take a shower while the house was quiet.
I’d just stepped out of the steaming bathroom with my hair wrapped in a towel and a moisturizing mask coating my face when the doorbell app on my phone chimed.
“Shit,” I whispered, swiping over to see who it was.
When the picture came up, I burst into laughter.
Rosa stood front and center, holding a giant bottle of wine. Behind her stood two other silver-haired women—one with a cane and the other with a plate of food in her hand.
Looked like the book club ladies were ready for their first glimpse of Liam after all.
I pressed the button. “Door’s unlocked, but I just got out of the shower, so I’ll be down in a couple minutes.”
“Take your time. Martha wants to watch the neighbor for a bit,” Rosa said.
With a shake of my head, I discarded the mask into the trash and massaged in the remaining serum. I squeezed the excess moisture out of my hair and added some curling lotion, then tugged on my favorite joggers and a soft T-shirt over my simple bralette. The pants hung low on my hips, and the crop of the shirt left a stretch of my stomach bare.
When I got downstairs and turned the corner into the kitchen, I exhaled a quiet laugh.
All three women were staring out the slider.
“I thought you were kidding,” I told her.
Rosa turned with a sly grin on her face. “About this? Never.” She motioned to her friends. “Martha, Phyllis, this is Zoe.”
Martha came forward, enveloping me in a tight squeeze. She smelled like roses, and her birdlike frame was shockingly strong. “Honey, we’ve heard so much about you.”
I smiled. “Likewise.”
Phyllis winked. “You’ve been reading half these books with us, according to Rosa. You might as well get the pleasure of our company too.”
