Page 126 of The Trouble with Flings

“And you’re already the talk of the town,” Lenore says.

“I am?” My stomach twists. “Why?”

“Because you’ve got yourself quite a catch,” Lenore explains.

“Mom,” Shelley says with a sigh. “Don’t ambush her.”

“I’m not ambushing. I’m initiating,” Lenore says. “There’s a difference.”

The others agree, and somehow that eases the nervous flutter in my stomach.

“Fitz is Silver Island’s most eligible bachelor, after all.” Lenore lowers her voice, like she’s sharing a secret. “But I have to admit, he keeps his personal life so private, I was starting to wonder if I should set him up with my friends’ grandsons.”

“Mom!” Shelley groans.

The rest of us laugh.

“What?” Lenore says unrepentantly. “I support every kind of love. There’s no judgment here.”

“Lenore, that’s where your mind went?” Margot asks. “Just because my son keeps his affairs private?”

“He’s very private, Margot,” Lenore says. “There haven’t been rumors about that boy since he and Deirdra felt each other up in the back of the Bistro.”

They all crack up.

“Mom,” Shelley says. “You shouldn’t say that in front of Jennifer.”

“It’s okay. I already knew about that,” I reassure her. “Deirdra mentioned it in Costa Rica.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I happen to respect a man who doesn’t flaunt his affairs.” Gail turns a knowing smile on me and says, “And he’s clearly smitten with you, honey.”

“He’s totally gone,” Victory says.

“Completely,” Indi agrees.

“The question is, are you smitten back?” Lenore raises her brows in question.

My heart races.

“Lenore.” Margot shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Jennifer. You don’t have to answer that.”

“I’m just asking what we all want to know,” Lenore says.

“That’s enough of this initiation,” Margot says. She steps closer and puts her arm around my shoulders. “I want you to know how genuinely happy I am that you’re here and that you’re with Fitz. Nobody needs to know how you feel about him. That’s between you and Fitz.”

“Thank you.” I look at the girls, who already know the truth, and at the other ladies, who are futilely trying to hide that they’re still waiting with bated breath, and say, “But I’m crazy about him, and in my defense, I don’t know how any woman could resist him.” I point at Margot. “I blame you and that charming husband of yours. I mean, really. It’s kind of unfair that you unleashed that much goodness on the women of the world. Couldn’t you have at least taught him to be a little less thoughtful?”

Laughter rings out, and the hugs and happiness that follow have me grinning like a fool.

I turn to look at the office, wondering what’s taking everyone so long to come out, and a dragonfly darts toward my face. I jerk back, swatting at it. “Jesus—”

“It’s a dragonfly,” Victory says.

“It’s beautiful,” Cait says. “It’s purple.”

“Beautifully annoying.” It comes at me again, and I duck. As I come back up, it flies at me again. “Shoo! Go!” I wave my hand at it, but it hovers in front of me, like it’s trying to see into my soul.

“Don’t swat at it,” Gail says. “Dragonflies are sacred. They symbolize transformation and spiritual awakening.”