Page 33 of Lemon Pound Cake Club

"I was about to text you. I figured I was late."

"Oh, honey," Camille said, waving me over. "Nobody's ever on time except Jade."

Right then, Jade's garage door opened. She came out with a stainless-steel water bottle and sunglasses on her head.

"I heard that."

"And?"

"I was exactly on time."

"See?" Camille said, glancing at me. "Every single time."

A horn honked twice from down the street. Nia leaned out of the driver’s window of a white golf cart, grinning widely.

"I wasn't walking all the way down here!"

Tasha got out of the passenger seat with a small tote bag in her hand.

"You mean you didn't feel like walking before the walk."

"Details," Nia replied.

All four of us started laughing.

A few seconds later, Simone jogged up the sidewalk, pretending to be out of breath.

"Don't judge me."

"We absolutely are," Jade said.

"I changed outfits twice."

"I believe it," Tasha teased.

“You should do it. Looking cute counts as cardio.”

"That's the most Simone thing you've ever said," Camille laughed.

A few minutes later, we headed out together, following the winding sidewalks through Lemon Grove Estates.

We chatted easily, letting the conversation flow naturally from one person to the next.

Nia started complaining about a florist who brought cream-colored roses instead of ivory ones.

"There is a difference."

"There isn't," Jade replied.

"There absolutely is."

Simone nodded.

"I know exactly what she means."

"You would," Tasha muttered.

"What does that mean?"