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“I should?—”
“Oh, don’t worry about the yarn,” Darla said. “It’s just a mishap. Brooke, can you fetch the A? Katy, is there anything else we can help you with today?”
Nico spoke first. “We were wondering if anyone local takes knitting commissions?”
“What do you need knitted? A sweater?”
“A snail. Matthew lost his favourite toy in the move, and it’s proving difficult to replace.”
“Do you have a pattern?”
I shook my head. “I don’t even have a photo. It was about ten inches long, blue and white.”
“Have you tried the internet?” Brooke asked.
“It’s been discontinued,” I told her. “It was one of those summer specials from the grocery store.”
“Have a look on eBay. Or those secondhand clothing apps—they have plenty of children’s items. Some people buy up all the discounted seasonal lines and sell them for a profit. But if you can’t find what you want, Darla’s a great knitter.”
“Darla’s the knitting queen,” Paulo announced. “She can knit anything.”
“It might have been crocheted.”
“I can crochet as well,” Darla said. “If you draw a picture of what the snail needs to look like, I can surely have a try. Paulo, did you forget about the cookies? See if you can find melon and strawberries too.”
There was a table at the back of the store, and Brooke made coffee and picked up yarn while I sat down to draw Matty’s snail in between eating the most delicious marshmallow cookies I’d ever tasted. How many calories did those things have? I banished the thought as soon as it reared its ugly head because my diet didn’t matter anymore. Nobody was judging me here. Nico hadn’t said one word when I’d bought whole milk and two bags of candy in the grocery store. Nobody was giving me condescending looks. No, Darla was helping a customer, Brooke was asking Nico about the summer menu at the Peninsula, and Paulo thought it would be a great idea to try finger-painting with Matty. Red, blue, and yellow. I only hoped Nico had a good stain remover in the laundry room.
Darla studied my drawing with a critical eye. “It might take me a week or two because my evenings are a little busy right now.”
“She’s totally sexting with Alex,” Paulo said in a mock whisper.
“You have a dirty mind, hun. I’m actually visiting with a friend in Roseburg. She just had surgery, and she’s not getting around so well as she usually does.”
Darla seemed like a real sweetheart. “I’d appreciate any help you can give.”
“Are you free on Monday?” Brooke asked. “A group of us are going out to Applejack’s for dinner.”
Nico groaned. “Let me guess: you, Addy, Romi, Blue, Brie, and possibly Sara?”
“Not Sara—she has a new boyfriend—and Brie isn’t sure whether she’ll be back from Valetia in time.”
“It’ll be carnage,” he warned me. “But I can drive you there and pick you up.”
My heart leapt. Years had passed since I’d been on a girls’ night out, but I had a son now.
“What about Matty?”
“We offer a babysitting service at the Peninsula. One of the ladies can come to the house, and I’ll be there to keep an eye on them.”
Those damn tears threatened again. Not only had Nico spent more time with Matty in two days than Cesare had spent in two months, but now he was also offering to supervise so I could have a night out?
“I think…I think Monday might be a bit soon.”
Brooke wasn’t to be deterred. “Okay, then how about the two of you come over to our place next Saturday? There’s a basketball game on—the details aren’t my strong point, but it’s a great excuse for a get-together. Everyone’s bringing a plate, and Matthew’s welcome too. If he gets tired, he can sleep in a guest room until it’s time to leave.”
I looked to Nico, but he shrugged. “It’s your decision.”
Cesare wouldn’t be looking for me in Brooke’s home, would he? And Matty needed to get out and see the world. We’d both missed so much.
