I laugh. “Am I going to get a lot of that?”
“You’ll be an anomaly for a while. Our town gossips, but they mean well. It’s not malicious—more curiosity with a heavy dash of nosiness. And yes, people might mention your accent—and try to get you to date their nephews and sons. Be forewarned.”
“Thanks for the heads-up,” I say. “You look amazing too. Motherhood looks good on you.”
“I love it,” she admits. “Trevor’s the best. You met him at the wedding, remember? The man who spent half the reception rescuing our cake—and my dress—from goats?”
I laugh, remembering the fiasco.
Lexi grins. “We fondly refer to it as Goatmageddon.” She glances at the van. “We’d better get going. Laura, Jayme, Shannon, Em, and Ella Mae are waiting.”
“So we’re doing a scavenger hunt?”
“It’s kind of our thing—for birthdays, sometimes girls’ nights, and basically any excuse to escape bedtime routines.” She smiles and wags her brows like she’s getting away with something over-the-top mischievous.
“We used to just send the birthday girl on a hunt, but the older we’ve gotten, we’ve sort of fallen into all of us hunting. This time it’s Jayme’s birthday and it’s holiday-themed.”
“Sounds fun,” I say, opening the van passenger door while Lexi walks around to get into the driver’s seat.
“I always loved this house,” she tells me as she backs down the driveway. “Trevor’s mom is right down the next block if you need anything.”
“Small towns really do come with their own built-in safety nets,” I say, smiling. “Back in Brooklyn, we knew our neighbors, sure—but people mostly waved from stoops. Here, it sounds like they actually mean it when they offer to pitch in.”
“Are you going to miss New York?” Lexi asks.
“I was ready for a change.”
She nods, and thankfully she doesn't bring up Marco. My fiancé and I broke up over the summer. He was my supposed dream guy. Worked at the stock exchange. Wore designer clothes. Took me to the best restaurants. But when I decided I wanted to go into police work, he started grumbling about a woman being at home. I had no idea how traditional his values were. We never talked about women’s roles before. I want to be a mom, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to pursue a career too. I went ahead and enrolled in the academy, hoping Marco would come around. He didn’t.
When Lexi told me a position was opening here in Bordeaux, it almost felt serendipitous. I’m over Marco—as over as you can be when someone promises you forever and ends up wanting to mold you into their version of that future. He broke my heart, but I’m done handing pieces back to him. New town. Clean slate. And, I’m going to be on the force. Of course, I know there’s not much crime here, but a woman’s got to start somewhere. Lexi and I haven’t spent a lot of time together as adults, but we were always close as kids. It feels good to be where she is.
We pull up in front of another house in a neighborhood that looks a lot like mine.
“This is Duke and Shannon’s place,” Lexi explains, killing the engine. “He’s a high school history teacher and co-owner of the gas station. She’s a dance instructor and she works at her dad’s accounting office.”
“Does everyone have two jobs here?” I ask.
“No.” She laughs. “But, come to think of it, a lot of us wear more than one hat. Jayme used to have four or five jobs. I lost count. Now she’s just an author.”
“Just?”
Lexi smiles an amused grin. “Meaning, she quit everything else when she married the town doctor.”
“Is he also the barber?”
Lexi bursts out in full laughter. “No! Oh my gosh. We must seem so rural and backwards to you.”
“I’m just kidding. It all seems quaint and sweet.”
“Are you ready?”
“To meet everyone? Yeah. Let’s do this.”
Now that she mentions it, I am nervous. In New York, people are everywhere—at all hours. If I didn’t click with someone, I could find another person who fit me and my personality. Here, the friend group is the friend group. If we don’t mesh, I’ll be on the outs.
I take a deep breath and follow Lexi up onto the porch. The door swings open before we even step up to knock. A beautiful blonde woman holds it open for us. “Alex! Welcome. We’re so glad you’re here. I’m Shannon.”
Not a moment later, I’m in the foyer, swarmed by women in their mid to late twenties, all of them hugging and welcoming me.
