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Joy shook her head. “Scott was blinded by my stunning white flesh.” She giggled and shook her head. “He doesn’t really want to go out with me.”

“How did Harrison know about him?”

“Scott texted him for my number.”

“Okay,” Lauren said. “So the guy asks you out. You say no, right?”

“I’m seeing Chester,” Joy said. “Of course I said no.”

“And he texts to get your number?”

“It didn’t exactly happen in that order,” Joy said as they turned down Cass’s driveway. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. It’s nothing.”

“Are you going to tell everyone tonight?”

“Not about Scott,” she said. “Only about Chester.” She speared Lauren with a. look. “Okay? Only Chester.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lauren drawled. “Only Chester.” Her own stomach rolled as she thought about telling everyone about her employment situation. She somehow made it into the house without turning and fleeing, and she expected to hear laughter and chatter.

It was far too silent. Lauren let Joy go ahead of her, and then she closed the front door. “Where are they?”

“There’s no one here,” Joy said.

Lauren followed her into the kitchen and set the cookies on the bar. The evidence of food preparation existed on the counter, mostly in the form of several loaves of banana bread. “That isn’t dinner,” Lauren said. The scent of something savory hung in the air, but Lauren couldn’t place it.

“I’m calling Cass,” Joy said. She already held her phone to her ear, and she turned away as she said, “Cass, where are you?”

The garage door opened and in spilled Bessie and Sage. “There you are,” Lauren said. “What’s going on?”

“Cass messed up the meat,” Bessie said with a smile. She’d been in town for a couple of days, but she still moved right into Lauren and hugged her. “It’s so good to see you.”

Lauren held her tightly, somehow not wanting to let go. “It’s good to see you too.” When they did step apart, Lauren took Sage into her arms. “And you.”

“We ran to get more drinks,” Sage said. “Cass is picking up tacos. She’ll be back soon.” Sage moved back and wiped her hair out of her eyes. She grinned at Lauren. “You look good, Lauren. Very relaxed.”

“Thank you,” Lauren said.

Cass bustled into the house in the next moment, saying, “I need help carrying things in.” She wasn’t the picture of relaxation, but Lauren wouldn’t be either had she been cooking only to have to then go buy something.

Lauren went outside with everyone else, and with all of them, they got in the foil trays of chips, beans, rice, meat, and tortillas in one trip. The chatter and laughter she’d been expecting started up, and she listened to Cass detail how she’d been browning the ground beef for her own homemade tacos, but when she’d salted the meat, the lid had come off. She didn’t think she could salvage it, so she’d tossed it in the trash, called Bernardo’s, and gone to pick up the tacos.

“I’ve got sour cream, guacamole, and other toppings in the fridge,” she called. “Ranch dressing. Lettuce. I really did cook.”

“No one cares, Cass,” Lauren said. “Where’s Bea?”

“Is she not here?” Cass surveyed the kitchen now that she’d put down the tray of tortillas. “I don’t know.” She gathered her hair into a ponytail and sighed. “I need to calm down. This is Supper Club; I’m not feeding the President of the United States.”

Lauren grinned to herself and at Cass, but she was still stressed and didn’t look at Lauren. She helped by peeling back the lids on the trays to see what they had, and Cass lined it all up the way she wanted.

Bea came rushing into the house through the front door. “I’m so sorry I’m late.” She stopped when she saw they were all just hanging out in the kitchen. “You haven’t started yet.”

“I messed up the tacos,” Cass said. She smiled at Bea. “Look at you.” She scanned Bea down to her flip-flopped feet. “Did you come straight from the beach?”

“Yes,” Bea said, lifting her chin. “I was with Shelby, and she didn’t want to leave.”

“Where’s Grant?” Bessie asked.

“They’re all at Harrison’s,” Lauren said. “Or our place. Whatever. The house down the road.”

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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