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Estrelle glared at him from behind her veil. “You’d think one so strong would understand the benefits of flexibility.”
Confusion filled his eyes, and his voice quavered as he said, “I’m flexible. I teach a yoga class.”
Estrelle’s gaze narrowed dangerously.
He gulped and started scratching at a hive that had popped out above his knee. He glanced at it, horrified.
“Denying your true desires will lead only to a lifetime of heartbreak.” She let go of his arm.“It has been said.”
The silence lingered.
Finally, Redmond muttered, “I—ah, actually, I need to, ah, I forgot… I mean… Bye!” He sprinted toward the door.
Estrelle smirked. Then she glanced at Sienna. “I believe you’re next in line.”
“No, no,” she said quickly. “You go on ahead.” She snapped another shot of the recipe.
Mrs. Pollard would be beside herself if she were here and not doing laps around the square with the Snails.
Rose let go of my hand and somehow sounded as though nothing unusual had just occurred as she said, “Hot chocolate, Estrelle?”
Instead of answering, the older woman’s silvery gaze turned on me, and I had the uneasy feeling she was going to lecture me about Donovan’s boat and my inflexibility where it was concerned. She’d been gently trying for years to get me to make peace with the water and my mama’s disappearance, but not even the risk of boils could make that happen. Fortunately for me, she never pushed hard. If she had, I feared I might just have broken.
I quickly picked up the empty pastry boxes and glanced at Rose. “I’m going to run these out to the recycling bin. Be right back.”
As I made a dash for the back hallway, Estrelle said, “There are a few around here who could benefit from a little more bending, don’t you agree, Rose?”
Rose’s voice finally cracked. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll take that hot chocolate now, if you will. Do not forget the cinnamon.”
I didn’t dare look back at the counter. But as I passed Sienna, who still stood near the blackboard, I felt a little vibration. I stopped short and backed up. Closer to her, I felt it again. That familiar shock wave.
“Is something wrong?” Sienna asked. Then she dropped her voice. “I mean, other than Estrelle being scarier than those creepy-crawly earworms that sometimes pop out of the bathroom drain.” She shuddered.
It took me a moment to figure out what she meant. “You meanearwigs?”
“Right. With all those legs and those pincers? Ugh.”
I shuddered, too. Those things were terrifying. “No, nothing’s wrong. Just the opposite.” I smiled. “I have something for you. A curiosity.”
I’d been within arm’s length of Sienna dozens of times and had never gotten a vibration, so I knew her curiosity must be new. I set the boxes down on the table by the blackboard. Since I had only added one thing to the shelves in the last week, I knew just what to look for—and right where they were.
“You’re serious?” She tucked her phone in her pocket and clasped her hands together. “I’ve always wanted one!”
It never failed that matching a curiosity lifted my spirits. Joy rippled. As I picked up the measuring spoons I’d found while sorting donations ahead of the library sale, I closed my eyes momentarily and silently whispered thanks to my mama, wherever she might be, for giving me this gift.
“These are for you,” I said, holding out the mustard-yellow Tupperware measuring spoons.
Sienna blinked at them, doubt in her eyes. “Are you sure? I had my heart set on that Cranberries vinyl on the top shelf.” She started singing about zombies.
Estrelle chuckled. I threw her a look, and she responded only by lifting an eyebrow.
I pushed the spoons into Sienna’s hands. “I’m sure.”
She pouted. “I mean, okay. Thanks. I guess.”
“Do you cook?” I asked, trying to lead her in the right direction.
