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“Thank you. Honestly, I’m just glad it’ll be completely finished soon.” Lacy rubbed her hand over her rounded belly as she looked around the space.
Most of the walls had been painted a pale, blush pink—so pale that in certain lighting, it almost appeared white. But one wall had been transformed into a mural of wispy, beautiful clouds of varying shades and hues of pink and blue, with a spattering of gold flakes artfully dashed around to add a bit of interest. It was complemented by pine furniture, beige throw pillows, and a soft rug and rocking chair.
Typically, Colette found the color pink overwhelming and too much. But the shade that Lacy had chosen for her little one was quite the opposite. It was muted and almost entirely neutral, adding the perfect amount of serenity with just a touch of color.
“Your little girl is going to be so happy in this room,” Colette murmured as she turned in a circle, trying to take all of it in at once.
Her eyes landed on Lacy, who was beaming at her.
“I sure hope so,” Lacy said, pride shining in her eyes.
As they turned and filed out of the nursery, Lacy asked both Colette and Sarah if they wanted to stay for lunch.
“The menu is grilled cheese and tomato soup,” she explained as the three of them walked into the kitchen. “It’s the only thing that little Harriet the Spy wants these days.”
“Harriet the Spy?” Colette arched an eyebrow at her friend as she pulled out a chair and sat at the table.
“We’re still trying out new names. And that was my favorite movie when I was little.”
Lacy shrugged before heading to the fridge and taking out everything she would need in order to start working on their lunch. Sarah and Colette tried to help her, but Lacy waved them off and insisted that they sit and relax. Knowing how stubborn their friend was, Colette and Sarah exchanged a grin and allowed her to play hostess, knowing it wasn’t straining her too much.
The women chatted comfortably as Lacy heated up the soup and fixed up the grilled cheese sandwiches, making the scent of tomatoes and melted cheese fill the kitchen.
“So how are things going with the new tenant?” Sarah asked, resting her chin in her hands as she looked across the table at Colette.
“Oh, yes!” Lacy’s excited voice floated over from where she stood near the stove. “Word around town is he’s quite the looker.”
“Word around town?” Colette scoffed, glancing between the both of them. “Have people been talking about him?”
“Of course they have.” Sarah shot her a glance, as if that much should have been obvious. “It’s Snowy Pine Ridge. You know everyone talks about newcomers.”
“Especially when they’re hot.” Lacy glanced at the other women over her shoulder, waggling her eyebrows and making Sarah laugh.
“Well…” Colette twisted her fingers together, blushing slightly. “Things are going well, I guess. He pretty much keeps to himself. I brought him some apple cider the other day, just to be a good landlord, you know.”
“Oh, sure. I bet that was all it was.” Sarah grinned at her friend knowingly, prompting Colette to roll her eyes and Lacy to chuckle.
“We talked for a while,” Colette admitted. “He told me that he’s an artist, and that he had his work displayed in a gallery until recently. There was a sketchpad open on the table, and he had been drawing the landscape around the town. It was incredibly good. But when I asked him about it, it seemed to be a sore subject for him.”
“Artists. They can be a bit temperamental, I’ve heard.” Lacy shrugged as she ladled soup into three bowls, then placed each bowl on a plate alongside a grilled cheese sandwich.
Colette pushed her chair back from the table and rushed over, waving off Lacy’s protests as she grabbed two of the plates and helped her carry them to the table.
“Tortured artists are so romantic though,” Sarah commented as she took the plate Colette offered her and set it on the table.
The kitchen grew quiet for a few moments as the women began to eat. Colette dipped her sandwich into her soup before taking a bite, and a rich, robust burst of flavor exploded over her tongue.
“Mmm, this is delicious. I can see why Harriet the Spy was craving grilled cheese and tomato soup.” She laughed, dipping her sandwich once more and taking another bite.
“Thanks.” Lacy dipped her grilled cheese into her soup. “I’m lucky she’s been craving this and not pickles and mint chocolate ice cream at the same time, or something like that! I won’t mind eating this for lunch as long as I have to.” Then she grinned and added, “Now, back to the handsome, tortured, romantic artist.”
“You all are really running away with this story you’ve built up in your heads.” Colette laughed as she eyed her friends.
“Who wouldn’t?” Sarah tore off a piece of her sandwich, the gooey cheese stretching before she popped the bite into her mouth. “It’s a great story!”
“We just want you to be happy, Col.” Lacy gave her a quick glance, and the use of the old nickname Emma had called her by made Colette’s heart squeeze.
She glanced between the two other women at the table. They had become amazing friends to her—her best friends, truthfully—and she knew that what Lacy was saying was true. But she also knew that the two of them perpetually had love on the brain.
