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“Fine,” she said, obviously still clearing cookie crumbs from her lungs.She didn’t go back to her dessert.“Nash Hale?”
“Yes,” Lauren said without any emotion.Her stomach started to ache from all the sugar, as she enjoyed treats like most other people, but it was late at night, and she didn’t usually eat sweets in such a large quantity.She leaned forward and put her half-eaten late-night snack on the coffee table.“What about you?You obviously ate dinner with Grant Turner.”
Bea picked up her bowl again, but it wasn’t anywhere big enough to conceal the flush blooming in her cheeks.Or the small smile.Or the nervous flick of her eyes toward Lauren.“I mean, yes.”
“Here?”Lauren looked lazily toward the kitchen.No evidence of their romantic meal remained.
“No,” Bea said.“Grant knows all the best spots on the island.”
“And tonight’s menu?”Lauren gave her friend a smile, hoping Bea would understand she wasn’t prying, and she wasn’t going to use what she told her as ammunition against her.“By the way, Cass is on the rampage.I have strict instructions from her to find out everything and tell the ladies back home.”
Bea’s eyes widened and set her ice cream aside.“Lauren.”
“I’m not going to,” Lauren said.“Just like you won’t immediately get on the group text and tell the girls about Nash.”
“Of course not.”
Lauren nodded.“Next month’s Supper Club is at Bessie’s.She’s thinking she might do a pizza bar.”
“That sounds fun,” Bea said, her voice so light it could’ve floated away.Lauren didn’t need to ask her if she’d be back in Sweet Water Falls at that point.The answer was no.She was going to Austin to be with her daughter, but everyone knew Bea would be back in time for their monthly Supper Club.
No one missed it, if at all possible.In the past fourteen months, Bea had relied on the Supper Club heavily, and low notes rang against Lauren’s heartstrings.She had the very real feeling that Bea had started falling in love with Grant, and the paths her life could take had multiplied considerably in the past four or five days.
“Did you and Grant have pizza tonight?”Lauren asked, circling back to her earlier question about dinner.
“No,” Bea said, delicately taking another bite of her ice cream, and then putting the spoon back in the bowl.She leaned into the couch and hugged herself.“We went to a cute little burger joint tonight.”She swallowed, and Lauren waited.She didn’t need to ram questions at Bea the way Cass did.“He asked me if I’d like to meet his sister and her husband.”
Lauren’s eyebrows went up, but otherwise she said nothing.Meeting a sister was almost as important as a man’s parents.
“They’re twins,” Bea said, and that only made the introduction even more important.Grant would be close with his twin sister, and he’d certainly value her opinion.“No other siblings.”
The meeting suddenly became as real and as important as Bea meeting Grant’s parents.“Wow,” Lauren finally said.“Are you excited?Scared?Both?”
“I’m going to go with both,” Bea said, half a smile trying to push onto her face.It almost made it, but the gesture and emotion didn’t stick for long.The turmoil Lauren witnessed raged through her too.She hated not being able to see the whole path in front of her with clear certainty.She’d only ever been able to do that with her career, and Lauren wished the Lord would shine a light on her romantic life and direct her feet further than a single step.
“But you are meeting her,” Lauren said.
“Yes,” Bea said.“Monday night.”
Once again, the feelings of being in the way washed through and over and around Lauren, and she honestly thought she’d blink and be drenched from head to toe.She did, but everything remained dry.
“We’re having brunch with him in the morning,” she said, familiar anxiety in her eyes.“Will you tell me what you think of him?”
Lauren reached along the back of the couch, and Bea did the same, their hands touching and locking together.“That’s why I came, honey.It’s going to be fine.”
Bea gave her an appreciative smile.“You had tickets before I even met Grant,” she said with a giggle and a head shake.
“Yeah, but not first class,” Lauren said.
They both laughed then, and Bea got to her feet to collect their dessert dishes.“Lauren, please.Everyone knows you don’t fly if you can’t sit in first class.”She shook her head and moved into the kitchen.
Lauren simply watched her, because it was good to see her old friend smiling anew.It warmed Lauren’s heart and provided a measure of hope that had been missing from her life.She’d gotten over the sting of jealousy that she still hadn’t found a single man who loved her, and Bea was well on her way to finding a second.
But in that moment, just like the one earlier this week, Lauren knew she trod the right path for her, and if she kept taking one step at a time, even if the path ahead was dark, she’d find her way.
For now, she’d live vicariously through Bea, and she’d keep going out with Nash if he asked, and she’d…see.Yes, she’d just see how things went, because the path wasn’t illuminated right now, and that was her only choice.
