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“You are not awkward. Shy maybe, but not awkward.”

She chuckles. “But I am nerdy. Is that what you’re saying?”

“Oh, you are definitely nerdy.” I bump her hip with mine. “But nerds are so cool. And smart.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s just what every man wants. A cool, nerdy girl that’s smarter than him.”

“Hell yeah. Don’t underestimate the power of a beautiful, nerdy girl. Put yourself out there and you might be surprised. You’re a catch, Clara. If Ash is too dumb to open his eyes and see it, then it’s his loss. You deserve to be happy in love.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She shrugs and stares at the ground where the toe of her shoe is digging in the dirt. “I’ll think about it. I just don’t know where to begin. It’s not like there are a lot of single men in Beaver.”

I sigh. “No, there’s not. Waverly or Chillicothe maybe?”

She wrinkles her nose. “Would I have to go out to a bar to find them?”

My chest tenses at the thought of Clara hanging out in bars to find dates. “I don’t know. Might need to give this more thought.”

“I guess I could try a dating app. Isn’t that how people do it these days?”

That idea makes me feel even more protective of her. “That sounds even worse. Maybe we can just conk Ash over the head and knock some sense into him.”

This earns me a laugh. “If only it were that easy. I might have tried that years ago.”

“Wouldn’t we all.” I give her another side hug and tug her toward the bus. “Come on. Let’s get to work painting this bus. Get your mind off him.”

Chapter 23

Good news and bruises

Lina

Tuesday knitting nights have always been one of my favorite nights of the week. Especially in the summer when Vicki Lynn Baylor rarely comes because her husband takes her on a summer-long vacation. Her absence alone creates a calm that I desperately need.

But now that Lucy is coming with me, it’s no contest. Knitting night is the highlight of my week. She brings life to our misfit group that’s never been here before.

She and Clara nerd out over books for at least twenty minutes before they start knitting. Last week, they spent most of the evening discussing Harry Potter and how Neville Longbottom is the true hero of the series. This week, Clara handed her a few books and whispered something to her that had her eyes going wide.

Then Lucy settled in next to Mila and the two of them knit together like old friends. Since then, Lucy has bounced around to each member, chatting and making them laugh. But she has spent most of this evening curled up next to Hannah.

I’ve never seen Hannah smile so much in all the years I’ve known her. That haunted look that I sometimes catch in her eyes hasn’t appeared once tonight. It’s good seeing her happy for a change.

“Aunt Lina,” Lucy calls out, dragging my eyes up from my knitting. “Can I have another cookie?”

“You’ve already had three. Your mom is going to kill me if I send you home on a sugar high this close to bedtime.”

“Just one more.” She clasps her hands together in front of her chest, pleading. “Mom will never know. And I promise I won’t act too excited when I get home.”

I raise my brow, ready to hold firm to my no, when Mila cuts in. “Here you go, dear. One more won’t hurt.”

Lucy jumps up, clapping her hands, while I narrow my eyes on Mila. She grins at me and winks in the same playful way Chase always does when he knows he’s pushing my buttons and enjoying it.

“Oh, Lina! I almost forgot to give you this.” Mrs. Hoffman smiles at me with her hand outstretched. She’s holding a white envelope, sending a wave of relief through me. “It was a good week. Might want to think about a restock. We’re almost out of your hand-spun yarn.”

“Really?” My eyes widen as I take the envelope from her. Taking a quick peek inside, my jaw drops when I see how many twenties are inside. There’s even a hundred-dollar bill. When I look back up, Mrs. Hoffman’s smile is wide and bright.

“Like I said, it was a good week. Sold three pairs of your hand-knit socks and several skeins of your hand-spun.”

“This is great. Thanks.” I stuff the envelope in my purse and take a mental note of the stock I have at home that I can bring. I have more than enough hand-spun yarn to sell, but I’d like to add more completed projects. I don’t sell many, but when I do, it’s a nice boost in income. “I’ll bring in some more stock this week to replenish.”

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