Page 16 of Rebuilding Friendship Inn

“Holy mother of pearl,” Robin said from two spots over. Her voice held awe and wind, the same kind Eloise felt moving through her soul.

She looked up from her phone, her hands dropping to her sides. “Clara finally texted,” she said.

Between her and Robin, AJ continued to twist stems, perhaps a little too violently. Her normally sleek, straight hair had been pulled messily into a ponytail, with plenty of haphazard strands that hadn’t cooperated. She honestly looked a little unkempt, but Eloise would never say so.

“Is someone going to respond to her?” AJ asked. She finally looked away from her throttled arrangement. She blew out her breath and pushed some errant locks back. “I need a haircut.”

Of course, AJ was still stunningly beautiful. She had been for her entire life, and that didn’t go away because her hair needed to be trimmed.

“I don’t know what to say,” Robin admitted.

“Dibs on telling her about the night we stayed in the inn,” Alice called from the next table over. She sounded gleeful, and Eloise didn’t think she got how big of a moment this was. Eloise looked over to Robin, who had likewise stopped working.

Clara hadn’t participated or responded to anyone, about anything, since the day Kristen had added her to the group chat. Eloise had messaged and spoken with Kristen privately, and Kristen was almost desperate for her daughter to find a place to belong here on Five Island Cove.

She’d hoped it would be with everyone there, twisting wired flower stems and filling tall, cylindrical vases with colored stones.

Kristen and Clara hadn’t arrived yet, but Kristen had alerted them of their late departure, but that she, Clara, and Lena would be there soon.

“I’m going to respond,” Kelli said. She came over to Eloise’s table, her phone in her hands. “Okay?”

Eloise nodded, because Kelli would say something kind and pleasant. She’d grown quite the backbone in recent years, and Eloise loved her dearly.

“I will right after you,” Jean said. She hadn’t stopped her work at Alice’s table, and Robin’s daughter Mandie kept on putting things where they needed to be as well. Jamie worked in the back room at the venue where a fabulous beach wedding that had been put together in only eight days would take place.

The Tower Plaza had the perfect building for staging a wedding, and the narrow strip of beach beyond it had not been reserved for tomorrow night. Robin had even convinced them to let her into the building in the morning to finish all their prep, and then she’d get access to the beach an hour before the ceremony began.

Eloise’s phone chimed again, and her attention flew to it.Of course we’ll talk to you about Friendship Island and the inn, Kelli said.AJ in particular has some great stories about it.

I do not, AJ said.Besides, our stories are the same, Kel.

Kelli giggled, and Eloise found herself smiling too.Not true, Kelli said.I’m pretty sure I didn’t sneak out of any rooms to meet boys.

“Hey,” AJ said out loud. “That was Matt.”

“Still happened,” Kelli said. “To you, not me.”

I can come help any day at the inn, Jean said.Didn’t you hire someone too? Do they work every day, or no?

“She did hire someone,” Robin said.

Before anyone else could say anything else, and before Eloise could chime in that she’d help too if she could, the door to the small space opened and no less than six women entered.

They chattered the way Eloise imagined she did with her friends when they went to lunch, and she was instantly intimidated by them.

One woman emerged as the leader, and Robin put down her wire cutters to go greet her. Robin was personable and fun, especially with clients, and she stepped right into the tall, lithe blonde and hugged her.

“Come meet my friends,” she said, and Robin brought the whole group of them over. “Guys, let’s pow-wow.”

“I hate it when she says that,” Alice muttered as she stepped to Eloise’s side.

“Would you rather she say, ‘huddle up’?” Eloise grinned as Alice rolled her eyes. “Because I hate that.” Robin had said it that morning, and Eloise had wanted to ask her if they were about to play football.

Robin waited for everyone to finish up their tasks, and then she nodded to Mandie. “Oh,” the young woman said. “So this is Madeline Lancaster. Her son is the one getting married. Beside her—”

Robin cleared her throat, and Mandie stared blankly at her for a moment. “I mean, did your son and his fiancée get in all right?”

Madeline smiled, and she was a natural beauty the way AJ was. “Yes, they did,” she said. “They’ve been here for a couple of hours. Bea should be here in a few minutes to help.”

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