Page 26 of Rebuilding Friendship Inn

“Billie said no,” Eloise said. She’d just finished telling AJ and Laurel, who’d also been in the house for most of the morning, about Billie’s first kiss—and the subsequent invitation to a boy’s house on Rocky Ridge.

“You never want to go out to Rocky Ridge to meet a boy,” AJ said. “Trust me on that.”

Laurel looked at her with somber yet sparkling eyes. “Why’s that, AJ?’

“Yes,” Eloise said dryly. “Why’s that?”

“They’re all uppity out there,” she said.

“Maddy’s living out there,” Eloise said.

“And that proves my point.” AJ’s eyebrows rose as she surveyed the other two women. “What? I’m right. She’s a nice lady, but she’s wealthy. She comes from money. She was married to acongressman, for crying out loud.”

“Yeah, and you used to interviewprofessional athleteswhile they worenothing but a towel,” El shot back. “Maddy is not uppity.”

Sometimes those athletes wore nothing at all, but AJ kept that to herself.

“I broke up the biggest, longest drug ring in the cove,” Laurel said. “No one’s worshipping me.”

Eloise burst out laughing, and AJ joined in. Laurel grinned widely, and then she straightened from where she’d been leaning over the island to get more pita and hummus. Robin had provided food at both houses for everyone coming to help that day, despite multiple protests. She simply didn’t know how to let people do things for her without repayment, and food was the least she could do.

In a lot of ways, AJ admired Robin. If it had been her, she’d have been so frazzled with having to move out and clean her house so the next person could move in on the same day, she wouldn’t have even remembered to feed herself. Robin had done that, and fed a dozen others as well.

“Helllooo,” a woman called, and the three of them turned toward the long hallway that led past the stairs to the front door.

“Who’s that?” Laurel asked.

“Robin’s mother,” El muttered, and AJ was glad she recognized the voice for she hadn’t.

Sure enough, Jennifer Golden breezed into the room, a designer handbag hanging off her forearm. “Wow.” She looked around the room, barely acknowledging the women there. “This place looks good.”

“We’ve got it all clean,” El said. She moved over to Jennifer and gave her a quick hug. “Clara should be here any minute.”

“I’m going to take some pictures first,” Jennifer said. “Don’t mind me.”

AJ didn’t know how to not mind Jennifer. She seemed to be judging everyone she came in contact with, and AJ didn’t deal well with women her age. Her own mother had walked out on her as a teen, and AJ had done her best to reconcile that and move forward. She was still in therapy for a lot of things, and her mother came up every once in a while.

Jennifer began snapping photos of everything, and the conversation between Laurel, AJ, and Eloise didn’t continue until she’d clicked her way down the hall. Then, they all seemed to take a big breath in together.

AJ blew hers out and smiled at the others. “She just radiates tension, you know?”

“Have you been around Clara lately?” Eloise asked. She shook her head and went back to wiping the counter she’d already wiped ten times. “I went over to Kristen’s to talk to her about some booking systems for hotels and stuff, and we got nothing done. Absolutely nothing.” She shook her head. “I hope I wasn’t like that when I was getting Cliffside up and running.”

AJ said, “Of course not, El. Things were stressful, but you never acted like we owed you.”

“Clara doesn’t do that either,” El said. “It’s…different. It’s like she has a one-track mind. She has a question, and until it’s satisfied, she can’t think of anything else.”

The rumble of the garage door going up met AJ’s ears, and she turned again. “They’re here.” She threaded her finger through Asher’s chubby ones and bounced his arm as she walked down the hall to the garage entrance. She opened it, and yes, Kristen had just pulled into the garage in her minivan.

A man rode in the passenger seat, and AJ’s heartbeat sounded like a jackhammer in her ears. “Guys,” she called over her shoulder without removing her eyes from the older gentleman. “You’re gonna want to come here right now.”

“What is it?” El asked. She and Laurel bustled up beside AJ, who simply waited for them to spot Kristen’s new boyfriend.

She’d been very vehement about himnotbeing her boyfriend. With the wedding last week, and everyone preparing to move this week, they hadn’t had any of their weekly luncheons. AJ walked with Kristen and Lisa a couple of times a week, and she’d asked her about Theo.

Kristen had assured her over and over that she still wanted to do their walks together, and she’d walk with Theo on other days.

He emerged from the minivan, Kristen right behind him. She hurried around the front of the vehicle, and AJ didn’t see Clara or Scott. They didn’t have a car here on the island, but right now, AJ didn’t much care where they were.

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