Page 26 of Meet Me on Lilac Lane

“I can’t believe how many of these mention your video reel. Or how many of them are just wondering if Cody is available.” Dani thumbed through a few sheets of paper. “I think if we eliminate the ones who are only looking to date Cody, we should have a good starting point.” She raised an eyebrow at Mia. “Unless you think we should set him up with one of them.”

Mia’s chest went hot. “What? No. He would hate that.” She shifted in her chair. The cushion in the seat must have been mashed flat, she could feel every spring.

“Hewould hate it?” Now Dani raised the other eyebrow.

“What?” Mia furrowed her brow. Cody wouldn’t be interested in a blind date, would he?

“It’s just that every time we come across one of these, you huff a little and then throw it on the floor.” Dani smirked at her.Smirked!

Mia arched her back. “I do not.”

Dani crossed her arms and sat back in the chair. She didn’t say anything, just gestured to Mia’s side of the room. Mia looked around. Scattered around her chair, lay dozens of crumpled papers.

Her cousin leaned forward again and picked up an application off the desk. “In that case, maybe you will approve of this one. Look at this, she is an artist. She makes sculptures out of driftwood. She likes long walks by the shore and would love to live in a maintenance shed. She would make a great fisherman’s wife.”

No. Her heart thudded to a stop. She reached over the desk. “It doesn’t say that.” She snatched the paper out of Dani’s hand. She scanned the lines of text. It was an application from an older couple who wanted to open a pizzeria. “You little sneak.”

Dani laughed. “It was worth it to see the look on your face.”

Mia’s shoulders fell to a reasonable level. “Fine. You’re right. I guess I am being a little protective of my friend.”

“Mm-hmm.” Dani crossed her arms again.

“What?”

“It’s just that I don’t think you think of Cody as a friend.” Dani gave her an intense look. “And I know he has feelings for you.”

That couldn’t be true. “I do think of Cody as a friend. And don’t be silly, he doesn’t think of me as anything other than Troy’s widow.” But why did that thought sting a little?

Mia’s phone buzzed. A text from her mom popped up.

Mom

Want me to start some lunch?

Shoot! Was it that late already? Her stomach plummeted. When her mom had arrived that morning to watch the kids, Mia had promised to be back in two hours. It was now bordering on three.

Mia

That would be great. Thanks. I’ll be home in a few.

“I’m sorry, Dani, I’ve gotta go.” She gathered up the piles into a haphazard stack and shoved them into her messenger bag.

As she rushed out the door, she almost missed Dani’s parting words. “Call me when you’ve narrowed down the list.”

The beauty of the May sky beckoned to her, almost begging to be set to canvas. She pushed away thoughts of the perfect watercolor shade and hurried on toward home.

After she’d sent her mom on her way and the kids had been fed, Mia spread the papers back out on the dining room table.

She should be ecstatic, but instead, a wave of nausea threatened to take her under. She swallowed it down, took a few long breaths to slow her heart rate. Could she even do this job? If she failed, she would have no choice but to move.

Around her, the room embraced her. The dark wainscoting lapping the bottom of the walls, with a light gray around the top had been the first house compromise she and Troy had made. He wanted more wood in their home, but she thought it was too dark. He proposed the wainscoting, and she countered with the gray above. When they’d finished that part of the remodel, Troy had danced her around the room, laughing.We make a good team,he’d said.

Funny how that memory didn’t hold a sting anymore. In fact, all memories of Troy had faded into sepia-toned photos she took out more and more rarely every day.

Maggie climbed onto a chair next to her, a purple crayon clutched in her hand. “Hi, Mama.”

“Hi, baby.”

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