The look on Nate’s face was priceless. “Ten pounds? Do you know something I don’t?”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “That was a joke, Nate. I’m perfectly fine. So scat! We have a mission to complete here and there are no men allowed.”
He put his hands up in apology. “I guess I’ll go where I’m wanted.”
The woman all began shouting things like Poor baby, and Aw, Nate, we love you.
He smiled good-naturedly and went back to the family room.
“Sorry, but we have to share the house with a few thirteen-year-old boys. I forgot that I promised Henry he could have some friends from the soccer club over,” Lauren said, looking adorably pregnant in one of her own maternity designs.
Sarah had seen Cameron and the rest of the boys while Lauren had shown her the house. She’d waved at him and he’d waved back, with one hand still on the gear stick. Lauren had said the boys were all from the soccer club, which meant that Cameron must still be on the team. Had he told his parents he didn’t want to play soccer anymore? It seemed like he probably hadn?
??t. She’d have to ask Luke if he’d had a chance to talk to his nephew yet.
“I have some bad news,” Pilar Diaz-Rothman said, getting everyone’s attention. “I was going to wait till later, but I didn’t want to end the night on a sour note. Frida called me from Europe and asked me for the name of a good real estate attorney.” There was a pause. “She and Ed want to sell The Bistro and move to France.”
The room exploded with everyone talking at once.
“What?” asked Shea Masterson, a tall, very attractive redhead with perfect makeup and a bawdy laugh. “Are they crazy?”
“Oh, sure, because you’d have to be crazy to want to live in France,” Kitty Pappas said sarcastically.
“That’s not what I meant,” Shea said. “But if she sells The Bistro then what’s going to happen to it? Can you imagine Whispering Bay without The Bistro by the Beach? What if some hipster buys it and turns it into one of those hookah lounges. Or worse, it could fall into the hands of some Yankee carpetbagger!”
Kitty giggled behind her wine glass. “I think the carpetbaggers are all gone with the wind.”
Shea narrowed her eyes. “Laugh all you want now, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when the grits and sweet potato pie disappear from the menu.”
“Did you know anything about this?” Mimi asked Sarah.
Sarah didn’t feel right discussing Frida’s business, even with her close friends, but since Pilar had already spilled the beans there was no point holding back. “Lucy told me. She’s thinking of buying the place, but it will depend on whether or not she can get financing.” She’d spoken to Lucy about Will’s offer to help her buy The Bistro, and Lucy was considering it, but nothing was definite. The fact that Frida wanted the name of a real estate attorney made things very real, however. She’d have to light a fire under Lucy or else, just like Shea said, The Bistro could end up being sold to anyone.
“Lucy McGuffin?” Kitty said. “That would be good. She’s a local and she already works there.”
Pilar looked at her. “What about you, Sarah? Would you be interested in The Bistro?”
“Me? Oh, no, not really.”
“Why not?” Mimi said. “Is it because you still have your heart set on the food truck idea?”
Something about the way Mimi looked at her made Sarah feel itchy. It took her a minute to realize what it was. When Mimi got all intense, her eyes looked just like Luke’s.
If, by some crazy twist of fate, she could afford to buy The Bistro, then it would mean she’d be permanently tied to Whispering Bay. Is that what Mimi was getting at? Did Mimi want her to stay in town? She’d certainly tried her best to fix Sarah up with her brother. But Luke didn’t live here, so that made no sense.
“Well, I know what I’d like Sarah to do,” Lauren said. “You should open up a business delivering homemade meals to stressed out families.”
The Babes all turned to look at her.
“I won Sarah’s homemade family meal at the preschool silent auction and let me tell you, it was a godsend. Not only was it the best thing we’ve had to eat in ages, it came on the perfect night. Nate was at the office till seven, Henry had a soccer game till eight, and Baby Miller and I were working hard at the office. Sarah delivered it still warm from the oven.” Lauren made a dreamy face. “Pot roast, carrots and potatoes, homemade biscuits, and cheesecake. It’s been over a week now and Nate hasn’t stopped raving about it.”
“Can you deliver dinner to my house tomorrow?” Shea said. “And I’m totally serious, by the way.”
“Oh, uh, I’ll be in Atlanta tomorrow, but…maybe I can work something out for next week?”
Shea took out her cell phone. “Give me your number. I’ll call you.”
A couple of the other women got Sarah’s number, as well.