She raises a skeptical brow. “I don’t think Sandra would like that,” she cracks.
“Sandra? Why would she care? Wait, you don’t think Sandra and I are a thing?”
“Well, yeah. Aren’t you?” she asks.
“No, we’re just friends,” I insist.
“Does she know that? Because she seemed to think you were more,” she says.
“I’m positive. Look, Sandra is smart and beautiful and …”
“Pushy,” she interjects.
I chuckle. “I was going to say, assertive.”
“You’re so nice,” she says.
“There was a date once and then a second date under protest,” I continue.
“Protest?”
“She kind of insisted in front of my mother, who was really hoping she’d have grandchildren by now. So, I relented, but that was over a year ago. There was no spark, and we’re just friends now.”
“Speaking of Lindy, how is she? I haven’t seen her in ages,” Trixie says.
“She’s great, loving that retirement life. You should call her.”
“I believe I will. Trudy and I will stop in to visit her this week.”
“She’d like that,” I say as I snatch the completed work order from the copier behind me. “Here you go, Trudy. Once I have a chance to talk to Keller, I’ll let you know a timeframe for the project.”
She takes the paper from my hand. “Perfect. We’ll see you this evening,” she says as she tucks it into her purse.
“This evening?”
Her eyes come back up to me, and she smiles.
“Yes, when you pick Hannah up for dinner,” she says.
“Mom …”
“You heard the man. This Sandra person is a friend, and it’s the least you can do for breaking his handsome face, sweetheart.”
Hannah sighs and looks at me. “Fine. I’ll be ready at seven.”
“See you then.”
The three of them make their exit, and I sit back and enjoy a jelly doughnut.
Hannah
Willa and I meet in her office after enjoying tea and gingerbread pudding with Mom, Trixie, Alice, and a few of the inn’s female guests.
“I cleared a spot for you over here on the credenza, and Annette is letting us use her chair from the front desk for a few days,” she tells me.
“What will she sit on?” I ask.
“She carried one of the barstools in from the kitchen. She likes it much better. She doesn’t know it yet, but I have a new adjustable-height chair on order for her.”