The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane. Sheila Roberts

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СКАЧАТЬ well, with her spousal maintenance about to dry up, she’d better,” Samantha said.

      “I think she’s trying to get her act together,” Cecily said. “I hope she does.”

      “I just hope Bill Will doesn’t get hurt.” Samantha looked over at Bailey. “Maybe you should go out with him.”

      Right. Bailey turned around and grinned at Cecily. “Would Bill Will and I be a match?”

      Cecily wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think so. I have a feeling there’s someone better waiting for you.”

      Brandon Wallace.

      “Brandon’s not in town,” Samantha said as if reading her mind.

      Just when her spirits had been lifting. Darn, it was hard to rekindle a romance when one or the other of them was always off somewhere. “Where is he?”

      “He moved to Jackson Hole,” Samantha said.

      “Jackson Hole?” What was there? “Why?”

      “Ski resort, of course.”

      “He’s got a girlfriend,” Cecily said gently.

      “A...girlfriend?” Brandon Wallace, one of the main reasons Bailey had decided she should, indeed, come home, had a girlfriend? “Are you sure?”

      Samantha nodded. “I’m sorry.”

      “How long has he had this girlfriend?” And why hadn’t anyone told her?

      “According to his mom, they met after he moved there in January.”

      “That’s not very long. Is it serious?” Bailey asked in a small voice. It couldn’t be in just a few months.

      “Olivia seems to think so,” Samantha replied. “She figures they’ll be engaged by Christmas.”

      What did Olivia Wallace know, anyway? Bailey sneaked up a hand to wipe away yet another tear.

      “You are way too good for him anyway,” Samantha said.

      “He was never right for you,” Cecily told her.

      And what did her sisters know?

      Seattle was far behind them now, and the mountains in the distance beckoned. Welcome home.

      Bailey scowled at them. Phooey!

       Chapter Five

      When Bailey walked into Muriel Sterling’s rented cottage, it wasn’t hard to see that her mother had gone to a lot of trouble to make her homecoming a celebration. A bouquet of tulips sat in a vase on the counter, along with a batch of peanut butter–chocolate chip cookies divided three ways and wrapped in pink cellophane and tied with pink ribbon—big-girl party favors. There was even a welcome-home present for Bailey, a signed copy of her mother’s latest book.

      “I thought it might be helpful,” she said as Cecily got busy pouring tea.

      Bailey read the title, which was in flowing embossed script. New Beginnings. Was that what you called this?

      She tried to look appreciative. “Thanks, Mama.” And then, before her mother could go into one of her soft-spoken pep talks, she changed the subject. “I smell mushroom lasagna.”

      “And garlic bread,” her mother added. “I hope you girls are hungry.”

      “Of course,” Samantha said. “We’ve been saving our appetites.”

      “No stop at a Starbucks on the way home?” their mother teased.

      “Well, we had to do that,” Cecily said with a smile.

      The next few minutes were spent companionably in the kitchen, the sisters munching on salmon pâté and crackers while they helped their mother get the food on the table.

      Once Muriel had said grace, Samantha raised her mug of chocolate mint tea. “Here’s to our sister. We’re glad to have you home.”

      “And to new beginnings,” Cecily proclaimed.

      Bailey’s smile faltered. She’d come home in disgrace, and the romance she’d hoped to rekindle with Brandon was happening with a different woman. How was that a new beginning? But she gamely recovered and passed her plate for her mother to fill.

      “I assume your sisters spent the ride over the mountains catching you up on everything that’s been going on around here,” Mama said.

      Bailey nodded, and again, she had trouble keeping the smile on her face. Her mother gave back her plate, and she spent a moment contemplating the food on it. She loved mushroom lasagna, but suddenly she had no appetite.

      A soft hand with a slight speckling of age spots covered hers. “Things really are going to work out,” her mother said.

      Bailey nodded once more. “I know. And I’m so lucky to have all of you. It’s good to be home,” she said, bursting into tears.

      And now, in addition to losing her business and finding out that the man of her dreams had fallen for some other woman, she’d ruined her welcome-home dinner. Her big sister left the table, probably in disgust, probably wondering why she’d bothered to buy such an ingrate a plane ticket home.

      But, no, a couple of minutes later Samantha was back. She set a salted caramel on top of the lasagna. “Eat this,” she commanded.

      As if chocolate fixed everything. But Bailey obeyed and popped it in her mouth. It didn’t fix anything, but it did make her feel better.

      “Another toast,” Samantha proposed. “To the bitches who try to ruin us. May their chocolate supply dry up and their boobs fall off.”

      Here Bailey was aware of her mother frowning in disapproval, and despite everything she had to smile just a little.

      “Amen,” she said even as their mother murmured, “Really, Samantha.”

      Sammy grinned. “It made her smile.”

      For a moment. Bailey set down her mug with a frown. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

      “You’ll figure it out,” her mother assured her.

      She sure hoped Mama was right.

      * * *

      Cecily couldn’t help feeling guilty as she got ready for her date with Luke. Her little sister was barely home, and here she was, leaving her. Bailey had a naturally happy disposition, so she’d managed to rally during the dinner at their mother’s the night before. She’d been impressed with the changes Cecily had made to the condo after buying it from Samantha, approving the sunny yellow walls and the cream-colored leather sofa and chair. She’d gotten tears in her eyes when she saw the Welcome Home, Bailey sign Cecily had hung on the door, and she’d been delighted with her room.

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