Kyle waited until they were nearly back at the town hall to bring up something that troubled him. “You and Ryder were together at the Flying Crane?”

“Lindsay was late and I ran into him. I was forced to make small talk until she arrived.”

A muscle in Kyle’s jaw jumped. “Forced?”

“Poor choice of words.” Eliza stepped into the warmth of the municipal building. “He was there. I was there. We spoke briefly. I’ve never cared for Ryder.”

“Really?” Surprise skittered across Kyle’s face. “Why? I mean, he seems like a nice enough guy.”

“In middle school, he dubbed me Olive Oyl.” Eliza pursed her lips. “The name stuck.”

“That’s your reason for disliking him now?”

The amusement in his tone had Eliza bristling. “It wasn’t long until everyone called me that.”

Worse, her guard had dropped for one instant and Ryder had seen her pain. She remembered the sympathy in his eyes. When he’d muttered an apology, she’d wanted to sink through the floor.

The fact he’d seen her vulnerability had been worse than any derisive taunt. The cool, confident image she projected remained her shield.

“Olive Oyl,” Kyle repeated as his brows drew together in thought. “Popeye’s girlfriend?”

“Popeye’s skinny and ugly girlfriend.” Unexpectedly, Eliza’s chest grew tight. It was amazing how memories of those horrible middle-school years could have emotions swamping her. But when she spoke, her tone was even. “It was a long time ago.”

“Over ten years.” Kyle’s gaze searched hers. “Yet, you still hold his actions against him.”

Instead of answering, Eliza swept into Room 101. One quick glance told her the meeting had ended. Children were putting on jackets, while Cade and Marigold chatted with a group of parents.

Marigold’s sister Prim had arrived with her husband, Max. The sight of her large belly had Eliza wondering if Prim would make it to Fin’s wedding this weekend.

Eliza considered going over to say hello, but her eyes were drawn to the paper taped to the wall. No longer blank, it displayed a variety of “art” renderings, all in bright, vivid colors. She smiled at the drawing of Donatello, her brother’s favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. The green head and purple mask told her it had to be him.

Still smiling, she shifted her gaze to the tables. Mindy Vaughn, head covered in an intricately wound pink and yellow scarf, sat beside Lolo. Their heads were down, their eyes focused on the drawing paper in front of them.

Eliza sauntered over to see what they were working on, while Kyle crossed to Mindy’s father, where a handshake morphed into a man hug ending in a firm slap on the back.

She was amazed that the two appeared so well-acquainted, until she remembered Owen ran the only automotive center in town. Doubtless, Kyle and his crew had found themselves in need of mechanical assistance more than once.

“Don’t worry if it looks like a stick drawing.”

At the sound of Lolo’s voice, Eliza refocused on the girls.

“Use the sides and the point to get a rough image.” Lolo offered Mindy an encouraging smile. “There’s no right or wrong.”

“This is fun.” Mindy looked up and smiled, showing the gap between her front teeth. “I wish I hadn’t spent so much time drawing on the wall.”

“I’m sorry to stop you girls.” Marigold placed one hand on each girl’s shoulder. “But the meeting is over. We need to finish picking up.”

“I’ll help.” Though a smile lifted Owen’s lips, worry filled his eyes when they lingered on his daughter.

“There’s no need, truly.” Marigold waved away the offer. “Tomorrow is a school day for Mindy. I’m sure you want to get home.”

For the first time since she’d entered the room, Eliza noticed the bruising fatigue beneath Mindy’s eyes.

“Kyle and I will help.” Eliza’s tone brooked no argument. “We’ve got the cleanup covered.”

Owen nodded, shifted his gaze. “Thank you for helping Mindy, Lolo. I can see my daughter had a good time this evening.”

“It was fun.” Lolo reluctantly rose to her feet. “Maybe me and Mindy can get together sometime. I can show her more fun things to do with charcoal.”

Mindy looked up at her dad. “Please, Daddy.”

“Sure. Whatever you want, baby.”

After another minute of conversation, Owen and his daughter walked out with Prim and her family. This left Eliza, Lolo and Kyle alone with Marigold and Cade.

For years, Eliza had viewed Marigold as Ami’s obnoxious little sister. The youngest Bloom had been a mouthy child and ferociously protective of her sisters. Oddly, Marigold had begun to grow on Eliza since she’d returned to Good Hope last summer to stay. While she doubted they’d ever be good friends, she believed they could be friendly.

Because of her high-profile background, having Marigold as the hairstylist would bring a certain cachet to the Ready, Set, Wed competition.

“I assume you’re ready to go up against Golden Door in the Ready, Set, Wed competition.”

Marigold paused in the act of rolling the white paper she’d just taken off the wall. “Actually, I haven’t given it much thought. What with Fin’s wedding this weekend.”

“Are you considering other beauty salons as well?” Kyle glanced up from the table where he was helping his sister pick up her supplies.

“Golden Door and Marigold’s are the best.” Eliza directed the next comment to Marigold. “Charlotte must be given the opportunity to compete, but you’re my choice.”

Surprise flickered across Marigold’s face. “Why?”

Eliza liked Marigold’s bluntness. “Several reasons. You will bring the most cachet to Good Hope’s entry in the competition, and Lindsay is your friend. Not to mention you’re fantastic with hair.”

Marigold accepted the compliment as her due with a slight incline of her head.

“You just have to keep some things in mind when you style the hair.”

The hairstylist pinned Eliza with suddenly sharp eyes. “I believe we had this discussion before the fashion show last year. No one tells me how to do hair.”

Eliza rolled her eyes. “Don’t get huffy. I simply want you to be bold and creative, not boring.”

“Boring?” Marigold’s eyebrows rose. “Why would I do boring?”

“Lindsay doesn’t enjoy being the center of attention, so she may gravitate to more conservative styles out of habit.”

“If she didn’t want the spotlight, why agree to be involved in the competition?”

Eliza said nothing.

“Just off the top of my head, I can think of several styles that would be perfect for her.” Marigold cocked her head. “Will she agree?”

Eliza thought for a second, then nodded decisively. “She and I talked at length about Good Hope needing to stand out in order to win this competition.”

“Being bold isn’t a problem for me.”

Eliza turned to Kyle. “Are you ready?”

Kyle glanced around the room. “Everything is picked up.”

“Thanks for coming tonight, Lolo.” Cade stepped forward, his eyes as warm as his voice. “You did an excellent job explaining to the kids how to work with charcoal. They not only had fun, they learned something, all thanks to you.”

“We appreciated your patience with them.” Marigold offered the girl a smile. “You have a nice way with children. If you ever decide you’d like to help on a regular basis, we could use a junior leader.”

“Thank you.” Lolo’s cheeks were flushed. “I had fun, too. I’d love to help, but I’ll only be here until the summer.”

On the way home, Lolo was quiet.

After several attempts to engage her in conversation, Eliza assumed the girl was tired and gave up.

It wasn’t until they turned up the steps to the house that Lolo voiced what had apparently been on her mind since they’d left the town hall. “What’s wrong with Mindy?”

Kyle shot her a look, but Eliza ignored the warning. Lolo was twelve. Experience had already taught the girl that life wasn’t always rosy.

Eliza kept her tone matter-of-fact. “Mindy has brain cancer.”

“Will she be okay?”

“She began an experimental treatment last fall.” Eliza paused. “I know she had a good initial response. I haven’t heard a recent update.”

Lolo frowned. “I don’t want her to be sick.”

Kyle rested a hand on his sister’s shoulder.

“Life sucks,” Lolo blurted.

Eliza agreed, thinking of the troubles with her father. Almost as soon as the thought surfaced, Eliza shoved it aside. Battling her father over a house was not in the same ballpark as a child battling cancer. Not anywhere close.

“You’re right.” Eliza reached up and brushed back Lolo’s hair with the palm of her hand. “Sometimes life does suck. But sometimes it’s great, too.”

“Like tonight.” Lolo spoke softly, barely above a whisper.

“Yes,” Eliza agreed, thinking of her coffee-and-pastry interlude with Kyle. “Like tonight.”

* * *

On Friday, a sale on fishing lures kept Eliza and her clerks so busy, she nearly forgot that this was her day to be home for Lolo. Though the child had assured them she was fine with being alone after school, Eliza quickened her step.

As she unlocked the door, Eliza realized she didn’t mind being here for Lolo. The second she stepped inside the house, she heard someone singing in the kitchen.

Mildly annoyed, she sauntered into the room. “This was my day.”

“It is.” Katherine finished adding the peel garnish to several cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. She studied them for a moment. Nodding in satisfaction, she turned to Eliza. “Let’s go into the parlor.”

The look Katherine shot her had her following the woman and taking a seat.

“I realize my presence in your home is an imposition.” Katherine placed the tray on a table, then sat, clasping her wrinkled hands. “I want you to know I’ve secured an apartment at the Living Center. I’m just waiting for it to be ready.”

“It isn’t.” Eliza hesitated, the words awkward on her tongue. “I mean, don’t feel like you have to rush out of here.”

“I never understood why you and I were never close.” Katherine lifted a small sandwich from the pretty, floral plate, but made no move to eat it. “Verna said we rub each other wrong because we’re so much alike.”

As she remembered her father’s words, a chill traveled up Eliza’s spine. “We’re not alike.”

“We’re both headstrong and determined to make our own way.”

Eliza stiffened. “There’s nothing wrong with being self-sufficient.”

“No, indeed. It’s an admirable quality.” Katherine’s eyes grew distant. “Unless you use self-sufficiency as an excuse to not need anyone. To not let anyone get close.”

She hadn’t pushed anyone away. Not lately.

There had been a guy in college and a few who’d expressed interest in the years since. There had always been the hope of her and Jeremy, so she’d seen no need to give the extra effort or look elsewhere.

“I once had a beau. His name was Walter P. Ferrick.” Katherine rose, moved to the window and parted the lace curtains. “The P stood for Phinneas, which was his father’s name.”

After a long moment, Katherine turned back to Eliza. “He arrived in Good Hope when I was twenty-five and swept me off my feet.”

To give her hands something to do, Eliza lifted a sandwich from the plate and took a bite. She wasn’t a priest. She didn’t care to hear Katherine’s confession of a love gone wrong. She certainly wasn’t going to encourage confidences.

When the silence lengthened, broken only by the staccato barks of a beagle next door, Eliza realized her cousin expected a response. She carefully considered her question, since That’s nice didn’t seem appropriate. “Where was he from?”

“Walt was an attorney for a large corporation in New York City.” Pride filled the older woman’s voice for a second. She turned, met Eliza’s gaze. “He’d been married, but his wife had recently passed away, leaving him with two little ones.”

The expectant look on Katherine’s face forced another question. “Were the children with him?”

“The children were back in New York with his parents.” Katherine’s eyes were bright. “I fell in love. Head over heels, as we used to say in those days.”

Katherine closed her eyes for a second. In the silence, her pain was palpable.

Obviously, Katherine had loved the man. Yet he’d returned to New York without her. Eliza had always been good at solving puzzles. With the clues Katherine had dropped, this was an easy one. “He didn’t return your feelings.”

“On the contrary, Walt loved me deeply. He asked me to marry him, to go back with him to New York City as his wife.” Outside, a dog barked. Each time it did, Katherine flinched. Her voice took on a hint of desperation. “But don’t you see, I loved Good Hope. Verna was my best friend. She was here. I had a steady job I enjoyed, doing the books for several businesses in town. My home, my life, was here.”

Though it appeared to be a sad story of love lost, Katherine was a rational woman. Which meant she would respond to logic. “I’m sure you gave his proposal careful thought.”

“I told him I’d be unhappy so far from home.” Katherine’s eyes grew dark. “But he had his children to consider. Their lives were back East. Uprooting them so quickly after the loss of their mother would have been cruel. We were at an impasse. In the end, I lost.”

“He lost, too.” Eliza kept her tone matter-of-fact. “Would you rather have gone and been miserable?”

“I don’t think I would have been.” Katherine returned to the sofa, collapsed onto it as if her legs could no longer bear her weight.

“You don’t know that for sure.”

“I know that, even after all these years, I still wonder what might have been.”

Hoping to ease the woman’s melancholy, Eliza covered Katherine’s hand with her own, gave it a squeeze. “It’s easy to second-guess decisions. It’d certainly be easy for me to regret all the years I wasted longing for Jeremy Rakes.”

Eliza could see Katherine was startled that she’d brought up Jeremy. She was only grateful the haunted look had left the older woman’s eyes.

“Do you?” Katherine arched a brow. “Regret those years?”

“I’m not big on second-guessing.” Eliza met Katherine’s gaze. “I have no regrets. Jeremy and Fin were meant for each other in a way he and I never were. Perhaps it was that way with you and Walt. If what was between you had been stronger, you would have found a way to be together.”

“Perhaps so.” Katherine expelled a shaky breath, folded her hands together in her lap. “If Kyle returns to Kentucky, will you go with him?”

“He won’t ask.” Eliza spoke in a flat, hard tone. “Is that what this is about? You tell me a story so that you—”

“Walt died last week. I’ve kept tabs on him, but only learned of his passing this afternoon.” Katherine’s fingers fluttered in the air. “He had a good life. All this is about is me needing to talk to someone about him. Nothing more.”

The gentle words held the force of a slap.

“I’m sorry for your loss.” Eliza kept her gaze steady on Katherine.

The yapping outside escalated.

“I love animals,” Katherine’s lips tightened, “but if I had a sock handy, I’d stuff it in the beagle’s mouth.”

Eliza chuckled, and the tension in the room eased. “Do you have plans for the evening?”

“The Living Center is having a dominoes tournament this afternoon. Gladys and I plan to have dinner with Ruby, then participate in the tournament.”

It was good, Eliza thought, that her cousin would keep busy with friends tonight. “When will you be leaving?”

“The dining room opens at four thirty. Ruby prefers to eat early.” Katherine paused for a second. “She mentioned there will be younger players there, too. Residents are encouraged to bring their older grandchildren to participate in the tournament. You have to be at least twelve, so Lolo qualifies.”

Eliza thought about mentioning that Lolo wasn’t related to her, but something in Katherine’s eyes stopped her.

“I think of Lolo as mine.” Katherine’s gaze settled on the tray, which contained not only the finger sandwiches, but fruit slices. “She’s always hungry when she gets home. I don’t think she eats much for lunch.”

The front door banged open. “I’m home.”

A second later, Lolo appeared in the doorway.

Katherine jumped to her feet and, with hands outstretched, crossed the room. “There’s my precious girl.”

Lolo’s face flushed with pleasure as she took Katherine’s hands. “You always smell so good.”

“Coco Chanel. My signature scent.” Katherine looped an arm through Lolo’s and drew her across the room. “I made a snack for us.”

Lolo eyed the finger sandwiches with some trepidation. “Cucumber?”

“Delicious and healthy. Something to tide us over until dinner.” Katherine offered the girl a bright smile. “I was just telling Eliza you and I will be dining with Ruby and Gladys at the Living Center this evening.”

Lolo set her backpack on the floor and took a seat. She picked up a sandwich and simply stared at it.

“They’re delicious.” Eliza offered an encouraging smile. “I tried one.”

Katherine took a seat and motioned for Eliza to do the same, before turning her attention back to Lolo. “The center is hosting a dominoes tournament after dinner. I thought—hoped—you’d be interested in participating.”

A slight frown furrowed Lolo’s brow. “Won’t everyone be old?”

The hope glittering in Katherine’s pale blue eyes dimmed.

“Not at all.” Eliza forced enthusiasm into her voice. “Lots of the women—and men—are bringing their grandchildren.”

Lolo’s expression grew thoughtful, and Eliza could almost see the wheels turn in her head before she turned to Katherine. “I could go as your granddaughter. Would that be okay?”

Katherine’s eyes now held a sheen. “Very much okay.”