“I will. ” She consciously tried to smooth her brow and relax as she blew on her tea.
“You need another. ” Pearl plucked a pink petit four and put it on Laura’s plate. “Nothing like a little sugar to soothe the soul. ”
“Try it,” Ruby urged. “You’ve got to have fancies for your tea. ”
“I’ve asked it once, I’ve asked a thousand times, how do you women not weigh a thousand pounds?” She let herself take the tiniest nibble and for a moment was transported to another place, one that was sweet and innocent, that allowed time for cakes and tea. Her next breath was deeper, her shoulders easing just a bit. “Oh, that is good. ”
They were light and sweet and airy, and she wanted more. A lot like Eddie’s smiles.
She scrunched her face against the sudden and treasonous thought.
The sisters nodded as though witnessing some essential truth coming to light. “You see?”
“Now tell us what’s wrong. ”
“Is our Eddie still giving you trouble?”
“What’s that boy done now?”
She decided another bite wouldn’t hurt. “It’s what he hasn’t done,” she said, swallowing. “Namely, he hasn’t told those Fairview people where they can…” She stopped herself, hearing Sorrow’s warning in her head. Language. “Where they can build their ridiculous resort instead of Sierra Falls. ”
The women hmm’ed thoughtfully. Ruby dunked a corner of her petit four into her teacup and took a delicate bite. “Did you check the work permits like we said?”
“And have him remeasure the property?” chimed Pearl.
“I’ve got it. ” Ruby snapped her fingers. “Conservancy land. ”
“You’re right,” Pearl said with widened eyes. “That property backs up onto conservancy land, I’ll bet. ”
But Laura didn’t get excited. “Nope, I looked into that. I looked into all of it. There’s no stopping them. ”
“But I heard television people were coming out,” Ruby said. “That’s something. ”
“That’s what he says. But it’s not enough. ”
“Maybe you’re not looking at the big picture. ”
“Now you sound like him. ” Eddie, Eddie, Eddie…she heard his voice everywhere.
She’d gone in there having sworn to avoid their sweets but decided this particular topic called for another. Besides, chewing gave her extra time to think.
The sisters exchanged a look that wasn’t lost on Laura.
She swallowed. “What?”
“Well…” Pearl began, and Ruby finished, “Why don’t you tell us what our nephew said. ”
“He told me I don’t see things how they really are. Can you believe it?” She took another petit four and popped the whole thing in her mouth.
“Maybe he has a point, dear,” Pearl said kindly.
What? Sudden emotion clutched her throat, and she had to swallow twice to get the little cake down. “I know how things really are. ”
The sisters nodded knowingly. Ruby said, “There was a day when I thought so, too. ”
“Both of us,” added Pearl.
“We were real firecrackers. ”