“Thanks. Okay, thanks.Zoe —”
“You just keep breathing. Want me to swing by and get you?”
“No.” She rubbed the temper tears away. “No, Ill meet you.”
“Twenty minutes,”Zoe repeated and rang off.
* * *
SHE was calmer, at least on the surface, when she pulled into the double drive in front of the pretty frame house shed bought with her friends. In a matter of weeks, theyd be signing papers at settlement. Then they would begin, well, whatever it was that they were going to begin.
It wasZoe and Malory who had the big ideas as far as ambience, color schemes, paints, and posies. Theyd already had their heads together over paint chips for the color of the porch, the entrance hall. And she knewZoe had been scouring flea markets and yard sales for the trash that she miraculously turned into treasure.
It wasnt that she didnt have ideas herself. She did.
She could envision in general how her section of the main floor would look when it had been transformed into a little bookstore/cafe. Comfortable and cozy. Maybe some good sink-into-me chairs, a few tables.
But she couldnt see the details. What should the chairs look like? What kind of tables should she use?
And there were dozens of other things she hadnt considered when shed jumped into that dream of having her own bookstore. Just as, she was forced to admit, there were things she hadnt considered when shed, basically, told Joan to stuff it.
Impulse, pride, and temper, she thought with a sigh. A dangerous combination. Now she was going to have to live with the results of surrendering to it.
She stepped but of the car. Her stomach was still jumpy, so she rubbed a hand over it as she studied the house.
It was a good place. It was important to remember that. Shed liked it the minute shed stepped inside the door withZoe . Even the downright terrifying experience theyd had inside it— courtesy of their nemesis, Kane—barely a week before, when Malory had found her key, didnt spoil the feel of the place.
Shed never owned a house, or any other property. She should concentrate on the very adult sensation of owning a third of an actual building, and the land it stood on. She wasnt afraid of the responsibility—it was good to know that. She wasnt afraid of work, mental or physical.
But she was, she realized, very afraid of failing.
She walked to the porch, sat on the step, and indulged in a good wallow.
She was too mired in it to do more than sit there when Malory pulled up withZoe in the passenger seat. Malory angled her head as she climbed out.
“Crappy day, huh?”
“Dont come much crappier. Thanks for coming. Really.”
“We did better than that.” She gestured towardZoe , and the white bakery boxZoe carried.
Overcome, Dana sniffed. “Is it chocolate?”
“Were girls, arent we?” Sitting beside her,Zoe gave her a hard, one-armed hug, then opened the box. “Chocolate . A big fat one for each of us.”
This time, it was sentimental tears threatening to fall. “You guys are the best.”
“Take a few bites, wait for the kick, then tell us about it.“ Malory sat on the other side, handed out napkins.
Dana soothed herself with chocolate, pastry, and cream, and-the story tumbled out between bites.
“She wanted me to quit.” Scowling, she flicked her tongue at the corner of her mouth and licked off a bit of Bavarian cream. “It was some visceral animosity going on between us the minute we laid eyes on each other. Like, Idunno , maybe we were mortal enemies in a past life. Or, Jesus, married or something. Its not just that she ran the library like it was boot camp—thats bad enough—but she had it in for me, personally. And so did her little yappy dog, Sandi.”
“I know its tough, Dana. Boy, do I.” Malory rubbed a sympathetic hand over Danas shoulder. “But you were planning to resign in a few weeks anyway.”
“I know, I know. But I wanted to sort of ease out. Cop the little going-away party with the staff, so it all ended on a high note. And the fact is, even with the pay cut, the salary did come in handy. More than. I couldve used the extra paychecks before I walked.”
“Telling her to cram it should be worth the paychecks. Shes a bitch and we hate her,”Zoe said loyally. “And when Indulgence is up and running, and the bookstores the talk of the Valley, shell stew in her own envious juices.”