By suppertime on Tuesday her brain was full of ideas. She was also completely settled into the cottage, which seemed very unreal.
Her phone rang, and she grabbed it, sticking it under her ear as she hurriedly pulled on boots and her coat. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself,” Tucker said, his deep voice stroking her skin in a caress. “I’ve only got a minute, but wanted to let you know I’ve been thinking about you.”
“Is this a sex call?” Ginny teased. “Because that’s totally on my bucket list, but I’m heading out the door right now.”
“Girls’ night out at Luke and Kelli’s. I heard.”
The man had connections. “How’s your man-bonding going?”
The sheer happiness in his voice said it all. “Luke is solid as always. Hysterically funny, and I still occasionally feel the urge to kill him. Then while I’m in the middle of debating exactly how to commit said murder, Jack spouts these gems of wisdom and I drop whatever I’m doing to take notes.”
“I bet he’d repeat everything as often as you’d like.”
“You’d be right. They’re good people,” Tucker told her. “And we’re sharing tight quarters, so I’m calling you quickly while they’re out of the room. Hope to be back late tomorrow.”
She didn’t bother to tell him about the change of living arrangements. He didn’t need to worry about it right now. “And then a whole new game starts.”
He swore softly.
Ginny laughed. “You’ll do great. I’ve got to run. Drive safe, and I’ll see you soon.”
She hurried across the distance to Kelli’s house, meeting another familiar friend on the doorstep.
“Brooke.” Ginny gave her a hug then leaned away to examine her closely. “So, this is what married looks like on you.”
The tall mechanic grinned. “It’s been a blast. But let’s get inside before I freeze my butt off.”
“I’m supposed to be the one complaining about how cold it is after not having experienced winter in Canada for three years,” Ginny said.
An instant later there was no need to worry about the cold. In fact, Ginny stripped off not just her jacket but the sweater she’d put on underneath. Luke and Kelli’s house was far warmer than the little cottage. Ginny would have to figure out a way to deal with the heating issue.
The sound of voices and laughter beckoned, and as soon as they got their boots off, Brooke grabbed Ginny by the hand and led her into the house proper.
“The star of the show has arrived,” Brooke announced.
“Ginny.” The shout went up from everyone at the same time, the hands thrust in the air already holding filled glasses.
Ginny took a deep breath and looked around, putting names to faces. And then for the heck of it, she said them out loud, pointing at each in turn. “Kelli, Rose, Brooke, Tansy. Although two of you have changed your last names since the last girls’ night out I attended.” Those were her friends from way back. Now to the newcomers. “Diane and I met on Christmas Day. And you’re Yvette Wright, veterinarian.”
Yvette waved.
Then Ginny examined the final woman in the room who was at least a few years younger than the rest of them but confidently coming forward with her hand outstretched in greeting. Beautiful dark skin, a mass of curls that bobbed freely around her head.
“Charity Gruzing, yes?”
Charity looked shocked but pleased. She glanced toward the other women. “You’re right, she’s got that spooky voodoo woman vibe.” She shook Ginny’s hand. “Do I have a nametag on somewhere?”
“I have two nieces in your ballet class,” Ginny reminded her. “They spent the afternoon singing your praises and doing pirouettes into my walls.”
“Ah, yes, Sasha and Emma are very…enthusiastic.”
“You have more patience than me,” Yvette said. “But you honestly seem to enjoy working with the kids, so good for you.”
“You’re pretty patient yourself,” Charity returned. “I saw you convince that abandoned dog to get in your truck.”
A story which it seemed most of the women in the room had not yet heard. Which meant to Yvette’s embarrassment, Charity proceeded to recite the entire story while Brooke took Ginny to grab a drink.
By the time they were all curled up in the comfortable living room, the faint trace of butterflies Ginny had felt earlier in the day had vanished.
Part of it was having new women in the room—it made her feel as if she weren’t the only one who wanted to know more. She wasn’t the only one who had missed things that had happened recently.
In fact, by the time the buzzer on the oven went off, Ginny’s nerves were a thing of the past.
“Pizza,” Kelli shouted. “Come on. Serve yourself at the island. There’s green stuff on the table for anyone who wants to pretend to balance their meal.”
Ginny ended up seated next to Yvette.
“I’ve heard good things about you,” Ginny told her. “My big brother is good friends with Josiah Ryder, and Josiah said you’re doing a fantastic job. That even the old grumpy guys like you.”
Yvette nodded slowly. “That’s good to hear. The bit about Josiah being happy. The part about the old grumpy guys is a little less hurrah, because they’re still grumpy, and I still have to deal with them.”
“I hear you. When I used to drop off the CSA boxes, some of the customers would be cranky and grumbling even as they said thanks, and I was pretty sure they were annoyed because I was making them eat their vegetables.”
“Kind of like Kelli?” Yvette asked.
“I heard that,” Kelli said then went back to her conversation with Charity.
They both laughed. “You plan to start up the garden boxes again?” Yvette asked.
“Still deciding,” Ginny said honestly. “Tell me more about you. Have you got any veterinarians in your background? Grow up on a ranch? Win all the 4-H awards growing up?”
The other woman shook her head. “About as far from that as you can possibly get, to be honest. Most of my family is in the home-building supply business. Plus, my mother and sister are allergic to absolutely everything, so I didn’t even have a pet.”
Not at all what Ginny had expected. “Wow. What made you decide to take a new course?”
Yvette shrugged. “I like animals. I like caring for them and making them feel better. It might not be something my family ever considered, but when I really sat down and thought about what would make me happy to do for a whole lot of years, being a veterinarian hit all the high points.”
“Good for you.” Ginny meant it sincerely. Then she leaned forward and asked a variation on the same question she’d been asking nonstop for the past two days. “What’s the one thing you wish you could get here in Heart Falls?”
“A local surprise box,” Yvette said instantly.
Ginny had no idea what that meant. “Explain.”
“They’re all the thing on social media. Cause boxes or book boxes or art boxes. Subscriptions, so once a month or once a quarter, you get a selection of things sent to you.” Yvette’s cheeks flushed slightly. “I like to collect knickknacks, but with how busy my job is, the opportunity to wander through collectible shops isn’t there. Plus, I like the idea of supporting local, so when I can order stuff online, I don’t want to have stuff shipped long distances. Small footprint impact, but still a lot of fun.”