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easures

When she entered the back door, the noise was already at a fever pitch Half a dozen wo animatedly The only fa out supplies on a table A long counter ran along one side of the roo its surface Abby clutched her handbag and paused in the doorway, unsure But just then Jess looked up and a broad smile lit up her face

Her dark eyes arht for a h the cousins Jess’s eyes re

“You’re here!” Jess ca

Abby had no chance to guard against the contact, and let herself be hugged briefly before giving a light laugh and extricating herself from Jess’s embrace “I did”

“I’et started”

Under Jess’s guidance, Abby met Cindy White, mother of twins and wife of a local fisherht away froed Gloria Henderson, who played the organ at the Baptist church and kept her hair in a precise bob just below her ears Abby also met Summer Arnold, who looked like she was in her early twenties and had a nose ring and a streak of hot pink through her blond hair, and Lisa Goodwin, another young mom, orked at the bank and whose husband worked at the fish plant just outside of town All of theave her an assessing look, raised one eyebrow, and said, “Heard you hired Tom Arseneault to fix up the house”

“I did, yes He started sealing my s yesterday”

Gloria’s s s” Her tone inferred a different job altogether “Not hard on the eyes, our Tom”

What could Abby say? She’d be a liar to say she didn’t notice, and they’d all know it The room had quieted a bit and she realized a few pairs of ears aiting for her answer She smiled “No, he’s not,” she confessed “But that’s not why I hired him”

“Of course not” Gloria winked at her “Nice perk, though His father was always a looker, especially when he used to rass with his shirt off—”

“Gloria!” Cindy’s shocked voice interrupted, but Gloria shrugged

“Shoot, Cindy Whole town knows I dated Pete Arseneault when I was eighteen Apple doesn’t fall far frolasses yet”

Abby laughed “Anything I say is going to sound so wrong right about now I think I’ll just keep quiet”

“Sirl here, Jess She’ll do” Gloria nodded as she issued her seal of approval