Page 59

She went downstairs, barefoot and makeup-free, determined to face the consequences of what she and Helen had done.

Chapter 10

Lori was in the kitchenwith both girls. Lindsay sat on a stool at the island, and Kimberly was strapped to Lori’s chest in a baby sling, fast asleep. Annie felt shy at the domestic scene and hesitated in the doorway.

“Good morning, Mary Sunshine,” Lori said when she caught sight of Annie lurking. “How do you feel?”

“Good. Sorry I slept so much. I guess I was tired.”

“Well, we all feel like S-H-I-T. You want some coffee?”

“What did she spell?” Lindsay asked. “Something bad?”

“I have no idea,” Annie shrugged. “I’m an awful speller.”

“Oh,” Lindsay said, then asked, “Can you make my hair be braided like yours?”

Lori set a mug of black coffee on the counter in front of Annie and nodded.

“I’d love to. I need two hair ties and a hairbrush.”

“Okay!” Lindsay hopped off her stool and ran toward the stairs.

“Where’s Louis?” Annie asked. Then trying to sound nonchalant, added, “And Helen?”

“Louis is picking up his parents from the airport. They should be back in half an hour or so. Your beautiful Miss Helen is out in the backyard, picking herbs from the garden for the stuffing.”

“You have an herb garden?” Annie asked.

“It’s nice to have fresh stuff.”

“It’s November. How is it even growing?”

“It’s in the little greenhouse Louis made for me,” she said. “Don’t look at me like that, Annie. I went to law school so I wouldn’t have to live in squalor well into my thirties.”

“Tell Lindsay I’ve gone to the greenhouse and will return shortly,” Annie said, adopting a snooty accent.

“You’re just jealous,” Lori called after her, and she was right. Lori had picked a lucrative law career, and Annie had chosen to work for the government. Now Lori had a greenhouse with fresh herbs, and Annie lived in a garage.

She made the mistake of going outside barefoot. The northern half of California was colder that what she was used to in LA. It wasn’t freezing exactly, but the grass was dewy and the slate path cold as she headed toward the little structure near the back fence. She could just make out Helen’s silhouette through the tempered glass.

She pulled the little door open, scraping the bottom along the concrete foundation. Helen looked up at the sound and waved her over.

“Good morning. Come smell this basil. It’s growing like crazy.”

Annie peered down at what looked to her like a variety of leafy weeds. She couldn’t tell one plant from another. Helen broke off a leaf and held it under Annie’s nose.

“Smells like pesto.”

Helen laughed. “Imagine that.”

“So,” Annie said, tugging nervously at one of her braids, “did you sleep okay?”

“Yes, though not enough, I think. I got up at six to put the turkey in the oven, and then—well, you know how it goes in the kitchen.”

She actually didn’t. “You should’ve woken me up. I would have come down with you.”

“We didn’t both need to be overtired.”