Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
“What does it say about me that margaritas are one of the essential rituals of spring?” Winnie asked as she and Eleanor set out the salt-rimmed glasses that they had prepared for that evening’s book club.
“They just seem wrong in winter, but by the time spring comes around, I am ready to enjoy one again.”
“Whatever it says about you, it says it about me too, because I feel the same,” Eleanor agreed with a laugh. “I think it’s because I’m more of a frozen margarita girl than a traditional margarita girl. All that ice. Who wants it, when it’s cold?”
“Yes, exactly!” Winnie agreed, wagging her finger at Eleanor in a commiserating sort of way.
Eleanor ducked her head to hide a smile as she thought about how a silly series of miscommunications and personal hang-ups had put her and Winnie in a sort of rivalry when they’d first met.
She couldn’t believe that she’d thought Winnie was cold, when in reality, they had so much in common.
Maybe preferring frozen margaritas was a small thing to trigger such a reminder, but friendship was like that. It was the little things that made the relationship so rich and wonderful.
“We can also ask what it says about us that we read a book with limes on the cover and immediately jumped to margaritas,” Eleanor offered, grinning.
Winnie scrunched her nose. “Don’t be ridiculous, Eleanor. It says that we have great taste. Duh.”
The two women laughed as they laid out the rest of their snacks.
Once they’d gotten the ideas for margaritas, it only made sense that they would choose snacks that went well with the drink, so they had tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa.
Winnie had been eager to try a new empanada place a few towns away, so she’d made the trip out this afternoon and come back with an assortment that was definitely bigger than what their book club was likely to eat.
“They just all sounded so good, is the problem.” Winnie explained when Eleanor laughed at the size of the box she was carrying.
“There’s beef, beef and cheese, and then the same two with chicken.
But also there was spinach and feta, which sounded too good to miss, plus a corn and feta, which was intriguing, and a caprese one, and—”
“Okay, okay, I hear you,” Eleanor said with a laugh. “I’ll make little cards to label them. We can do a taste test.”
When they were done with this impromptu arts and crafts project, the table looked fuller than usual, but Eleanor didn’t think anybody was going to complain.
“It will be nice to put out such a good spread for Miriam’s granddaughter,” she said.
Winnie looked up, a quizzical look in her eye. “I don’t think I knew Miriam’s granddaughter was coming,” she said.
“Oh!” Eleanor playfully smacked her forehead in an oh duh gesture. “Right. I meant to tell the group chat, but I forgot. Yes, her name is Hope, and she’s here as Miriam’s emissary, since Miriam is still feeling a little under the weather.”
“I take it that ‘emissary’ was Miriam’s word,” Winnie said with a fond smile.
“Yes, obviously.” Eleanor laughed. “Anyway, I guess that Hope is staying with Miriam while she recovers, since the place where she worked closed down. She’s got some time before she figures out what’s next, and she’s using it to help Miriam.”
“That’s good,” Winnie said, sighing. “I know we’ve been trying to cycle through and keep an eye on her, but I do feel better knowing she’s got somebody at home, just in case.”
“Me too,” Eleanor agreed.
She was just heading into the kitchen to fetch the pitcher of frozen margaritas that had been sitting in the fridge until it was time when Shane burst in through the back door like he was on fire. Eleanor was so startled that she almost dropped the pitcher.
“Goodness!” she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “I’m going to put a bell on you!”
“Star Wars!” he cried.
Eleanor blinked at her brother. He was panting like he’d just run a race.
“What are you talking about?” she asked when he didn’t elaborate.
“Star Wars,” he repeated. “That is a classic movie that isn’t based on a book. Plus, I know you like it. I remember that Halloween when you were about seven, when you wore the Princess Leia space buns.” He made a swirly gesture next to his ears to illustrate the shape of the hair in question.
Winnie, attracted by the noise, came into the kitchen.
“Oh, hey, honey,” she said, smiling when she saw Shane. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I wasn’t,” he said. “But then, I remembered Star Wars.”
Now, it was Winnie’s turn to blink in confusion. “Um, yeah,” she said, nodding in clear confusion. “Great movie. Totally.” Then she paused. “Oh, the bet!”
“The bet,” Shane agreed. Winnie whipped out her phone and began doing research.
“I’m with you that Star Wars isn’t based on a book, but wasn’t it inspired by a whole bunch of famous books?”
Shane looked faintly despairing. “How do you know these things?” he moaned. “How do you have this weird film to book library in your brain all the time?”
As much as Eleanor enjoyed watching her brother flail as he tried to win a bet with her, given her unavoidable big-sister desire to drive her little brother nuts, she couldn’t take credit that she wasn’t due.
“The space buns, remember,” she said, copying his gesture toward her head. “I was a fan. And I’m a book fan. When you combine the two…”
“She’s right,” Winnie said, looking up from her phone. “Looks like it’s a bunch of different texts, according to an interview that George Lucas gave. A lot of them I don’t know, since I’m not a big sci-fi person, but there’s Dune and Lord of the Rings. I know those.”
“Okay,” Shane said with the air of a man who knew he was grasping at straws. “But that’s not the same as being based on a book, is it?”
Winnie gave him a sympathetic frown. “I don’t know. I think I’m going to side with Eleanor on this one. This is a lot of literary background.”
“Whose side are you on?” Shane demanded, looking betrayed.
Winnie gave him a teasing grin. “I’m on the side of truth and justice, babe. Truth. And. Justice.”
At Shane’s pout, the two women laughed. His expression quickly turned into a scowl as he pointed between the two of them.
“I’ll get you,” he said, adopting the tone that reminded Eleanor of a super villain in a movie. “Just you wait and see.”
“Uh huh,” Eleanor said, letting doubt into her tone. “Well, it’s book club time, and no boys allowed, so shoo.”
“Yeah, okay,” Shane said, his facade immediately dropping, replaced by his usual good cheer. “Love you! Have fun!”
He waved on his way out the door.
“You know, this bet is driving him totally nuts,” Winnie said, chuckling as she took the pitcher off the sideboard where Eleanor had placed it after her near disaster. “I keep catching him muttering about literary influences and cinematic greatness.”
“So, he’s having a blast?” Eleanor ventured.
“Oh, absolutely. One hundred percent.”
The two women were still chuckling over this when Diana was the first to arrive for that night’s meeting, followed shortly after by June.
“Wait,” June said, frowning and looking around, “did we forget to send somebody to pick up Miriam? I thought she wasn’t driving herself around yet after being sick.”
“Oh, Miriam isn’t coming,” Winnie said, “we’re actually waiting on…”
And then, with absolutely perfect timing, the door opened and an unfamiliar face peeked in.
She was around thirty years old, with soft, brown waves of hair that fell around her shoulders. She offered them a shy smile and a little wave, the look in her brown eyes friendly, but with the guardedness that came with meeting a group of new people.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m Hope Landers, Miriam’s granddaughter.”
“Yes, hello!” Eleanor said, smiling broadly but trying not to overwhelm the newcomer.
It hadn’t been so long ago that she was the new person in town, and she remembered feeling a little out of her depth with the friendliness of the townspeople.
And she had moved here from Indianapolis, a friendly Midwestern city.
Boston was nice enough, but it wasn’t known for being full to the brim of cheerful, welcoming individuals.
“I’m Eleanor,” she explained, pointing to herself. “I own the bookstore. And this is June, Diana, and Winnie,” she continued, pointing to each woman in turn. “Don’t fret if you don’t remember all the names. We’re happy to remind you.”
“Okay, great,” Hope said, coming all the way into the building.
She handed Eleanor a bottle of wine, which was met with great appreciation by everyone around.
“I am under strict instructions from Miriam to report everything back, so I don’t want to have to confess that I flubbed the names. Imagine her horror.”
Everyone laughed, and Eleanor watched as Hope’s expression relaxed.
“Let’s get you a drink,” Eleanor offered, guiding the newcomer toward the snack table. “And then you can tell us all about how you’re liking Magnolia Shore.”
When Hope was comfortably seated in Miriam’s usual armchair, a drink in her hand and a plate of empanadas at her side, she grinned at the group.
“Wow, okay, I feel like I’m getting the star treatment!”
“Only the best,” June said warmly.
“That seems to be everyone’s motto around here,” Hope said, laughing.
“It has been really great being here, honestly. I mean, I’m not happy that Mimi isn’t feeling well, but being here has been nice, and it came at a great time for me.
I didn’t recognize that at first, but it’s becoming clearer and clearer with every day. ”
“You call Miriam ‘Mimi?’” Diana asked. “That’s adorable.”
Hope grinned. “Yeah, my sister and I started calling her that when we were kids. I think it fits her, though.”
“Totally,” Winnie agreed. “Very stylish. Very Miriam.”
“Yeah, she’s the best,” Hope agreed. “I hope this isn’t oversharing…”
“No such thing,” Diana reassured her.
“What happens in book club stays in book club,” June said with a playful smile.