home as many hours as possible.
She painted scenes of Italy on the walls at Gonzalo’s, working late at night when the restaurant was closed. She traveled to Fort Myers and painted sumptuous tropical gardens on the patio wall of a twenty-room mansion, making more money than she had ever expected to from a single job and coming home too late each night to converse with her husband.
She wasn’t sure which of those pleased her more.
Now it was July 4 and a weekend, but she was too tired to work, anyway. It was no surprise that despite the holiday, Rishi was at the office. She planned to catch up on shopping and cleaning, since she had to live in the house, too. But by 10:00 a.m. she still hadn’t summoned energy to do much of anything.
She was sitting with her feet propped up, staring at the ceiling, when someone knocked. Before she could answer, Wanda opened the door and thrust her head over the threshold.
“You there, Janya?”
“I suppose I am.”
Wanda came in. “It’s a national holiday today. I closed the shop in honor. You’re supposed to be all peppy and animated.”
“I have nothing to celebrate.”
Wanda flopped down beside her. She was wearing lavender shorts and a tube top of shocking pink. With her coppery hair, she looked as if she were trying to monopolize an entire section of the color wheel.
“Me, neither.” Wanda folded her arms. “Ken was supposed to be back by now, but he got held up until tomorrow. Ain’t that a kick in the head?”
“At least he will be coming home.”
“Things still aren’t any better between you and Rishi?”
“The name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember why.”
“There’s my answer.”
“My mother called this morning. She wanted to know if there had been progress giving her a grandchild.”
“At least she’s calling again.”
“And I am disappointing her again.”
“It doesn’t happen overnight, Janya. She must know that.”
“It will not happen at all until I have a husband who remembers how to find me in his bed.”
“Ouch.”
“Shall we talk of something different?”
Wanda clapped her hands together, as if to liven up the conversation. “Let’s have a picnic. Just you and me. The others are all out and about. Tracy’s at the rec center for some tournament. Alice and Dana took the girls to see the Palmetto Grove parade, but they’ll be back this evening to watch the fireworks.”
“It is good Dana is still here.”
“I know. I didn’t totally expect her to be, but it’s sure better for her than running again.”
“You will watch the fireworks tonight, too?”
“There’s a good place to see them over the water. Remember? We found it last year.”
“Last year Rishi and I watched with you. This year he will be at the office.”
“More reason for you to have a good day anyway. Won’t do to let him think you’re pining away.”
Janya knew that nothing would be gained by staring at the ceiling. There was a brown spot the size of a walnut where the roof had once leaked, and if she gazed at it long enough, she knew she would decide she had to repaint it.
“Shall we go to our beach?” she asked.
“I have cheese—”
“And pie?”
“I have pie.”
“I will see what I have to go with it.”
They agreed to meet at Wanda’s house, which was closer to the beach. Janya washed and sliced fresh vegetables, and added yogurt raita. She put chapatis and canned fruit juices in a wicker basket, changed into her bathing suit and cover-up, then went to find Wanda.
She was almost there when she glanced up and saw Pete Knight getting out of his SUV, which was parked in Dana’s driveway. Oddly enough, he was heading straight toward her mailbox. He glanced around, but he didn’t notice Janya. Opening the mailbox, which stood beside the road, he took out a stack of mail, leafed through it, then shoved it in the pocket of his shorts. He turned, as if he was planning to get back in the driver’s seat, and realized Janya was watching him.
“Janya.” He waved.
She started walking again, bypassed Wanda’s house and continued toward him. She waited until she was almost there before she spoke.
“I thought there was no mail delivery today.” She didn’t mention that she also thought the mail in this box belonged to Dana.
“I’m about to meet Dana in town. She called on her cell and asked me to get it on my way in. She and Lizzie got home so late last night, she forgot to check, so I told