it to. And I know this is probably hard for you.”
Claudia sat back, but she didn’t roll her eyes like May had. Instead, tears welled up and threatened to spill over. “You think this is easy for me? I just realized the other day that I haven’t been out with a truly interesting man since I was a teenager. Not only that, but I only have your word to go on that Nate is interested in me.”
“And mine,” May said, popping into the conversation. “I know he’s held a torch for years, at least since you were in eleventh grade.”
“No way!” Claudia leaned forward in her chair and grabbed May’s hands. “No way has he wanted me that long without talking about it.”
“Yes way,” Zoe answered, before May could. “You’ve just been blind. Like having a child took away your ability to see what’s going on right beneath your nose.” Zoe put her hands on top of May’s and Claudia’s. “Sweetie, why else do you think he’s stuck around for all these years and done so much for you?”
Claudia sat back in her chair, crossing her legs and hugging her arms tight to her stomach. “Because we’ve been friends for years.”
“I won’t discount that, seriously. But why hasn’t he found someone for himself, then? Why does he continue to come to our house and watch Justin? Or coach his team? Have me make you flowers on your birthday? I’ve had male friends, and they never did even one of those things, much less all of them.”
“Maybe I have been looking at it wrong.”
“Maybe you have,” May said. “He doesn’t say anything specific about you, but I can tell.”
“I think you need to embrace what you want, Claudia, and decide how you’re going to go out and get it done.” May flipped her hair back over her shoulder and out of her face. “You need to go get him, no holds barred, the way I did with Brad.”
A wistful expression flitted across May’s face. One Claudia wanted to see on her own face in the mirror instead of the kissy lips. Before she had time to think about what that would look like, the bell rang over the door and their mother announced her entrance.
“Hi!” Mona waved from the cake counter where she was snitching a small sample.
“Mom, those are for the customers.” Claudia walked away from the emergency girl meeting and snatched the rest of the plate out of her mother’s hands. After putting the domed plate back into the display case, she rested her hands on her hips.
“Oh, posh! I was in the area and hankering for some of your delicious sugary stuff, so I stopped in to see what was going on, now that I’m loosening up my schedule some.” She zeroed in on Zoe, who flinched. “You did get that information for me, right? How long is this going to take?”
“Yeah, it’s all taken care of and the ball is rolling, Mom.”
“Yes, Mom,” Claudia said, winking at May. “All taken care of and wrapped in a pretty bow by a man named Dex, who has caught dear Zoe’s eye.” That ought to show Zoe and deflect any interest in Claudia. Plus, it was exactly what sisters were for, butting in where they weren’t needed.
Zoe retaliated immediately. “Did I tell you Claudia’s trying to figure out how to hook up with Nate?”
It spiraled down from there, with May laughing and Mona probing her daughters for all the information. Zoe, of course, gave as little as she could, continuing to deflect everything onto Claudia.
“We’re not dating,” Claudia said for the fifth time.
“Well, you should be. It’s a good thing you finally woke up to what a pony that Edward was. I can’t believe you went out with him.”
Claudia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry that her mom also thought Edward was a pony, or even knew what that reference meant. She tackled the one thing she could. “You’re the one who set us up.”
“Oh, lordy, girl, that was only to get you to open your eyes to see what a man Nate was. I kept hoping you’d get a clue, but when you never did, I was starting to despair.”
Claudia did an impression of a carp, like Zoe’s from the other night, until her mom gently closed her mouth for her and waved goodbye. She was going to miss having her mom in the shop on a permanent basis, but it would be good for her parents to