7. Sarah

7

SARAH

After I put away the envelope, Victoria gave me a copy of the house's blueprints and a lookbook of design inspiration. I flipped through the lookbook as I waited in the parking lot of Cricket's. The bar was quiet, but the Friday crowd was just starting to arrive.

The pages of the book were thick, printed at a professional shop with true color match. Victoria's vision had been honed by years of immense wealth: nothing was out of her reach.

Except, maybe, Brianne Shaw.

I knew – probably better than anyone – that Bri could have made it big in the sculpting world. But she was determined to leave it all behind. And who was I to stop her?

Before I could get too lost in thought, Robin's truck rolled up next to my minivan. She waved at me through the car window as she turned off the ignition and hopped out of the truck.

Getting out of my own car, I greeted Robin with a hug. "Zo didn't want to come?"

Shaking her head, Robin laughed. "No, the last thing the pregnant lady wants is to be full of pee, unable to drink, and surrounded by drunk assholes."

"I can't argue with that." I laughed, picturing my sister's annoyed face.

We tossed open the thin door to Cricket's, letting a flood of country music pour onto the street. Despite all of New Winford's recent changes, Cricket's was still the only bar in town.

Robin waltzed up to the bar and waved down Kyle as we took our usual seats by the door. It kept us cool as the night wore on and meant an easy escape if either of us had met our threshold.

Kyle made his way over, wiping the bar down as he approached. "Good to see y'all. What can I do you for?" Chewing on a piece of gum, he eyed us while we considered our options.

I tried not to laugh at his douchey affect, knowing that he was a sweet guy at his core. "Just a pint of whatever you have on tap will do."

"Same here." Robin nodded.

I slid my card to Kyle for him to open a tab. Grabbing the card, he made his way back to the taps and started getting our drinks.

Robin leaned back in the stool, looking at me through the mirror behind the bar. "So, what'd you think of the house?"

I sighed. "Just as pretty as I'd imagined."

"It's a real charmer." Robin shook her head. "Just wish I'd gotten my hands on it first."

"Like you don't have enough going on." I laughed at her. She and Zoey were always looking for a new project, but parenthood was going to hit them like a freight train. A wonderful, rewarding freight train, but a freight train nonetheless.

I leaned back in my seat with a smirk.

It was kind of fun, knowing that they had no idea what was coming just yet.

Kyle came back, setting two foaming pints on the bar. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks," Robin and I hollered in unison.

I took a sip, letting the cold, bitter beer wash down my throat.

"And she told you about the table?" Robin looked over at me.

My shoulders dropped at the word. "Yep." I licked my lips as I thought about the whole situation. "What do you think?"

Robin shrugged. "I already told Victoria that Zoey tried to pull Bri out of retirement during the Town Hall renovation. But she wouldn't do it."

"Really?" My head whipped around to look at Robin. "No one told me that."

Chuckling, Robin took another drink. "Well, it wasn't relevant."

I crossed my arms. "I could have helped."

Robin waved me off. "No, Zoey didn't want your help. She wanted to feel like she could pull the contact herself. Remember, she was still trying to convince herself that everyone here hadn't noticed her decade-long disappearance."

We both laughed at the thought. To her credit, though, Zoey had become such a big part of the community since her return that her life in the city felt a million years away.

My mind went back to Victoria and the piece of paper she had shown me. "If it's any consolation to Zo, Vic is offering far more money than Zoey could have afforded."

Robin raised her eyebrow. "Like how much more?"

I waved her off. "You don't want to know."

Rolling her eyes, Robin crossed her arms. "Still, even with that much, it was never about the money for Bri."

I shrugged. "I mean, it was a little bit. It's hard to make that kind of cash from a craft like that. Maybe it will be enough."

"So, you're gonna ask?" Robin bit her lip.

I looked down at the cold beer in my hands, letting the condensation cool my palms. A smirk teased my cheeks. "I mean I have an obligation to my client…"

Before I could get the words out, Robin was laughing. "Yeah, yeah. Good luck."

Of course it was going to be a long shot, but what choice did I have? I certainly couldn't go back to Victoria without even trying to get the table commissioned. Besides, maybe my history with Bri would be enough to convince her.