Sheldon threw out his arms in exasperation. “You can’t say that! You haven’t even seen what I made for dessert.”
“We should clean up our dinner plates first,” Hester suggested. “Make some room on the table. And in our bellies.”
Estella loaded her arms with bowls and platters. “I hope our dessert is Cuban too.”
“I don’t have Hester’s touch when it comes to sugary treats, but I make a mean guava cheesecake.”
Estella and June moaned in unison, eliciting another round of laughter.
“There’s something else we need to do tonight,” Nora said as she followed her friends into the kitchen.
They all turned to face her.
“No need to look so serious,” she said. “We just need to vote on our next book pick.”
Sheldon waved her off. “You can do that without me.”
“Actually, we can’t,” Nora argued. “It’ll be the first read of a brand-new book club. And you’re leading it.”
“Me?” Sheldon put his hand over his heart. “Really?”
Nora smiled at her friend. “The Blind Date Book Club will be a night out for book lovers looking to connect with other book lovers on a platonic level. I thought we’d close early the first Thursday of each month. That evening would be reserved for your book club.”
“My book club,” Sheldon repeated in a reverent whisper.
“Is that a yes?” Nora asked.
Sheldon glowed like a star. “I’ve been waiting for a proposal like this my whole life. Yes, Nora Pennington, I will lead this book club.”
The women cheered and Sheldon gave them all fervent kisses on both cheeks. He then opened a drawer and grabbed a handful of forks. “Come on, lovelies. Let’s dig into this cheesecake and talk about fun stuff. Food and friends and . . .” He gestured at Nora, inviting her to finish his thought.
She did so with pleasure. “Books.”
Chapter 20
Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.
—Woodrow Wilson
The following Sunday, Nora met her friends at the entrance to Woodland Cemetery. June had invited Dominique to come along, and Estella had brought Jack. Sheldon had an arm slung around Hester, who was shivering.
That morning, everyone had pulled long coats, hats, and gloves from their closets. The ground had been frost-kissed, and the air that swept down from the mountains was so cold that it stung. By midafternoon, the temperature had dipped even lower and the sky had taken on a winter cast.
“Smells like snow,” June said, winding her knit scarf tighter around her throat.
Sheldon glanced up at the sky in horror. “Does that happen in November here?”
“No,” Nora assured him. “We’re lucky if we get a white Christmas. Most of our ice and snow starts in January.”
“Lord, I hate the cold,” groaned Sheldon. “I’m going to spend the winter in bed, reading and becoming even more pleasantly plump. You’ll have to hire seasonal help, Nora. This bear’s about to hibernate.”
Nora shook her head. “You can’t leave. Not ever. Without you, I’d forget how to smile.”
Pleased, Sheldon turned toward the road.
“Here she comes,” he whispered.
A small parade of vehicles approached the cemetery. Sheriff McCabe’s cruiser came first, followed by a flatbed truck. Deputy Andrews, also in an official vehicle, came next. Jed brought up the rear in his Blazer. Two dog heads stuck out through the rear windows. Atticus, the Doberman K-9 unit trained by Deputy Wiggins, was on the passenger side and Henry Higgins was on the driver’s side. Both dogs sniffed the air in anticipation. Jed blew Nora a kiss before parking the truck with the rest of the vehicles.
“You guys doing okay?” Hester asked Nora.
“Yeah, we are,” Nora said. “We both went through a tough time at the same time. And being apart made it harder to, I don’t know, cope? Stay connected? As much as I love words, they don’t always cut it. There are times when you need to be with people. You need to be able to touch them. To look at their faces and into their eyes. To see their body language—”
“We’d better move our bodies before we turn into Popsicle people,” Sheldon interrupted. “I’m glad you and your man are back on track, and I hope he doesn’t get jealous when I snuggle up to you for warmth.”
Nora laughed as Sheldon pulled her in for a one-armed hug.
“Is that half a bear hug?”
“That’s all this polar bear can manage. Get me inside and feed me a warm honey cake, and I’ll turn back into Winnie-the-Pooh.”