sending a plate with a muffin sliding across the table to Rachel. â Itâs better in the Bahamas. â
âNo, no, no.â Pam picked up her spoon. âItâs best on the coast.â
âYouâve been listening to Corney,â said Lucy.
âThat woman is trouble,â said Sue, twisting her glossed lips into a scowl. âSomehow she convinced me to organize a Valentine dessert contest.â She took a sip of coffee. âIâm counting on you all to enter.â
âIâm awfully busy with the committee,â said Pam. âI donât see how Iâll have the time.â
âMe, too,â said Rachel, using her tongue to whisk a muffin crumb from her lip. âThe Harbor Players are putting on A. R. Gurneyâs Love Letters and Iâm directing.â
âThatâs a first for you,â crowed Lucy. âCongratulations.â
âYeah, Iâm really enjoying it,â said Rachel. âBut the rehearsals are very time-consuming.â
âThat leaves you,â said Sue, narrowing her eyes and pointing a perfectly manicured finger at Lucy.
Lucy shook her head. âI told you. Iâm on a diet.â
âYou donât have to eat it,â said Sue. âYou just have to make it.â
Lucy switched to Plan B. âI guess Sara and Zoe can whip something up.â She drained her mug and signaled for a refill. âI bumped into Barney Culpepper the other day. He said Eddieâs coming home. Permanently. Heâs done with the marines.â
âThat is a reliefânow I wonât have to worry about him.â Rachel let out a big sigh. âThey were so cute, werenât they? Those boys: Richie and Tim, Toby and Eddie. Remember how Eddie was the catcher, at Little League? That funny squat he had, with one leg stuck straight out?â
Pam nodded, smiling nostalgically. âThey were so cute in those Cub Scout uniforms. Remember, Lucy?â
âI wish I could forget,â said Lucy. âI was the den mother. They led me a merry chase. Those boys were a handful.â
âThey all turned out fine, though,â said Pam. âMy Timâs helping to rebuild New Orleans, Richieâs going to make a big archaeological discovery... .â
Rachel smiled at the reference to her son. âWeâll see.â
âOh, yes he is,â said Pam. âTobyâs a fine father... .â
âAnd someday heâll actually get that college degree,â said Lucy, fretting about her son.
âHeâll be a captain of industry,â said Rachel. âAnd Eddie.â She paused, thinking, while Norine refilled their mugs. âDo you think heâll become a cop like his dad?â
Lucy bit her lip. âYou know, I think he may need some time to figure out what he wants to do. I said the town would probably have a welcome home parade and Barney said he doesnât want a fuss.â
Rachelâs face clouded. âOh, dear. I hope he doesnât have post-traumatic stress syndrome like so many returning vets.â
âAnd I hope he gets started on something pretty quick,â said Sue. âItâs no good for these kids to hang around aimlessly. Before you know it, theyâre in the court report for drunk driving or drugs.â
âI know,â said Lucy, with a grim nod. âWe got one at the paper yesterday and I had to format it. I was shocked at the number of drug cases.â
Rachel shook her head. âItâs an epidemic.â
âWhere does it all come from?â asked Sue.
âThatâs a good question,â said Lucy, checking her watch. âGosh, I canât believe the time. Itâs back to the salt mines for me. Iâve got a budget meeting at ten.â
The ten oâclock news budget meeting had been Tedâs idea and Lucy didnât like it much. Deadline was noon Wednesday and the paper came out on Thursday mornings, which meant she