Maddy took the last slice of lemon zucchini bread Tessa had brought from the bakery over on the aptly named Bakery Avenue. “I missed something.” She looked back and forth between Tessa and Julia. The two of them had been whispering for days, always clamming up the moment Maddy or Helen walked into the room. If it wasn’t that behavior, she’d found the two of them staring at their phones and then exchanging meaningful glances.
“Not much,” Julia said, reaching for her drink.
Maddy huffed as she sat down. “Look, I’m just going to be blunt.”
Julia started to blink with the speed of hummingbird wings, and Tessa didn’t bother to tear her gaze from the Sound she faced. They sat outside on the outdoor dining patio, which they’d just finished sweeping and power-washing that morning.
“I know you
