Moments later, the women were unpacking Estrella’s pots from the packing material and fussing with their placement around the shop. Kylie returned with a sack of tacos in one hand, adeptly realized that they were not taking a lunch break and took over dealing with any customers that came in while Mary and Estrella finished setting up the displays.

John dutifully followed his mother’s directions on where to put this and that, though he said next to nothing and scowled coldly the entire time. When half an hour had passed, and the task was over, he stood at the far wall, his hands in his pockets, looking like he’d gladly walk through the gateway to Lucifer’s private torture chamber if it meant getting the hell out of here.

Some of the friendly glow Mary had started to feel in the wake of his apology faded. Did he have to be so unpleasant? He was like a sinkhole for good feeling.

“Are you working next Saturday?” Estrella asked Mary.

“Hmm? Oh. Always.”

“Not in the afternoon, though,” Kylie called. “Right? I thought I was overlapping with Caleb next Saturday.”

“Oh. Right. I should be out of here around two o’clock if you wanted to come by earlier than that, Estrella. Will you be bringing more of your work or is it a social call?”

“Neither,” Estrella said, giving her a mischievous grin.

“Ma.” John’s tone was part warning, part admonishment, his voice gravelly from not having spoken in so long. He seemed to know exactly what his mother was up to and didn’t appear to approve one bit.

Estrella ignored him. “My block has a party this time in June every year. You should come. There’s plenty of our neighbors there you could meet.”

“Oh.” Mary loved parties, she always had. Especially outdoor ones in the summer.

“She doesn’t want to come to the block party, Ma,” John groused. That aggressive V between his brows was back.

Well, if Mary hadn’t wanted to go to the party, she certainly did now, if not just to prove Frowny McIceberg wrong. “Sounds fun. Is it a potluck? Should I bring anything?”

“Maybe a cake?” Estrella leaned in, ostensibly to cut John out of the conversation. “And dress up a little. There’s a few nice boys there that I’d like for you to meet.”

Mary held her smile in place, because she loved Estrella so dearly. But she was simply mortified to have the topic of dating brought up in front of John. Apparently the universe felt that Married James hadn’t been punishment enough. “You got it,” Mary said with a wink she hoped covered her true feelings on the matter. “I could be there around three thirty?”