Renee propped open an Allure magazine and attempted to contour her cheekbones. My God, this was harder than it looked. She regretted every dismissive comment she’d ever made about the Kardashians. This felt like an Olympic sport. After a few aggressive swipes of bronzer and its immediate removal, she decided to dust on her normal blush and call it a day. She scrunched a little floral-scented gel in her hair and threw the magazine in the trash can.

For as long as she could remember, Renee and Bree had gotten ready for the Spring Fling Gala together. Bree would pop a bottle of champagne, and they’d sip from Renee’s antique flutes and primp. They wore the same size and loved to swap outfits.

“So! What time are ya coming over on Saturday?” Renee had asked her sister earlier this week. “I’ve already got a bottle of bubbles chilling in the fridge, and I’m going to bake a snack mix for us to nibble on.”

“About Saturday,” Renee knew the first sound of a flaky excuse all too well. “I’m sorry, but I actually have to work late.”

“What? Come on! Castaway has to be closing early for the Fling!”

“We are…” Bree paused. “But I, um, volunteered to do some inventory work after the shop closes.”

It was an unexpected response and a strange excuse at that, particularly since the gala was a huge deal in the Cove. There was no way that Nina, Bree’s sweet boss, would expect or request the extra hours on that day.

“Bree, what gives?”

“I’m actually in the middle of an episode of Big Little Lies—chat later!”

“Press pause!” Renee had shouted back, but the line was dead. Bree had already hung up.

Regardless, what did it matter that Bree wasn’t around to help her look her best? Dan was escorting Essie to the gathering. And she wasn’t at all sure he had enjoyed their night together. Maybe he wasn’t as ready to move on after his wife’s death as he’d thought. Not even gorgeous Essie Park could compete with that.

“Yes, queen! Do your thing!” Myles crowed when Renee finally made her grand entrance downstairs. He’d mixed himself a drink and had settled into her sofa while he waited. That was Myles all right. He never failed to make himself comfortable. “What are we calling that color?”

“Dove blue. But I have to be careful around the wine, it’s only on loan.”