Sadie bought the scarf while muttering something about a peace offering and slid the bag and receipt into her tote.

“I have you ladies set up here.” Jill gestured toward two empty easels that were close to Dot, Essie, and Bree. The women were already a few glasses of wine deep and laughing hysterically.

“What’s so funny?” Renee slipped an apron over her head. She squinted at the sample painting, which was of a lilac bush.

“Renee Rhodes? Is that you? In the flesh?” Bree joked, reaching over to squeeze her sister’s hand. “My sister is out of the house! Is hell freezing over?”

“You ladies remember Sadie, right?” Renee set a protective hand on Sadie’s shoulder, choosing to ignore Bree’s teasing. She knew it came from a place of love, that and the fact that she often chose home over socializing, even after the excuse of being with Tansy was off the table. Sadie blushed and said a polite hello to the three women and Renee felt a rush of warmth at bringing people she enjoyed together.

“We were just dying over Dot’s recent boyfriend,” Bree volunteered, not even looking at Jill’s lilac bush portrait as she splashed a generous daub of green across her canvas. “She invited him along on one of her power walks, and he couldn’t keep up.”

“So she kicked him to the curb three miles out of town.” Essie gave an evil giggle. “He was panting and begging for Band-Aids, but Dot wouldn’t slow down.”

Dot Turner made a shooing gesture. “You all know how important fitness is to me! And of course, I wasn’t about to blow my pace for some old duffer. Not when I’ve got the Appalachian Trail to bag!”

“Tell us what’s new in your world, Sadie.” Essie used the end of her paintbrush to push a strand of her jet-black hair behind her ear, showing off a giant diamond stud. “What are all the cool twenty-somethings doing these days?”

“Oh, yeah right. I’m living large. The craziest part of my week was pulling off a teddy bear picnic birthday party this afternoon,” Sadie confessed, making the women cackle once more. “After I burned my original dessert last night, Renee came to the rescue and baked up four of her blueberry pies and as many muffins as all the two-year-olds could eat. Everything was a total hit.” Renee pretended to be transfixed by her canvas as she felt Bree studying her thoughtfully.

“Renee’s desserts are the best ever.” Essie feigned orgasmic drooling. “A bite of her cherry pie is better than you-know-what.”

The table dissolved into coy giggles.

“Her rhubarb is my favorite.” Dot let out a wistful sigh. “Or maybe her chocolate salted caramel–pecan pie. An impossible choice.”

“Jeez, thanks, guys. My ego has grown to the size of the North Atlantic. But there’s no way that my pies are the best ever.” Renee nodded toward Sadie. “That distinction goes to Sadie’s grandma Hester. Gosh, remember her whoopie pies back when we were kids?”