She was still smiling as she unpacked the groceries she’d bought. Three steaks—in case Laura’s mother wanted to join them, which now seemed like she wouldn’t. Potatoes for baking. Wild rice for the pilaf she’d make for tomorrow. Broccoli and cauliflower, which she’d steam for tonight’s dinner. Chicken—drumsticks and thighs—and the makings for the jerk sauce, which she’d get Laura to help her with tomorrow. Two bottles of wine, even though her wine rack was already fully stocked. And…a bottle of Crown, just because.

She turned the AC down a little to cool off the house, then went upstairs to change into a swimsuit. She owned four suits, but gravitated to the black one-piece most often. The bikini was only for those occasions when she planned to take it off quickly, like when Claudia was still in the picture. She tossed the bikini back down and picked up the black one-piece instead. Not a romantic weekend, she reminded herself. It would be nice to have a stress-free few days where she didn’t have to entertain anyone—day and night. It would just be Laura and she’d found Laura didn’t need entertaining. That—as Tanya had suggested—was refreshing.

When she went downstairs and back into the kitchen, she heard a splash. Looking through the window, she found Laura already in the pool, struggling to get onto one of the two floats that she’d apparently tossed in. Cassidy laughed as the float flipped over, dunking Laura. She opened the kitchen door.

“Need some help?”

“This damn thing always fights me,” Laura said as she grabbed it again, this time plopping across it sideways, then squirming onto it properly.

Cassidy took the small bucket and put four beers in it and then filled it with ice. She brought two koozies and a couple of towels, then she walked into the pool using the steps, forgoing the diving board. She ducked under the water and swam toward the float, then paused to slick the hair back from her face before climbing onto it.

“Okay, how is it that you can get on the thing so gracefully and I flop around like a beached whale?”

Cassidy laughed. “Lots of practice. My college years were spent either in a pool or out in a lake. My parents have a pool. My brother has a pool.” She grasped Laura’s float and turned it a little to face her. “I see that your farmer’s tan is disappearing.”

“That’s because I’ve started to wear this thing when I mow.” Laura grinned. “Much more convenient when I’m sneaking into your pool afterward.”

“Speaking of that, did you get your mother in?”

“I did. Two times. The first time was not very productive—she was convinced I was trying to drown her. Yesterday she did much better.”

“And how is it that you have the weekend to yourself?”