to help. “I’m sure you all brought some of your own projects to work on.” Everyone nodded but me.
Lucinda and I walked back to the dormitory-style building she was staying in. I had to admit, I was stoked. I was enthralled with that little piece of yarn material I’d made. I couldn’t wait to go check out the yarn and needles at my aunt’s house. Lucinda laughed. “Joan would be so happy to see you’ve caught the bug.”
“Bug?”
“The yarn bug. Once you try it, there’s no going back,” my friend said.
5
WHILE MY GROUP WAS GETTING READY FOR THE evening meal, I went across the street and checked out my aunt’s stash with new eyes, though in my head, my mother’s voice was groaning that I’d just picked up another diversion. But now the dinner bell was ringing and I left my house and headed toward the dining hall.
I’d never been inside the Sea Foam dining hall before. It was built in the Arts and Crafts style, similar to the Lodge, and had the same old-fashioned feeling.
A hostess greeted me as I came in and punched my meal ticket. I was happy to see Lucinda waiting for me. The huge room was filled with round wood tables, and I suggested we snag one in a corner.
“The food is cafeteria style,” Lucinda said, gesturing toward the back. I noticed she had freshened up her appearance with new makeup and a patterned silk scarf that blended with her apricot-colored top. There was just the slightest wrinkle of distaste to her nose as she looked over the menu of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Not exactly the gourmet fare they served at the Blue Door.
Edie was the first to come in and, no surprise, she was talking to someone. She and the tall man in a baseball cap stopped for a moment before separating. Her troubled expression quickly brightened into an upbeat smile as she saw me. The temperature was dropping, and she’d replaced the sweater I’d admired with a blue fleece jacket.
She stood with me and helped wave our people over as they came in. Only Scott declined the invitation and chose to sit at a table nearby instead. I bet his tablemates had no idea the conservatively dressed man had a knitting project hidden in the briefcase at his feet.
“Let him be for now,” Kris said as she pulled out a chair. She had cute features and the kind of round face that would probably never look old. Whatever lift Olivia had gotten during the workshop session had evaporated, and she was back to looking sour as she snagged the seat next to the knitting teacher. Lucinda and I sat together.
“Baby steps,” Kris said. “At least he stayed and knitted in front of us. And it’s just the beginning of the retreat.”
Lucinda took the basket of bread off the lazy Susan in the middle of the table and went around using the tongs to put a piece on each of the bread plates. “I can’t help it. I’m used to being in a restaurant,” she said with a shrug.
Bree arrived with a sagging canvas bag and deposited it on a chair. She sat next to Olivia, pulled the bag on her lap and started going through it. I saw her computer tablet sticking out of the top. “I promised I’d read the kids a story later,” she said, showing the book behind it. “Thank heavens they have Wi-Fi in that Lodge building. I can’t believe this place has no phones or TVs in the rooms. What is it, from the Dark Ages or something?”
“Vista Del Mar was built before phones were common and TV even invented. I think it adds to the romance of the place. It’s like stepping away from everything,” Edie said. She was a little too perky, too enthused about everything, and was beginning to get on my nerves. She glanced across the large room, and I saw that her gaze stopped on the man in the baseball cap, but only for a second. Then she put all her attention on our table. She rolled her eyes as she stared at Bree. After setting the canvas bag out of the way, Bree had absently taken Olivia’s slice of bread and was in the process of cutting off the
Lucinda and I walked back to the dormitory-style building she was staying in. I had to admit, I was stoked. I was enthralled with that little piece of yarn material I’d made. I couldn’t wait to go check out the yarn and needles at my aunt’s house. Lucinda laughed. “Joan would be so happy to see you’ve caught the bug.”
“Bug?”
“The yarn bug. Once you try it, there’s no going back,” my friend said.
5
WHILE MY GROUP WAS GETTING READY FOR THE evening meal, I went across the street and checked out my aunt’s stash with new eyes, though in my head, my mother’s voice was groaning that I’d just picked up another diversion. But now the dinner bell was ringing and I left my house and headed toward the dining hall.
I’d never been inside the Sea Foam dining hall before. It was built in the Arts and Crafts style, similar to the Lodge, and had the same old-fashioned feeling.
A hostess greeted me as I came in and punched my meal ticket. I was happy to see Lucinda waiting for me. The huge room was filled with round wood tables, and I suggested we snag one in a corner.
“The food is cafeteria style,” Lucinda said, gesturing toward the back. I noticed she had freshened up her appearance with new makeup and a patterned silk scarf that blended with her apricot-colored top. There was just the slightest wrinkle of distaste to her nose as she looked over the menu of meatloaf and mashed potatoes. Not exactly the gourmet fare they served at the Blue Door.
Edie was the first to come in and, no surprise, she was talking to someone. She and the tall man in a baseball cap stopped for a moment before separating. Her troubled expression quickly brightened into an upbeat smile as she saw me. The temperature was dropping, and she’d replaced the sweater I’d admired with a blue fleece jacket.
She stood with me and helped wave our people over as they came in. Only Scott declined the invitation and chose to sit at a table nearby instead. I bet his tablemates had no idea the conservatively dressed man had a knitting project hidden in the briefcase at his feet.
“Let him be for now,” Kris said as she pulled out a chair. She had cute features and the kind of round face that would probably never look old. Whatever lift Olivia had gotten during the workshop session had evaporated, and she was back to looking sour as she snagged the seat next to the knitting teacher. Lucinda and I sat together.
“Baby steps,” Kris said. “At least he stayed and knitted in front of us. And it’s just the beginning of the retreat.”
Lucinda took the basket of bread off the lazy Susan in the middle of the table and went around using the tongs to put a piece on each of the bread plates. “I can’t help it. I’m used to being in a restaurant,” she said with a shrug.
Bree arrived with a sagging canvas bag and deposited it on a chair. She sat next to Olivia, pulled the bag on her lap and started going through it. I saw her computer tablet sticking out of the top. “I promised I’d read the kids a story later,” she said, showing the book behind it. “Thank heavens they have Wi-Fi in that Lodge building. I can’t believe this place has no phones or TVs in the rooms. What is it, from the Dark Ages or something?”
“Vista Del Mar was built before phones were common and TV even invented. I think it adds to the romance of the place. It’s like stepping away from everything,” Edie said. She was a little too perky, too enthused about everything, and was beginning to get on my nerves. She glanced across the large room, and I saw that her gaze stopped on the man in the baseball cap, but only for a second. Then she put all her attention on our table. She rolled her eyes as she stared at Bree. After setting the canvas bag out of the way, Bree had absently taken Olivia’s slice of bread and was in the process of cutting off the
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