The Mirror - Page 190

“Really?”

“Oh, absolutely.” As she gave Sonya a nod, Anna gestured. “You could mass that half flat of impatiens over there, and pop some of that heliotrope there.”

“Wait.” Sonya held up a hand. “You know what you’re doing. If we haul, will you point?”

“Got ginger ale?”

“All you can drink.”

They hauled, Anna pointed, they placed. Digging in could wait until after a break. But it didn’t take long to realize Anna was right.

They could actually buy more.

“I love your new statues. I love what you’re doing here. These chairs.” She sat in one Cleo had painted on her sabbatical. “So fresh and cheerful. The flowers, all of it. Now I’m going to tell you, after much debate, discussion, consideration, Seth and I decided on the mural. Do you really have time to do it?”

“Try to stop me,” Cleo told her. “Which one?”

“You made it tough, giving us two fabulous choices. But we want number one. And I can see that’s what you were hoping we’d want.”

“My personal favorite.”

“And mine,” Sonya added. “Both are adorable, but that one just had a little more touch of whimsy.”

“Tell me when you’re ready for me to start on it.”

“Can we say anytime after your open house?”

“We can.”

Yoda let out a bark and dashed.

“I think our handsome handymen have arrived. We talked Trey and Owen into hanging some lights,” Sonya explained.

Mookie and Yoda raced around the side of the house, body-bumping each other in insane joy. Jones swaggered behind them, giving them his one-eyed look of disdain.

When the men came around, Trey took a study of pots and beds. “Been busy, and you drove the truck.”

He came up on the porch, bent down to kiss his sister’s cheek. “How’s my niece?”

“Active. Very. We’re considering starting up an infant soccer league. She’ll be captain.”

“We’ll cheer her on,” he promised as he pulled Sonya up, kissed her. “You drove the truck,” he repeated.

“Like Owen wears a suit: under duress. But we needed it for this.”

“Obviously,” Owen replied. “I like the new girls. Anything left at the plant place?”

“We left a few things,” Cleo told him. “And since Anna’s given us some pointers, we may go back for more.”

“And I’ve got my own selections still in the car.” Anna levered herself up. “So fill-in-the-blank Kate Miller and I are going home to plant.”

“Should you be doing that?”

“I’m pregnant, Trey, not disabled. And we’re going to go enjoy this gorgeous day. Talk soon.”

Trey watched her go, then turned to Sonya. “Should she be doing that?”

“I have no idea, but she’s a smart woman, so I’d say she does. And our break’s over. We’ll show you the lights and where we want them—thanking you in advance—before we start digging again.”