Debbie Macomber_Blossom Street 04 by Twenty Wishes Page B

was asleep in his small bed, didn’t so much as stir. Apparently the excursion to the school had tired him out. “Some watchdog you are, Mr. Baxter,” she muttered.
    Her plan for the afternoon was to work on her list of wishes. Since her dinner with Melissa, Anne Marie hadn’t really given it much thought.
    1. Buy red cowboy boots
    2. Learn to knit
    3. Volunteer—become a Lunch Buddy
    4. Take French lessons
    Then, because it seemed so unlikely and yet necessary, she added the first wish, the one she’d crossed out earlier.
    5. Find one good thing about life
    She took out the binder she’d purchased and assembled the scrap-booking supplies and the few pictures she’d already cut out. Red cowboy boots from a catalog. A hand-knit sweater from a magazine. A photo of the Eiffel Tower. She’d need to get a picture of Ellen and… Suddenly it seemed pointless to go on, in light of what she’d discovered about Robert and her own pitiful life.
    Rather than allow herself to sink into further depression, she reached for her phone and called Lillie. They arranged to meet for dinner at a Thai place they both liked.
    That evening Lillie arrived at the restaurant before Anne Marie did and had already secured a table. “I’m so glad you phoned,” Lillie said, kissing her cheek. “I’ve got lots to tell you.”
    “I can’t wait to hear.”
    “It’s that list.”
    “The Twenty Wishes?” Earlier, just reading her list had depressed her. She’d been convinced she’d never feel like dreaming again, not when she’d obviously been so wrong about her entire life.
    “That list’s given me a whole new burst of energy,” Lillie said. “I’ve told my friends about it and now they’re all writing their own lists.”
    “Really?”
    “Lists are big these days. Who would’ve believed it?” Lillie’s eyes twinkled with merriment. “I’ve been adding to mine nearly every day, thinking about all the things Iwant to do. Things I haven’t considered in years. It all started when I bought that red convertible.”
    “Speaking of which…”
    Lillie waved the question aside even before Anne Marie could ask it. “Just a minor glitch and that nice man from the service department is taking care of everything.”
    “You mean to say you’re still driving a loaner?”
    “Yes, but it doesn’t matter. Everything’s under control and I haven’t been inconvenienced in the least.”
    “You shouldn’t be inconvenienced. You bought their car!”
    Lillie studied her menu. “I’m starved. How about you?”
    Anne Marie needed to think about it, then realized she actually was hungry. “I am, too.”
    “Great. The way I feel right now, I’m tempted to order everything on the menu. Let’s begin with the assorted appetizers, and then a green mango salad….”
    “And pad thai. I love their pad thai,” Anne Marie said, entering into the spirit of the evening.
    Between the perfectly spiced food and Lillie’s invigorating company, dinner was a welcome reprieve from the low-grade depression that had been hanging over Anne Marie. Back in her apartment a few hours later, she came across the binder and the scrapbooking supplies spread out on the kitchen table.
    She sat down again and read over her list. Maybe her wishes weren’t so impossible, after all.

Chapter 8
    L illie Higgins paid extra-close attention to her makeup Friday morning, chastising herself as she did. Anyone who even suspected that she was preening and primping for the service department manager at a car dealership would be aghast.
    Lillie had nothing to say in her defense. She just found Hector Silva appealing; he was kind and generous and unfailingly polite. He seemed so natural, while the men who usually set out to charm her came across as self-conscious, trying too hard to impress. Not Hector Silva. His work ethic, his dignity and decency… She couldn’t praise him enough.
    They’d exchanged two brief conversations, and after each one Lillie had walked away