Page 52 of Feels Like Home

“You make it sound so easy. He has littleboys.”

“Aidan and Reece are hardly little. They’re fourteen now. And you know Andy. Would Andy bringanyonearound his boys if he didn’t think they were going to be a permanent part of theirlives?”

“No. Hewouldn’t.”

“Go to the cabin. Enjoy yourself. Is Brigoing?”

“No. She wants to stay home and get some hours in to keep saving for college. I’ll only be gone a few nights, so I’m not worried,” I tell Tess, knowing she’ll understand what I’m gettingat.

“I’ll keep Grady home as much aspossible.”

I laugh, knowing she will. Or she’ll just make sure Bri is over there and under Harper supervision the entire time. Which is just as good as adultsupervision.

“Maybe time away will be good.” I shrug, hoping it to betrue.

“See? You just need to get your mind on board because I can see already your heart is there. It’s ready. For him. Take that leap into your happiness, Christine. Just rip it off like a Bioréstrip.”

“That’s not the term. It’s rip it off like a Band-Aid.”

“I don’t give a flying turkey what the saying is. Ripping off the Bioré strips hurt like a son of abitch.”

“It hurts?” Carly asks, a horrified expression covering herface.

“What do you mean, it hurts? Doesn’t it hurt when you doit?”

“Ummm… I’ve never done it before.” Carly… expression innocent and eyes wide after just shocking the crap out of each ofus.

“You say what, now?” Ishout.

Carly shakes her head and looks at the three ofus.

She sniffs and finishes her margarita, because we've become bad influences and have taught the girl how to get her drink on. Safely, of course, and without needing to joinAA.

“No way! You're lying!” Lauren accuses as she walks back into the living room, pitcher in hand, and tops off Carly’s glass then proceeds to the rest ofours.

“I've never done it before! It's not my fault! I was a single mother to a boy! I didn’t exactly have a lot ofprivacy.”

How does her reasoning make a bit of sense? But far be it for me to question it because the focus is finally off me and Andy and our non-relationship for a few blessedmoments.

“And that's your excuse? Girl, I've been doing it for years! Anyone who says they don't get satisfaction out of it is a liar, too. When it pulls just right… oh yeah. It's so awesome. Not only can you see the results, but you can feel it, too! I literally can't even with itsawesomeness.”

“She's right. You really haven't lived. You'll feel and look decades younger,” Tessadds.

Lauren pats her arm. “Decades, Tess?Really?”

She pouts and shrugs her shoulders. “You don't know everything,” she mumbles and throws back her margarita like a boss. Hmm, I wonder if her fine line has been reached yet. I'll let Barrett worry over thatone.

“Trust us,” Lauren says, but it sounds like the snake on theJungleBook.

“Yeah, my hoo-hah trusted y’all once, too!” She points an accusing finger in theirdirection.

I raise my hand. “Do I or do I not want to know the when, where, and why to theyoutrusting them with your hoo-hahquestion?”

“Awww, Little James is rubbing off on you! Saying y’all all Southern like. So proud,” Tess says, clutching her chest, ignoringme.

“Ladies! Focus! We need to settle this! Carly can't go through life without experiencing this at least once! And telling me the hoo-hahstory.”

“I'll do it at home! Ipromise!”

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