Page 23 of Just Business

“Cassie and I moved in with my aunt, uncle, and Tyler when we were kids. They all made huge sacrifices to take us in. It completely changed their lives, having us there.” I explain. “I’ve always tried to make sure I’m not a burden on them. But, for a while now, I’ve acted like a piece of shit. I’ve embarrassed them, lashed out, and eventually started avoiding them. Well, all of them except Tyler. He wouldn’t let me avoid him even if I tried.”

“Sounds to me like they love you enough to forgive you. Everyone deserves second chances. You know that, right? You do deserve this second chance you’re working hard for.” Penny’s whiskey-colored eyes lock onto mine, holding steady and intent.

I break her eye contact. I’m not sure I deserve much of anything, if I’m being honest, and there’s something about the way she studies me, like if I’m not careful I’ll show her every dark thing I’ve kept locked away.

“I need to grab a shower,” I say, steering us back into safer territory. “Thanks for…well, for everything. You’ve been the first friend in a long time who didn’t feel like they were trying to get something out of me.”

“Friend, huh?” she teases. “Yeah, I guess we are friends. I think I’ll make a cup of tea and read for a bit.”

“You and your dirty books.” I scoff, standing to leave.

She laughs, rolling her eyes. “They’re not all dirty!”

I raise one eyebrow, and she grins, shrugging.

“Have fun tonight. I’m sure you'll love Jackson’s poker group. They're good guys. Oh! I just thought of something,” she adds. “You’ll meet Liam. He’s in the band. You two will probably hit it off.”

Jogging down the porch steps toward the apartment, I pause at the last second, turning back to where Penny still sits. “You have fun tonight, too, Penn. You deserve it.” I give her a wink before heading to the garage, not daring to look back at her.

“Jo Jo, I’m here,” I whisper-yell, careful not to let her broken screen door slam shut. There’s always something in her house in a state of disrepair since single mom equals single income. She hasn’t seen a dime from Chad since he left, which means everything falls squarely on her shoulders.

Josie refuses to accept help from anyone, but I’ve gotta hand it to her, the girl can YouTube and DIY the hell out of most things. If she can’t figure out a fix, she shrugs it off and says she’ll get to it one day. She teaches art at the local high school, and let’s be honest—teachers don’t make much, especially for a single mom with two kids. She recently started an Etsy Shop where she sells hand painted family portraits to make ends meet. Between that and her teaching job, she barely has any time left to worry with house repairs.

We’ve been friends since she moved to Singing River in elementary school. After Josie’s mom’s mental health began to deteriorate, she and her brother moved in with their grandparents, who lived a few doors down from me. These days, Josie hardly hears from her brother, which means on top of everything else she manages, she’s also responsible for handling all her grandmother’s medical care.

Being three years younger, I’ve always looked up to her in that way kids do with their older friends. We were joined at the hip until she graduated high school, and we have some wild stories in our shared history. Her grandparents were strict, so she’d often spend the night at my house since Dad didn’t do a good job keeping tabs on me.

After she graduated high school, though, things changed. She got busy with college and life pulled us in different directions. Little by little, we drifted apart, and we were all but strangers by the time I went off to college.

When I returned to Singing River I felt lost, even though I’d grown up here. I’d been living in Nashville for a few years. Meanwhile, life in Singing River churned on without me. Needless to say, when I returned, I felt like a stranger in my own hometown.

One day, an Instagram post from our local bookstore caught my eye. It advertised their upcoming romance book club, and I was desperate for adult female interaction. I walked in, and there Josie was. It was like no time had passed between us and we picked up right where we’d left off. We’ve seen each other at our worst, and she’s been by my side as much as she can since my dad died. She’s always reminding me that we can do hard things.

Slipping my shoes off in the foyer, I tiptoe to the living room since Abby and Jay are already in bed. Even though their fevers are gone, Josie said they still felt puny. Her miniature long-haired dachshund, Smudge, bounces on his stubby legs waiting for me to pet him, so I crouch down to scratch behind his ears.

Josie walks in holding two glasses of our favorite boxed Cabernet and places them on the coffee table. Her grayish-blue eyes light up as she shimmies her shoulders, making a "gimme" gesture with her hands. Strands of her blonde top knot come loose with the motion.

“So what’s he like?” she asks, waggling her eyebrows.

Grabbing a glass, I gulp down a healthy swig. Apparently word travels fast in Singing River—and by word, I mean Jackson.

I roll my eyes but tell her as much as I can. Some of it is his story to tell, not mine. Josie’s eyes turn to saucers when I mention Austin sleeping in his van and now staying in my apartment.

“I’m calling it now, you’re gonna wind up sleeping with Austin James! This right here is the forced proximity trope! You know damn well how that trope always ends.”

I shoot her a withering look. “That is absolutely not happening. This isn’t one of our romance books. This is my real life, and I have to keep things strictly professional.” Even as I’m saying them, the words sound hollow to my ears.

She raises a skeptical eyebrow, her lips tipping in a grin.

"I'm serious! You know women like me have to set way more boundaries than men. I’ve worked too hard to be taken seriously. Getting involved with him would undo all of that."

She flicks her hand dismissively. “Pfft. I’m just saying, I bet he’d keep it y’all’s little secret. And, girl, you need to get out there and live! You’re thirty-three years old and you work non-stop. Also, you might put on that happy smile for everyone else, but you’re not fooling me. When nobody’s looking you’ve got this whole resting sad face going on.” Josie waves her hand around my face wildly. “If you don’t have a little fun soon I’m afraid your face will get stuck like that. If I had him living that close to me I’d have a hell of a hard time sticking to those boundaries.”

I snort a laugh at my ridiculous friend, but she’s wrong. After Eric and I broke up, I tried a few attempts at casual, and I learned the hard way that I’m not built for it. At least in a committed relationship, you’re eventually comfortable enough to be yourself. The usual song and dance of getting to know someone requires more bandwidth than I have time for lately. Plus, I’m bad about letting big, messy feelings get in the way, and when they’re not returned I’m left feeling foolish and hurt. No, I wear monogamy like it’s written in Sharpie across my forehead. Casual is not in my plans.

Josie is fearless, though. She’s always said that after Chad left, she stopped caring what anyone thought of her. The pitying looks from everyone in town thickened her skin up. Also, despite her own failed marriage, she's a hopeless romantic. Love—in all its shapes, forms, and fashions—is what she lives for. She gobbles it up and wants everyone to have a happily ever after. Well, everyone except herself. When Chad walked out, it was like she hung up a "permanently closed" sign on her own love life.

She and I settle in for an evening of catching up and sipping our wine. We talk about everything from what we’re reading to the art piece she’s currently working on. She confesses that she’s been really worried about Abby. Abby is almost fourteen, and full of all the angst and drama that comes with that age. She’s been struggling with her friendships, and Josie’s afraid she might make poor decisions to fit in.

---