Page 75 of Love Me Gently

Clearly flustered, Marie stammered out, “I was going to tell you. It was an accident how they found out, I swear it, and they haven’t seen him since.”

I held up a hand, chuckling and making sure she could see I wasn’t mad. “This is gonna be awkward for us all, but you’re a good woman and deserve a good man. I’m just giving you a hard time.”

“He’s really nice,” she said quietly and rolled her lips together. “I like him.”

“Then he better be the kind of man deserving of you. And if he’s not, let me know. I know all the good hiding spots in these mountains.”

“Shut up.” She laughed and reached out to slap my shoulder. I let her have that and watched as she nibbled her bottom lip and glanced back toward the house. “You told the girls about Trina, I take it?”

“June seems pretty sad that we don’t think sleepovers are nearly as fun as you do.”

I stepped out of the way before she could slap me again.

“And before you tell me to shut up again, yeah, I did. I wanted you to know Ash and Robbie are coming over tonight. To see her.”

“Oh.” All previous humor left her face, and she blinked, then frowned. “That’s good, right? I think, I guess?”

“It’s a step.” I didn’t want to hurt her. Didn’t want to tell her how excited I was about this and how it didn’t feel like a step at all, but after voluntarily spending time with my mom and getting the names of therapists, it felt more like a giant leap.

“Good, Cole. That’s good. I’m glad for her.”

“I need to get going and head back to work. I’ll see you Sunday?”

“Afternoon like always.”

“And will I see Zack?”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “We’re not there yet. Like I said, it was an accident the day the girls saw him. I’m moving slow.”

Slow didn’t sound like sleepover territory, but Marie was an adult, and after being married to me she deserved all the fun she could have. Besides, I trusted her and her judgment.

“You don’t owe me explanations.”

“Okay then. Sunday.”

“Have a fun weekend with the girls.”

“Have a good night,” she said, turning to open the door. “I hope it goes well.”

That made two of us.

Twenty-Seven

Trina

This was a mistake. Had to be. Nothing good could come from this. My head was a mess, my heart was racing. I couldn’t get my conversation with Valerie out of my mind and now wasnotthe time to be panicking, but there I was.

“You keep pacing in my kitchen, you’re going to end up wearing a hole in the floor, and I’ll be ticked if the fall breaks my projector screen.”

Leave it to Cole to be so calm.

“I’m worried,” I told him.

He kicked his feet up on his coffee table and grinned. “Really? Couldn’t tell.”

“Ugh.” Of course he’d be calm. These were his friends he saw all the time. These were friends who loved him.

Sure, they’d once loved me, but he didn’t know about the last conversation I had with Ashley.

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