Page 109 of This Feeling

Maddie started to wring her hands. “I didn’t think I was invited.”

“Bullshit,” Aunt Olivia replied, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing. “This isn’t high school anymore, Maddie. I stopped inviting you because your answer was always no. And before you say the other ladies don’t like you, they do. Well, except Judith Turner, but she doesn’t like anyone.”

I lost the battle and laughed.

“Judith has always been a bitch.”

I gasped, looking at Maddie.

She shrugged. “Well, she is. The way she treats her daughter-in-law while she’s going through cancer treatments is appalling. Why, I should show up tonight just to make her mad.”

“No,” Aunt Olivia said, taking Maddie’s hand. “You should show up tonight because it’ll be good for you. You need a life outside of caring for your sons and husband.”

Chewing nervously on her bottom lip, Maddie nodded. “You’re right. You’re both right. I’ve dedicated my entire life to my boys, and I have to realize that they don’t need me anymore.”

“That’s not true, Maddie,” I said softly. “They’ll always need their mother. Just not in the way they used to.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Maddie slowly let it out. “I wouldn’t blame you if you hated me, Harper.”

I walked around the counter and embraced her. “I could never hate you for loving your sons, Maddie.”

When we stepped apart, she cupped my cheek and smiled. “Declan is lucky to have you care about him like you do.”

“I love him more than I can put into words.”

Tears welled up in Maddie’s eyes. “That’s all a mother can hope for.”

Aunt Olivia clapped her hands, causing Maddie and me both to jump. “Great! Then I’ll see you at seven at my place. Bring money…we like to have fun at bunko night.”

Maddie’s eyes widened as she watched my aunt saunter off to the back of the shop. When she looked back at me, I simply shrugged.

“Well, this should be an interesting evening.”

“I hope they got a table out on the rooftop tonight,” I said, as Declan and I stepped onto the elevator that would take us up to The Muddled Moose. It was trivia night, and I had to admit I was excited to get back to more of a normal life, now that Declan had fully recovered.

“With how hot the temperatures have been lately, it’ll be nice to be out on the roof, especially if a cool breeze is blowing.”

“I don’t ever remember it being this hot in August. How do you walk around in that uniform with all that gear and not sweat your ass off?”

Declan chuckled. “Idosweat my ass off.”

As we walked through the restaurant part of The Muddled Moose, I glanced around to see who was there. Most of the people I didn’t know were likely tourists. Once we stepped out onto the rooftop, I instantly spotted our large group of friends.

Declan took my hand, and we started toward them. They’d taken two tables and pushed them together. Sitting at one table were Cadie and Kian, huddled close together with smiles on their faces. Also sitting at their table were Gavin and James, and two women I’d seen before but couldn’t quite place.

“Looks like Gavin and James brought dates,” Declan said, as we worked our way toward the table.

“Are those…the two waitresses from Main Street Café?” I asked.

“That’swhere I’ve seen them before. You’re right.”

Aurora sat next to her brother, Nathan. At the other table, Brystol, Evelyn, and Denny, sat with a guy I didn’t know.

Slowing down, I asked Declan, “Who’s the guy sitting next to Brystol?”

“Not sure.”

As we approached, everyone looked up. “It’s about time you got here!” Brystol said, motioning to the two empty chairs at her table.

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