Dammit. Her cousin knew her too well. “I’m not answering that question. Haveyouseen him?”
There were two seconds of silence that gave Clara away before she answered the question. “He was in Rob’s Diner last week.”
“Last week? And you’re only just telling me now?”
“And I saw him on Sunday night at CJs. And maybe this morning, when I was walking to Sassy Stems.”
Indie’s fingers tightened around the wheel. “You can tell me when you see him.”
“I know, but I don’t want to make you sad.”
Did she look sad every time someone brought up Colt? “We’re separated. I sent him divorce papers. We have to learn to coexist in this town.”
Divorce papers. The words sounded big and heavy. They’d felt right to send at the time. She needed to move on. It was the final step in her healing.
But now that he was home? Maybe not so much.
“Uh-huh.” Why did her cousin say it like she didn’t believe it?
“Did you talk to him?”
“He came over and said hi at the diner. He asked how I was doing. Then he asked how you were doing.”
Her heart gave a little kick. “And what did you say?”
“That you were amazing. Thriving, actually.”
Indie almost snorted. Was selling her car to fund a round of IVF with donor sperm “thriving”? Probably not.
She turned onto her street. “Thank you for saying that. And thank you for checking in.” She pulled into her driveway and turned off the engine.
“I’m always on your side, Indie.”
“How are you and Holden?”
“This morning, he brought me an almond croissant and sweet tea in bed. Sometimes I have to pinch myself that I got so lucky.”
“Good. You deserve to be happy.” After everything Clara had been through, and the cancer she’d fought, she had earned every second of happiness she got.
“Thanks, Indie. You do too.”
Maybe she’d find her way back to happy one day. She wasn’t deep in the grips of depression anymore. But she could definitely be doing better. “Thanks. Chat soon?”
“I want an immediate update after your appointment.”
Indie laughed. “Done.”
The smile was still on her face as she climbed out of her car. God, she was lucky to have Clara. Her cousin had supported her a lot over the past year, just as her aunt Pam had. Without them, she wasn’t sure she’d have gotten through.
Exactly why she didn’t want to tell them about her money problems. They’d swoop in and save her, and they’d already saved her enough.
She grabbed her camera bag from the back and crossed to the door of her single-story ranch-style home. It was beautiful. A house she and Colt had bought together, just like the house they owned in California.
She’d assumed he’d keep the one in California and she’d keep this one, but now that he was in Amber Ridge, she wasn’t sure what was going to happen.
Unlike her, Colt came from money. Old money. His mother was very well off, and as an only child, Colt had received a large trust fund from his maternal grandparents, whereas Indie wasn’t even booking photo shoots.
And the worst part was, she had no idea why. A couple of years ago, her business was thriving. So freaking thriving, she’d had to turn down jobs. Now? She was lucky to get a couple bookings a month.
