He lifted a brow. “Are you asking me to help?”
“Yes,” she said slowly. “I mean, you’re helping Daisy with her set. Might as well help my other friend with her divorce drama.”
“True,” he said.
She was about to say that she needed a man’s help, and since Ben wasn’t here, she had to recruit him.
The truth was, Sam was the person she would’ve asked even if Ben had been home. Ben would’ve been too busy. If they moved over the weekend, it would be his day off, and he caught up on his gaming and stuff on his days off. He worked really hard and ...
Sam also works really hard.
The plain, matter-of-fact thought hit her hard.
Sam would always help if somebody was in need. Not because he was sweet or anything like that. Sam really wasn’t sweet. Sam knew what it was like to have nothing. He hated injustice. He was the kind of person who had a tendency to grudgingly rally around anyone who needed it. He might not crave community, but he also knew community was necessary.
“I appreciate it,” she said.
“I didn’t agree.”
“I know you didn’t. But you will. Because she’s a woman who has nothing because her husband is a douchebag.”
“Yeah. Well, I’m sorry about that.” He took a sip of his soda. “I don’t really remember who she is.”
“Soraya.She was a Bible-thumper. So it’s not like we hung out with her.”
“No. They tended to run the other way from me. Missionaries know a lost cause when they see one.” He smiled, and she wrinkled her nose.
“In my experience, they don’t, but how nice that you figured out the code to being left alone.”
His smile lifted higher, just on the left side, and her stomach lifted slightly in response. “Maybe they think I’m holy.”
“Somehow, I doubt it.”
The waiter appeared and set Nora’s drink, a basket of fries, and a basket with burgers in front of them. She just about pounced on the fries.
“Have you heard from anyone in your family lately?” he asked.
“Hell no,” she said, nearly choking on her fries. “What made you think of that?”
“I don’t know. I feel like I don’t know what the hell is up with you right now. For all I know, you could have had a tearful reunion with your mother.”
“Ha! No. Unless you think she’d cry because I punched her.”
She chose not to ask herself if she actually wanted to punch her mother, or if thinking about her made her want to cry.
“Just ...” He looked behind her. “It’s weird you didn’t tell me that Ben left you.”
Her mouth dropped open. “He didn’t leave me. I told you that.”
“He left, and you’re separated.”
“Yeah. I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why not?”
“Because I was surrounded by the divorce brigade today, and I’ve had enough of the relationship doom talk. I’m not getting divorced. We’re separated because he’s having a midlife crisis. You’re right, doing that in Chile is rich-guy nonsense, and we absolutely would’ve madefun of him way back when. I still kind of want to make fun of him, but he’s my husband, and if he’s feeling like he isn’t happy, then ...”
“Maybe he should figure it out with you?” Sam finished.
