Jax groaned. “You’re not being very subtle.”
“Nor am I trying to be.” She softened her tone. “Let’s just not talk about this anymore. Please?”
Jax nodded. “You’re right. I’m a selfish bitch. I’m sorry.”
Ryleigh stepped close and hugged her. “You’re not a bitch.”
As she would have expected, Jax giggled. “But I am selfish. You’re right. Especially where you’re concerned. I love you so much. Don’t leave me.”
Ryleigh ignored that. “We’ll talk later.”
“We will.”
Jax left the classroom. Ryleigh continued her cleanup, trying not to think about what her sister had said about staying. Honestly, Ryleigh had no idea what to do with her life.
If only things had worked out with Dustin, except they hadn’t. As for finding someone else, so far no one came to mind. She was glad Marcus had asked Jax out, so obviously he hadn’t appealed. And the thought of starting over, dating someone was just so grim. Would that the perfect man would magically appear in front of her, she thought as she filled her tote.
“Knock, knock.”
She turned and saw Shawna walk into the classroom. Her first thought was too bad she hadn’t ducked out three minutes earlier. She would have been safely in her car and on her way to hang with her beautiful and affectionate cat. That was followed by mild guilt which made her smile more broadly and speak more enthusiastically.
“Hi, Shawna. How are you? How’s the wedding planning?”
“It’s going so great.” Shawna set her large tote on the desk. “Did I see Jax in the hall a few minutes ago? I thought it was her.”
“She stopped by to see me. Why?”
“Oh, no reason.” Shawna twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “She’s so interesting, isn’t she? With the bookstore and the kids. She’s a single mom, doing it all.”
True statements, but when strung together like that, they didn’t make a lot of sense.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “I feel like you’re trying to tell me something.”
“Not tell,” Shawna said quickly. “Askis a better word. It’s about Jax. She’s... I...” She pressed her lips together then blurted, “I want to be friends with her and I don’t know how.”
Friends? Ryleigh didn’t see that happening. The two women didn’t have a whole lot in common. They were different ages, at different points in their lives and Ryleigh was pretty sure Jax didn’t see Shawna as a potential friend.
“Okay.” She drew out the word. “Interesting.”
“I thought maybe you could help me with that.” Shawna looked hopeful. “With some tips or, you know, ideas.”
“To make friends with her?”
“We’re going to be a family.” Shawna’s tone was earnest. “It would be so much better for the kids if we got along. I hear so many students talking about difficult situations at home because the parents and stepparents are fighting. I’d never take her place, of course. She’s their mom, but I’ll be living with them 50 percent of the time. I’m going to be involved.”
Fifty percent of the time? Ryleigh wondered if Jax had thought that part through—assuming Harris went through with the marriage.
“This is between you and Jax,” she said firmly. “Jax is great so I’m sure she’ll be receptive to you reaching out, but I’m not getting in the middle of things. You two being friends is something you’ll have to work out yourselves.”
Shawna sighed. “You’re right. I need to talk to her. Maybe set up another lunch. Did she tell you she had lunch with me and my mom? It was helpful to hear about their marriage. Harris tells me a few things, but you know, he’s such a guy. He’s not big on details.”
“I remember that,” Ryleigh murmured, thinking her former brother-in-law hadn’t been big on taking responsibility or doing anything he didn’t want to do.
Shawna pulled a tablet out of her tote. “I’m looking at different bridesmaids’ dresses. I’m trying to figure out how to make it all work, visually. One of my best friends is tiny—like under five feet tall. Another is a little heavy. Then there’s Gentry, who’ll only be twelve. I can’t put her in something strapless.”
She flipped through several dress selections, showing Ryleigh each one. “I’ve thought about maybe going with the same color but different styles.”
“A friend of mine did that for her wedding. We all went shopping together. She said she didn’t care what the style was as long as the colors were identical. We picked one designer and each went with what we liked. Let me get my phone.”
