Her hand trembled, sloshing tea over the rim of her cup, spilling onto the pages of her book. Scarlett swore at the mess, then at the tears that burst through without permission.
“Sorry. Sorry.” She blotted the pages with a napkin. “I’ll go.”
“You will not.” Trina plucked the book from Scarlett’s grasp to tend to the mess.
“Start talking,” Willow urged. Her eyes were kind, but her voice was firm.
Scarlett scanned the faces watching her. All her friends were clearly worried. She studied what remained of the tea in her cup. “I’m fine.” They knew. Not the whole truth, perhaps, but they knew the atmospheric pressure around her had dropped to dangerous levels.
“You’re not,” Hazel countered.
“But we’re here to read,” she protested.
“Hard to do that when it feels like you’re a ticking time bomb.” Charity’s gaze brimmed with concern. “We’re here for each other as much as we’re here to read.”
Holly dared to rub her arm. “Whatever it is, holding it in isn’t working.”
No, it really wasn’t. Scarlett looked around the circle of women who had become her family. The idea of leaving them was absurd. These women had helped her move furniture and stake out her garden. They’d watched Cora during late-night school board meetings, and never once pushed too hard when she grew quiet about her past.
“It’s Cora’s father. He’s back,” Scarlett whispered without making eye contact.
The air in the Perk went still as everyone waited for her to elaborate.
“That was the after-school meeting?” Trina asked.
Scarlett nodded, miserable. “Thanks again for that.”
Willow’s eyes went wide. “The guy at the open mic night.”
“Yes,” she admitted.
“Hold on,” Camille said. “Catch me up.”
With a sigh, Scarlett explained. “Cooper Moss. Doctor Moss,” she added. “He’s a math professor.” She dragged in a shuddering breath and shot a look at the door. Willow popped up to lock it so they wouldn’t be interrupted. “He came to Brookwell for a vacation after his college closed. But his first time in the area was when he was an interim professor one summer in Charleston while I was a student. We, um, had an affair and then I had Cora.”
She glanced at Willow, wondering if she should ask for some legal advice. Willow was an attorney, though she didn’t practice with a law firm. Instead, she ran her own business proofing contracts for several firms.
“He just left you?” Holly was indignant.
“No.” She couldn’t meet anyone’s gaze. “I’m the problem. The bad guy. He got the offer of a lifetime and moved to California. Because I never told him I was pregnant.”
“You didn’t want to hold him back,” Charity said. She tended to see the best in everyone.
“It sounded like the right argument at the time. We’d planned for me to come out and see him, at least to visit, but I just ghosted him.” She swiped at her eyes. “It was California. And whether it was true love or not, I was scared. I didn’t want to have a baby without any family close by. And I didn’t want him to resent me—us—later.”
“Where is Cora tonight?” Grace queried.
Scarlett leaned back in her chair. “With Cooper at my place. He’s so good with her.”
“So, you trust him,” Trina said. “Otherwise, you would’ve brought her along.”
“He’s missed so much time already.” Scarlett was crying again. “We haven’t told her yet. I just don’t know where that conversation starts. But it’s what he wants.”
“He’s been at the house every day. Fixing things, admiring her Lego builds and her math worksheets. They read together. You should hear the stories they make up at her fairy garden. It’s so damn perfect.”
And here she was blubbering about something so wonderful as if it was the worst thing in the world.
“What about you?” Charity asked. “Is it perfect for you?”
