“Oh.” She quelled her selfish disappointment down and hoped Shay hadn’t heard it in her voice.
“Don’t worry. I’ll still be there for your mom’s memorial on Saturday.”
“You will? It’s fine if you can’t make it. You’ve got your own family stuff to manage. You don’t need mine too.” Rosie didn’t want to prove Shay right and be just another emotional time suck she didn’t have the capacity for.
“I’ll be there.” Shay’s teasing disappeared, and her expression was serious. “I promise.”
A kaleidoscope of colorful butterflies fluttered in Rosie’s stomach. That made two promises in one day, and Shay had kept the first one, which was one more than any of her previous partners had. She caught herself. Shay wasn’t her partner; she was her friend with benefits.
Words were powerful and reflected emotional states, she reminded herself again. Love. That washeroverarching emotion right now, and keeping a lid on it was proving more difficult than she thought it would be.
CHAPTER 24
Buzzingwith the energy from her conversation with Rosie, Shay took the stairs back to the ICU unit on the third floor. Rosie’s only surviving family member not attending her mom’s memorial sounded unbelievable, but after everything Rosie had told her, she could believe anything. Shay was using it as inspiration; she wouldn’t let her family go anywhere near the path Rosie had been forced to travel. Her momma wouldn’t be happy if she did, and she’d probably find some way to tell her so too—like striking Shay with lightning for the second time.
She pushed the door open onto the third-floor hallway just as Aaron emerged from the doorway of their father’s room. “Hey, little brother.”
“Hey, big sis.” Aaron gestured to Shay’s face. “What’s got you all grinny and happy?”
She touched her lips, unaware she’d been smiling. “Nothing.”
He scoffed. “You’ve always been able to hide your feelings from the rest of our brothers, mainly because they’re too wrapped up in their own crap, but you can’t keep anything from me. Spill.”
Shay shrugged. “I was just talking to a friend, that’s all.”
“The same friend you went to Tijuana with?” He narrowed his eyes when she nodded. “Just a friend?”
“A friend with benefits, if you must know.”
“You lucky dog.” He lightly punched her shoulder. “And clearly, one of those benefits is making you smile like a clown at a face paint sale.”
“That’s a weirdly emotive metaphor. Don’t you hate clowns? I have a memory of you screaming like a coyotewhen Momma brought a clown to one of your birthdays.”
“What can I tell you? The therapy is fixing more than my relationship with my whole family.” Aaron nodded back toward their father’s room. “Speaking of which, maybe now?—”
“Stop.” Shay put her hand up. “I’ve already had a real therapist suggest I talk to Daddy. I don’t need second-hand therapy from you.”
Aaron put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed hard. “I’m proud of you for having therapy.”
She shrugged him off. “Don’t be. I’m not. Rosie’s a therapist.” Although she wasn’t one right now, Shay had a feeling Rosie would soon return to her calling.
“Rosie is the friend with benefits?” When she nodded, he grinned widely. “Great choice offriend. She’ll save you a fortune in counseling sessions.”
“Why are you saying friend in such a weird way? It’s not like that.”
“Not like what? Not like anything deeper than a friend? The Lord forbid you open your heart to anyone.”
Shay frowned. “What’re you talking about?”
“Come on, sis, you’re not stupid. You were always such a loving kid. But it’s like you shut down after Momma died. Isn’t it about time you stopped being such a player and got serious with someone? Someone who makes you smile like Rose.”
“Rosie,” she said. “Look, Aaron, I love that therapy is making you re-evaluate yourself and your life, but you don’t need to pay it forward. Not everyone gets to marry their high school sweetheart and live happily ever after, like you and Bisa.” Not even their parents had managed it, and they were more in love than anyone she’d ever known. Although Gabe and Lori looked like they were heading that way.
“Okay, sis.” He held his hands in the air. “You’ll figure it out in your own time. But you’re not getting any younger, so don’t leave it too late.”
She shoved his chest hard. “Asshole. I’m only thirty-eight.”
“Exactly, you’re nearing the end of your fourth decade, and you’re still alone because you’ve spent all your post-Army time looking after your family.”
