“And me,” Shay said.
Rosie heard similar sentiments from RB and Solo, which filled her heart with joy. Just a few months ago, she counted Lori and Ellery as her go-to friends, but now her circle had expanded to include all the people Lori had brought into her life via Gabe. Most importantly, Shay. It was another good reason never to declare she was in love with Shay and just to let their situationship run its natural course. “But hopefully I can learn from the absence of those things at this memorial and not make any of the same mistakes my mom made, like surrounding myself with fair weather friends who don’t really care for me at all. I don’t want to think about my own funeral for a long, long time,” she smiled at the ripple of laughter, “but I hope to live the rest of my life truly connected in a meaningful wayto my friends, my chosen family, so there damn well will be singing and dancing around my coffin!”
“In a good way,” RB shouted.
“Yeah,” Rosie said and pointed at RB, “definitely in a good way. So I’m going to stop jabbering at you now and say thank you again for being here. It means so much to me, you wouldn’t believe it. And your reward for giving up your Saturday and putting up with this incredibly morose memorial is free food and an open bar at Bonnie’s, where I hope we can celebrate each other and our connections.” She nodded to the store guy at the sound system, and the opening guitar riffs of “Highway to Hell” boomed from the speakers.
Woody whooped and hollered and started playing air guitar. When the lyrics kicked in, Gabe, RB, and Solo joined in, and Rosie clasped her hand over her mouth as she laughed and shook her head. Her mom would’ve liked the rendition for their enthusiasm if not for their singing talent.
Shay held out her hand to help Rosie down from the stage and then gestured to Alyssa. “Who’s your curly-haired friend?”
“That’s Alyssa. She made the floral arrangements, but she’s also a friend from college.” She stopped herself from saying any more but didn’t know why. Shay wasn’t the jealous type. It was more likely she was interested in Alyssa for herself.
“Just a friend?”
Her question indicated that Shay had obviously picked up on the vibe Rosie was so eager to conceal. “Fine. I used to have a massive crush on her, and she wouldn’t be pinned down into a monogamous relationship.”
Shay grinned. “You’ve got a type: hard to get.”
Rosie grasped the back of Shay’s neck and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. “Hard to getandincredibly beautiful,” she said, liking that Shay’s eyes were half-lidded in drunken desire when she finally let her go.
Lori popped up beside them and pried them apart. “Put herdown. You don’t know where she’s been.”
“Sure she does,” Shay said and smiled. “I’ve been at the hospital or the garage.”
“I don’t need to know where she’s been.” Rosie glared at Lori, though she was just being overprotective. Lori knew Rosie’s heart was on the line, but Shay was blissfully ignorant. “That’s the beauty of a situationship: no jealousy or possessiveness.”
Shay wrapped her hand around Rosie’s wrist and tugged lightly. “I don’t know about that.”
Rosie looked at Shay, trying to figure out exactly which bit she was unsure of, but she just grinned.
Lori stroked Rosie’s upper arm. “How are you doing?” she asked, tilting her head slightly.
“Surprisingly, I think I’m okay.” She gestured back to the stage, where Alyssa was busy packing the roses into boxes. “I was nervous about that, but it went okay. I’m feeling her loss, but just not in a visceral way, you know?”
Lori nodded. “Nobody’s expecting you to be a sobbing, grieving mess, Rosie. We only care about you and want to make sure you’re okay, that’s all.”
“Thank you.” She took Lori’s hand and squeezed. “And I really am. I’m pretty sure I’ve done my grieving. And when I’ve dealt with the ashes per her final request, I’ll get closure for good.”
“Have you worked out when you’re scattering them?” Lori asked.
Rosie rolled her eyes. “I don’t know. Franklin wasn’t happy about the five days in Mexico, especially considering where I was with the Unity Tools project. It might take a while before I can work up enough of his goodwill to secure a couple days’ vacation.”
Shay slipped her arm around Rosie’s waist. “You could take a break between quitting that job and going back to your practice.”
Lori’s eyes widened, and she grasped Rosie’s shoulders. “You’re going back to being a therapist? That’s so exciting!” She held Rosie at arm’s length and narrowed her eyes. “But when wereyou going to tell me this yourself?”
Rosie shook her head and took Lori’s hands. “I haven’t told myself yet. Shay’s just stirring the pot, aren’t you,darling?”
Shay winked and kissed Rosie’s cheek. “I just want you to follow your heart.”
Rosie shared a look with Lori, who was clearly thinking the same thing: if Rosie followed her heart, it would lead only to Shay, and she’d run in the opposite direction. Rosie appreciated the support. Having Lori believe in her had taken some getting used to, but she had a feeling that it would betooeasy to accept Shay’s cheerleading.
“Okay,” Lori said and arched her eyebrow at Rosie.
She shook her head almost imperceptibly so that Shay didn’t see. Lori wouldn’t try to play matchmaker the same way Rosie had after Lori’s divorce because this was different. Trying to force them together would only split them wide apart.
“Well, when you figure out a date, will you let me know if you want my company? I can get Beth to look after the Sanctuary for a few days, and we can make it a road trip.”
