April smiled. A quick sort of smile that she was certain didn’t reach her eyes. The blinding flash probably filled in any sort of blank on that front.
“C’mon,” Rachel prodded. “Think of something that makes you happy.”
Without even trying, Jack’s face floated to the front of her mind. Which was to say, not a good thing. But it made her smile.
“Whatever you were just thinking about,” Kitty said, as Simone tapped on April’s cell screen. “Keep thinking it.”
“As long as it’s not my brother.” Rachel gave April a raised-eyebrow once-over. “Because—”
“I know.” April waved her hand, welcoming the beverages that appeared at the table. She’d gone with a vodka tonic. “He’s so far out of my league, it’s not funny.”
Kitty scowled. “In what universe?”
“I’d also like to know the answer to that,” Simone said with a growl.
“BecauseIwas going to say that you are out of his league,” Rachel said, also scowling. “Maybe we need to go over how the leagues work.”
April pointed at her chest. “I have three kids.”
“And a house and a job and a life.” Rachel speared April with the look she gave.
“And those bazoongas.” Kitty gave April’s chest a long stare. “Don’t forget to add those to the list.”
“Jack doesn’t have any of that,” Rachel continued.
“Jack has a job,” April said, for some reason feeling the need to defend him.
“So he gets one point,” Rachel agreed.
This was really a ridiculous conversation but… “Jack has Jack and that puts him in his own league,” April said.
“He’sjustJack.” Rachel shook away whatever she was thinking. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. Because, while I love my brother, he is not good for you. Not because of any league thing. Because he is hell on relationships. Hell being that he just never has them.”
Jack might be hell on relationships, but they were also in this repair project together, and any outside fraternization would muddy those waters so badly, they’d need a whole crate of Kitty’s Amazon soap to clean it up.
“Weare going to find you someone else,” Rachel said. “Molly gave us some advice on how to get started.”
A tingle of awareness started at the outer layer of April’s skin, because she’d seen that look in matchmaking Kitty’s eyes before, but never Rachel’s. “I’m not out here to meet anyone.”
“Of course you’re not,” Simone said, reaching across the table to grab April’s hand and give it a quick squeeze. “Not tonight, anyway. But we are going to get you all set up with some online dating so you can get your feet wet. Talk to a few people who don’t want you to whip them up a PB and J.”
April’s pulse seemed to stop doing the whole pulsing thing that was required for consciousness, because her head felt light. Yes, she’d considered it, but, “I can’t date.”
“Give me one reason,” Kitty said, using that tone of hers that usually meant she was going to get her way. Which was to say, her only tone.
It didn’t matter, though, because April could give her a whole slew of reasons. “I haven’t been on a first date in ten years.”
“So we’ll ease you in,” Rachel said, picking up the baton. “Get you started talking to a few guys, and you can test the waters.”
Did she want to meet someone? Talk to someone? Maybe she was ready for that.
Yes. Yes. Especially if he looked like Jack, and the kids took to him like they did to Jack.
“She looks terrified,” Yelena said, apparently allying herself with April, which was good, except April didn’t really know where she stood, so neither could Yelena. “Maybe we should just go back to drinking and pretending not to talk about our kids.”
Kitty smacked the table. “No.” She handed a scrap of paper to April. “I’ve started a special email address for you—all you have to do is check it sometimes. Simone is already setting you up on Loving Arrow as I speak. And we’ve all pitched in to buy you a three-month subscription.”
Her friends each looked at her a little funny.
