Page 29 of Love Me Again

“I don’t think so. I’m not saying he’s a monk or a saint, but he could have made that divorce happen if he wanted to go manwhoring around again. He didn’t. And there has been a decided lack of a social life. So like… Whatever his shit is—and the boy has got some major shit he hasn’t worked through—it’s just forgivable, like Cora said. Even if you don’t want to and don’t ever forgive him.”

“I don’t. I can’t.”

All the women nodded like that was her right. Like she knew her own mind. Even though they clearly loved Boone, they didn’t hate her or blame her for saying she couldn’t forgive him.

And Josie flat out didn’t know what to do with that.

“I need some sleep,” Cora said, pushing herself out of the chair with a groan. “What little there is to be had carting this bowling ball around.”

“Yeah, me too,” Lou agreed, pushing herself into a standing position as well.

Cora put her hand on Josie’s shoulder, gave it a friendly pat as she passed by. Lou followed Cora out, so it was just Josie and Molly.

They both yawned. No doubt a product of a little too much wine.

“I… I should get back to the cabin,” Josie said, though she didn’t know how.

Molly kind of winced. “Yeah, about that. You’ve got two uncomfortable choices here. One, you spend the night here in the house. There’s an extra room, so it’s no big deal. But it would mean sharing a bathroom with Boone and probably seeing him at breakfast.”

“What’s my other option?”

“Find a sober driver who isn’t pregnant to drive you back over in the dark, in the snow. Mom and Grandma are probably asleep, and Shane and Gavin have their pregnant wives to fuss over so it’d probably be…”

“Boone.”

“Yeah. Pick your Boone poison, I guess.”

“He did this on purpose, didn’t he?”

Molly thought that over. “If he did, I’m surprised. And impressed.”

“Why?”

“He’s not sneaky. He was always happy to do whatever was against the grain loud and in the open. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him care enough about anything to try to manipulate a situation. Unless purposefully needling people is manipulation.”

“Manipulating isn’t good.”

“Maybe not,” Molly said. “But I guess sometimes it depends on the motivation.”

Josie closed her eyes. Nothing made sense. Too many things hurt. And the thought of going out in that cold again when she was warm and exhausted and emotionally wrung out and somehow comforted by the women who’d sat here and included her all night…

“I guess… I could just stay here.”

“There’s safety in numbers.” Molly pushed to her feet. “You’ll be less inclined to jump him with the family around.”

“I’m not going to jump him. He left me. I’m not chasing after someone who left me.”

“That’s fair and right and good and all, but…”

“But what?”

“He didn’t actually get the divorce. So he kind of only half left you.”

Josie stood, shocked and a little horrified. “But… No, no. Because… That doesn’t prove anything. He was probably just being lazy. Or distracted by his injuries or couldn’t afford a lawyer anymore. Or something.”

“Maybe, but Boone’s got family money. So, it isn’t that. And he’s a lot of annoying things, but lazy has never been one.”

Josie narrowed her eyes at the woman she’d thought had become her friend. “Did he put you up to this?”