Page 91 of Challenged by the Single Dad

Now the tears were falling with abandon down all of their faces.

“I’m really lucky to have met you ladies,” Chloe said, using her napkin to wipe her eyes and nose. “Thank you. This … this means a lot and it’s helped more than you know.”

Gravel crunched under feet behind them, and Chloe and Jordana turned around to find Justine there, her eyes wary and curious. “Heyyy,” she said softly, taking in all their tear-stained faces. “I just finished at the clinic and was too hungry to make it home. Plus, I figured you’d all be here after yoga. Everything okay?”

Brooke scooted over and patted the bench beside her. “Take a seat. We’ll fill you in.”

“I’ll grab your food,” Vica said standing up. “Regular order?”

“Please,” Justine replied, still giving them all curious looks.

They filled her in on everything that took place since she left for her shift at the clinic yesterday afternoon.

By the time they were done, Justine also had tears in her eyes. “You’re a badass mama bear,” she said, swallowing hard. “I love Aya and Emme more than anything, but I’m not sure I could have done what you did.”

“I think you could.” Chloe turned to Brooke, and Vica too. “I think you all could. And I’ve only met Silas once, and it was awkward, because the moment I saw him all I could see was Elliott’s face. It was like I was standing up for Elliott, not Silas.” She glanced at Jordana. “Is that wrong?”

Jordana shook her head. “Absolutely not. You were standing up for a child who needed it. Doesn’t matter who it was, or what prompted you to do it. Your instinct kicked in and you just acted on it.”

“I’m really loving the big pussy energy of our little group,” Brooke said, opening her arms wide and wrapping them around Justine and Vica. Jordana and Chloe opened up their arms and closed the circle. “We’re all badass mama bears.”

With their heads inward, Vica asked in her thick Italian accent, which just made it more hilarious, “Do we wantbigpussies? What abouttightpussy energy? I’m not sure I would behappyto have abigpussy. Would make tampons and things very challenging to keep in.”

Jordana was the first to snort, then Justine, and finally Chloe.

“Did I say something wrong?” Vica asked innocently as their hug-circle broke apart. “Am I wrong?”

Brooke had tears of laughter in her eyes. “No. You’re not wrong. Fine then,tightpussy energy.”

Now they were all laughing again, tears running down their cheeks.

Chloe glanced at her watch as she took a much-needed sip of her kombucha. That’s when she saw that it was five minutes to ten. She leaped up from her spot at the table. “Oh my god! I have to go. I promised Hawke I’d be there at ten to relieve him at the hostel. Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Vica waved her hand casually. “It will be fine. Just walk in there with thattightpussy energy and act like you own the place. Hawke will say no words.”

“I’d rather Hawkenotthink about my tight pussy energy, thank you.”

“But you want Dom to, right?” Brooke teased, bobbing her brows up and down.

“You’re not helping. I have to go.”

“Byyyyyeeee,” Jordana sung. “T.P.E. for life!”

Then the other women all chanted loudly, “T.P.E!” as Chloe raced to her car, an enormous smile on her face, and a lightness in her heart she hadn’t felt since that night on the beach she told Dom—the first person since the accident—about Elliott.

Maybe the path to healing wasn’t keeping it all bottled up inside, but letting it out and allowing others to share in your grief.

After all, many hands make light work.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

“You’renevergoingtoguess what Chloe did today,” Wyatt said, coming out to the bar where Dom was busy slicing garnishes before the restaurant opened.

“Maybe it’s best that I don’t know,” Dom murmured. Now that he and Chloe had established that they werejustfriends, and they only saw each other in passing, he figured things would be easier.

That his feelings would disappear.

They were not easier, and they had not disappeared.

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