Page 68 of Your Soul to Keep

I swallowed. “I was angry and depressed. When I couldn’t celebrate birth announcements, gender reveal parties, and baby showers with my friends, they lost patience with me.” I shrugged. “And eventually, I lost them.”

“They wanted you to celebrate with them when they wouldn’t grieve with you.” Bridge spat out. “Good riddance.”

“You don’t understand,” I argued. “This went on for years.”

She shook her head. “There’s no timeline on grief. They didn’t deserve you. And you deserved better.”

Tears smarted my eyes. “Thank you.”

“I’ll cover for you with the shower. If it’s too much, the girls will understand.”

I thought about Wren. “How’s Wren doing?”

Bridge see-sawed her hand. “She’s worried history is repeating itself and determined to do whatever she can to ensure Aaron and Nadine don’t suffer the censure she did.”

I hummed. “She’s a fierce mama.”

She nodded, her face thoughtful. She tilted her head to the side and eyed me. “Have you met Kian yet?”

“Aaron’s birth father? No. You?”

Kian moved to Sage Ridge with his youngest son to reconnect with the son he walked away from almost twenty years ago.

She nodded carefully, her eyes skittering to the side. “He comes into Susie Q’s with his younger son all the time. He’s nice. Sweet. And Isaiah is a great kid.”

Bridge had a big heart. Her larger-than-life personality blinded you to her tender side, but it was there.

“He must be lonely,” I prodded.

“He is.” Her eyes took on a faraway look. “He moved to Sage Ridge to be close to Aaron, but Aaron is not warming up to him.”

“It’s understandable. He and his mom and his sister went through a lot.”

Bridge bristled. “It wasn’t all Kian’s fault.”

“No,” I agreed. “Of course not. But as you said,” my mouth quirked, “there’s no timeline on grief.”

She barked out a laugh.

“Still,” I continued. “He could probably use a friend or two.”

She hummed and looked away.

And I came to a decision.

“I want to help. Wren is important to me, and this is for her grandbaby.”

Bridge’s gaze snapped to mine. “I’ll support you in whatever way I can.”

My brow furrowed. “Don’t tell the girls about me, okay? The only thing worse than being alone with it is everyone knowing and still being alone with it.”

She smiled sadly. “You’re not alone now.”

18

Asshole Repellant

EarlySundaymorning,forthe first time in ages, my craft room beckoned to me. The door creaked when I opened it. I needed to grease the hinges.

---