Page 28 of Before the Storm

“You’re really close with Winnie,” Mike said later. “But it makes me wonder. Would you ever want children of your own?”

Josie felt the question like a ray of light. She set down her fork and picked up her beer. “I’m a little old, I guess. People think it’s too late for me.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine”

Mike tilted his head. “That isn’t too old.”

Josie drank her beer and didn’t answer.

“Who told you that was too old?” Mike asked, pressing on the wound harder than anyone should.

“It’s just how society thinks of things,” Josie said.

“It’s 2008,” Mike reminded her. “Things are different. People are different. And women have whatever lives they want to have.” He raised his shoulders. “My wife was twenty-eight when she had our youngest.” Mike flinched and immediately corrected himself. “I meant to say my ex-wife.” His hand was a fist on the table. “Sorry. It’s hard to switch over to saying ex.”

“I get it.”

But the magic over the table dimmed a little bit. Josie drank more of her beer and wondered if she should make an excuse and go home. Maybe Winnie would still be awake. Perhaps they could watch a movie together and go to bed early.

It wasn’t like Mike wanted to be the father of her children, anyway. He already had children of his own.

He was probably just looking for a little fun.

What was she looking for?

I want to build a home with someone.

“Have you seen any good movies lately?” Mike asked then.

Josie winced. Their date was off the rails. But when her eyes shifted away from Mike’s face, she spotted someone at the bar—someone who definitely shouldn’t have been at the bar.

It was Donnie.

It was Donnie with another woman.

At first, they were just talking with their noses a little too close. But then Donnie’s lips were on hers, and they were kissing in the middle of everyone. They didn’t care about Nantucket gossip, and they didn’t have anything to hide. Josie gaped at them. Mike followed her gaze and scrunched his nose.

“Isn’t that Donnie?”

“It sure is,” Josie breathed.

Before Mike could say anything else, Josie was on her feet and storming up to Donnie. She didn’t plan what she would do next. But she had her beer in her hand, and suddenly, that beer was on Donnie’s face. Josie had never thrown beer on anyone before. She never would again.

But she’d never been so angry in her life.

“Josie!” Donnie gasped. His face was red with anger.

“What are you doing, Donnie?” Josie blared.

The woman Donnie had been kissing was on her feet. Some of the beer had gotten in her hair, and she was crying and gasping. Josie guessed she was from out of town. Maybe she didn’t even know Donnie was married with a daughter at home. He wasn’t wearing his wedding ring. That emboldened her.

“Josie, come on,” Donnie was saying. “Listen to me…”

“Who do you think you are?” Josie blared. “You have a wife, Donnie. You have a daughter. You have work in the morning! We rely on you! And here you are…”

“I’m just having a drink with a friend!” Donnie cried.

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