Page 78 of Bear's Heart

“No.”Josie blinked back tears.“I wouldn’t want to wish this feeling on my worst enemy.”

Ansley gave Josie another hug.“I hate that you’re going through this.But it will get better.I promise.”

Josie patted her sister-in-law’s back.“I’m holding you to that.”

*

That evening asRye drove back to Marietta, he held Ansley’s hand, grateful to have her at his side.“That was not fun tonight,” he said.“I hate seeing Josie like that.”

“I know.”

“I’m not sure that living at home is the best thing for her.She seems like a shadow of herself.”

“Don’t you think she’d be just as sad if she was living alone?”

He sighed.“Maybe.”

Ansley said nothing for the next couple of miles and then brought up a subject that had been on her mind for the past few days.“My brother Lachlan saw your mom and Bear Anderson having coffee together a couple weeks ago.”Ansley crossed her legs, but still couldn’t get comfortable.“Were you aware of this?”

Rye glanced at her.“Bear and Mom?”

Ansley nodded.“In Livingston.”

“Why Livingston?”

“I don’t know, but it seems really strange, because from what Lachlan said, Jennifer and Bear met for coffee right around the time Bear asked Josie to move out.”

Rye’s foot came off the accelerator.“Was Lachlan sure it was them?”

“He’s pretty good with faces, particularly when it’s your sister’s lookalike sitting with Bear Anderson.I mean, it’s hard to confuse Bear for anyone else.”

“It doesn’t make sense.The two of them meeting, never mind meeting in Livingston where neither one lives.”

Ansley put her hand on her husband’s knee.“Which would make it a great place to meet if you didn’t want anyone to know you were meeting.”

“You’ve been watching too many of your crime shows,” he said, but there was no sting in his words, just worry.

“Think about it, Rye.They met the day of, or the day before, Bear asked Josie to move out.”Ainsley’s brow furrowed.“I can’t help wondering if that coffee meet-up had something to do with the fallout between Bear and Josie.Because up until then, everything seemed to be going really well.We had dinner with them several times, we went to a movie, went to Flintworks, went for ice cream with them.And never once was there anything weird or awkward.Nothing to indicate that Bear would ask Josie to leave.”

“My mom would never interfere.I don’t see it happening.”

“You’re sure?Because I remember how she wasn’t thrilled about me.I remember how when you and I were having some trouble she wanted me to leave.She thought it was in your best interest for me to go.If it hadn’t been for your sisters, I don’t think we would have figured this out.”

Rye said nothing and Ansley felt a pang.“I’m not blaming your mom, but I am grateful for your sisters.They were the ones who got us together.Your mom had serious reservations.”

“I do remember,” he said roughly.Rye drummed his fingers on the steering wheel.“You don’t think Bear might have been the one to invite Mom to coffee?You don’t think he wanted to get to know her better?”

“If that were the case, why would he tell Josie almost immediately after that she needed to move out?I mean, would he reach out to your mom—of all people—and give her a heads-up, saying, ‘Hey I’m about to break your daughter’s heart, just wanted you to know?’”Ansley shrugged.“Because I would think if that were the case your mom would have said something to Josie.She would have prepared her.She would not have let Josie walk into something like that blind.”

Rye slowly nodded.“You think Mom asked Bear to meet her.”

“I do.”

“And you think Mom had an agenda?”

Ansley took her time answering, knowing she needed to pick her words with care.“I think your mom was worried that Bear would hurt her.And I think she warned him off first.”

Rye said nothing, taking it in.

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