Page 147 of Love Among Vines

Twenty minutes later, she re-entered the living room with damp hair. Gemma and Elena now sat at the island, yawning into cups of coffee. They turned at her arrival and enveloped her in a group hug.

“You didn’t have to come.” Jade’s voice was muffled in the hug.

“Yes, we did. Nobody disrespects our Jade.” Gemma drew back to look at her. “I will happily troll Craigslist and find someone to put a curse on him if you want.”

“I could go in and knock a bunch of bottles off the shelf,” Elena offered.

Jade shook her head. “I don’t think I need to bring any more bad karma to myself. But I appreciate you. All of you. When Nate left me, he took all our friends.”

“Even though he cheated on you?” Gemma said in disbelief.

“Yep. I’ve been alone for a long time. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have close friends.”

Cindy, Elena, and Gemma all looked at each other. Cindy’s lip quivered.

“I can’t believe that wine-slinging fuckface said that to you,” Gemma said with a harrumph. She slid a plate in front of the empty seat at the island. “You need to eat,” she said to Jade.

“I’m not really?—”

“No buts,” Elena said sternly. “Eat.” She pointed at the plate.

Jade obeyed and sank into her seat. Even though her soul felt as battered as if she had just gone five rounds with a prizefighter, a sense of peace was creeping in. If it wasn’t meant to be, itwasn’t meant to be. She deserved someone who would choose her every single day. No matter what kind of emotional baggage they carried from their past, or whose brother was getting engaged.

Rett had gently reminded her that she deserved more than a string of one-night stands and emotional distance. She deserved a partner in life. Someone to share all the good and all the bad. Like her parents had. Like Margie had. And she would find them. Right after she fixed everything else that was wrong in her life.

Penny laid her snoot on Jade’s leg, and she petted her. For right now, life with Penny and her new friends was enough.

Hours later, bellies full of coffee and the eggs Benedict casserole that Cindy had made, the girls had all piled into Jade’s new car. The steering wheel was cool beneath her fingers. What the hell was she supposed to do about the car now that she and Rett had imploded? He said it was a gift, but the insurance and title were still in his name. And she would think about him every time she sat in it.

She shoved the thoughts to the back of her mind and drove to the local DMV branch.

Ten minutes later, Cindy pointed out the window. “Okay, this time, just watch the cones. I know you can do this.”

It was Jade’s fourth attempt at parallel parking, and none of them had been pretty.

“Pull up parallel to that car, slap it in reverse, then crank your wheel as hard as it’ll go,” Gemma instructed over the incessant clicking of the turn signal.

Elena slapped Gemma on the arm. “What if she cocks it too hard and she hits the other car?”

“She won’t. I’m telling you, this is how my dad taught me.”

“Okay,” Jade said wearily. She cranked the wheel and started to reverse.

“When your back passenger door passes their bumper, turn your wheel straight.”

Jade obliged and continued reversing.

“I think she’s gonna do it,” Cindy whispered.

Elena and Gemma shushed her.

“Now when your side mirror covers their taillight, turn the wheel the total opposite way.”

“Oh my god. I’m doing it,” Jade said.

The car slid smoothly backward and lined up with the curb.

“Boom. You can center it a little if you want to, but this is enough to pass.”

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