Page 46 of With All My Heart, Joy

Joy licked her lips. “Okay. I’ll ask him.” Ben was sitting on the floor blocking Azalea from toddling out of the living room toward the stairs. Maybe he would say no. He looked as if he were needed elsewhere.

“Yo, Ben?”

He raised his head, saying nothing.

“You’re on my team for Dutch Blitz.”

He blinked. “For real?”

“We’re against Lucy and TJ.”

Her palms grew sweaty as he stared at her, his mouth hanging slightly open. “Uh…yeah. Yeah!” Looking dazed, he leaped to his feet. “Hey, Chare?” He jerked his chin at his wife who was crocheting on the loveseat. “Your turn with Azzy. I’m going to whip Lucy and TJ’s Dutch Blitz butts. With my partner in crime here.” When he threw a wink at Joy and led the way back to the kitchen, she had the strange need to press a hand to her heart.

Maybe Isaac was right. Maybe she needed to tell Ben how much he had hurt her. Maybe it would heal…everything.

But what if it didn’t? What if it made it worse?

She shook her head to clear the mud. Tonight was not the time to figure that out. She had too much else to figure out. Specifically, a problem named Isaac.

It was 8:45 when she got to her apartment, and she heated hot water in the kettle while Lucy perused her cabinets for powdered hot chocolate. “Two?”

“Naw.” Joy pointed at the fridge. “I’ll have orange juice.”

“Weirdo.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“I like how you’ve organized your place.” Lucy prowled about. “Feels homey.”

Joy hadn’t noticed. Felt like a tomb of loneliness to her. “Thanks.”

They settled with their drinks onto the couch, the only lights in the room coming from the strands that twined around Joy’s Christmas tree and the lit garlands that swept in downward arches around the three windows in the room.

“So. About Isaac.”

Joy groaned. “Don’t you have anything else to talk about?”

Lucy put an earnest hand on her arm. “The thing is, Silas told me Isaac has been single for the last ten years. To his knowledge, Isaac hasn’t been interested in any woman—until you.”

That information shouldn’t produce a warm stirring deep within her. Why was she the one to capture Isaac’s notice after so many years? “Is he divorced?”

Lucy shook her head.

“A widower?”

“Nope.”

“So…he was never married?”

“Not according to Silas.”

Joy frowned at the implication. “I can’t picture him… Well, you know. Fooling around.” Heat surfaced on her cheeks.

“Many people have a past they’re not proud of. But people change.” Lucy pointed at her chest. “Exhibit A.”

Joy leaned over for a side hug. “I love you. As for Isaac, I—I don’t know. The age…”

“It’s just a number.”

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