Page 77 of Home Tears

“You just did.”

“You kinda did,” Aiden said.

Kelley Lynn stuck a hand on her hip and lifted her chin up. “I’m not here to be on trial. I came to help out. If you don’t want my help, then…” She started to slide from the room.

Dani got in her way. “You started this. Don’t leave before the fireworks start.”

“I didn’t come here to be attacked.”

Dani straightened even farther, feeling Jonah watching her. “I’m not attacking you, but you don’t have to worry about being nice for Erica. For one, she’s dead, and two, I don’t want your sympathy vote. Not only do I not need it, but I don’t want it.”

The doorbell rang then, and Kelley Lynn heaved a sigh of surrender. “Those are the flowers that Katrina said she’d donate to the cause. I’ll let them in on my way out.” But before she did, she said, “We’re not the enemy, Dani. I’m not the enemy. I really was trying to be a friend today, and I didn’t mean anything bad when I said that you were the walking wounded. You just looked hurt when I saw you in the bank when you came back. Erica was always a brat. I know that. It’s why we were friends. We were childish, immature, and cruel when we were younger, but Erica was hurting, too, you know. We’re not the enemy.” Her head ducked down. “Not anymore.”

The room echoed as her footsteps sounded along the marbled floors.

Two Katrina’s Blooms employees brought in the vases of floral arrangements. They were quiet and quick as they placed six vases onto the dining room table.

Once they were gone, Aiden started. “Dani, I—”

“It’s okay.” Dani held a hand up, cutting off Aiden’s apology. “I knew from the beginning why you liked me. Kate wasn’t exactly quiet about her obvious delight that I was going to take Julia down a peg or two. I didn’t know that you and Bubba went through a rough period, though.”

Aiden blinked in shock. “It was about two years ago.” She laughed. “Well, that whole conversation kinda came out of nowhere.” Aiden glanced sideways to her brother. “I’m going to finish up, but I think we’re almost all done.” She placed a hand on his arm. “See you tonight?”

He was staring right at Dani when he answered, “Yeah. See you tonight.” There was a determined look in his eye, and Dani knew her afternoon of confrontations wasn’t done. They waited till Aiden left the room before he asked, “Can we go outside?”

She looked out the window. “I think it’s raining.”

He grabbed her arm. “Even better.” And he half-walked her, half-dragged her out the door. Once outside, he kept going, moving until they were under a veranda. Rain was pouring down on both sides of them, almost forming a complete wall that gave them some privacy.

She let out a soft breath. “Why are you angry with me? Shouldn’t I be the one mad at you?”

His hair was wet, and his eyes were stormy. He ignored the bait and slid his hands into his pockets. “How does it feel?”

“What do you mean?”

Jonah stepped closer. “You were Erica’s ghost. How does it feel?”

Dani rolled her eyes and moved back, but Jonah caught her elbow and held her firm. He said again, “Don’t push that off.”

Dani looked from her arm to his hand and wrenched free. “Don’t grab me like that.”

Jonah crowded her. “You mattered to her. How does that feel?”

“Why are you doing this?”

“You mattered to her.”

“Stop it.”

“You mattered to her.”

“Stop it, Jonah!” And Dani shoved him back. “What are you doing?”

“I want to know how it feels to know that you mattered to someone. You mattered to her. You mattered to Mae. You mattered to a lot of other people—you didn’t need to leave for ten years to make people care about you. She already cared about you.”

“Where’s this coming from?”

The wind picked up, sending bursts of water over. The windows on the house rattled from the rain’s force, but they were oblivious. They were caught in their own storm, and then Jonah said, “I want you to let people in. I listened to you last night. You talked about this crazy grandmother. You talked about your two aunts. You talked about all this really heavy shit, but you did it matter-of-factly. And it scared the hell out of me, because I realized last night that you don’t let people in. You’re shaken by people. You care about them, but you don’t let them in. You don’t let people in.”

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