Page 76 of Home Tears

“Are you serious?” Kelley Lynn placed the last of Robbie’s dishes into a crate.

Aiden bounced into the room, but stopped short. Her eyes skirted between the two.

“Yeah. I’m serious.” Dani ceased caring that Jonah’s sister stood in the room. “I’m a little tired of having people care who’s in my bed and who isn’t.”

Aiden’s mouth formed an O.

Kelley Lynn snorted. “Get used to it because it’s never gonna go away, especially when you have who you have in your bed.”

Jonah stopped behind his sister. Neither Bannon commented.

“Are you actually doing this for Jonah, or are you doing this for Erica? A little bird told me that Erica made you promise to be nice to me.”

Kelley Lynn went still, then slowly moved her box aside before she faced Dani. Her petite shoulders lifted up, taking in a pocket of air. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.” Kelley Lynn nodded. “You’ve been pissed at me ever since you saw me in the bank. Let’s do this.”

“Do what?”

Kelley Lynn stopped the riddles. “I’m not doing this for Jonah, and I’m not doing this for you. You’re right. It’s because of Erica, because of a deathbed wish she forced out of me.”

Dani was suddenly wary.

Kelley Lynn shook her head, her eyes grew haunted. “Erica wanted you to feel included and not left out, like what she did to you when you were growing up. That was her dying wish to me. I was supposed to do that.” She skimmed over the Bannon siblings. “It’s not ironic that the group that never liked Erica welcomed you first.”

Aiden spoke, “She’s my friend.”

Kelley Lynn swept a scornful gaze toward Aiden. “You’re friends with Dani because everyone knows about the O’Hara rift. You hate Julia because Bubba flirted with her when you two were having problems.”

“What?” Dani’s mouth fell open an inch.

Aiden narrowed her eyes. “Julia was a little too friendly, so yes, I’m not a fan. That’s not why Dani and I are friends. I like Dani because…”

“Because she’s a walking wounded,” Kelley Lynn finished for her. “Because she’s got what it takes to make your brother fall in love. You know that Jonah likes a challenge, and Dani’s the best challenge that came to Craigstown in a long time. That’s why you’re friends with her, and don’t even lie, Aiden. You told Katrina that the day that Dani got here. I know because she told me at our bar-b-que that night. She said you gushed how Bryant was going on and on about this ‘hot chick he saw driving a Mustang.’ You said that it would take someone incapable of life to make Jonah fall hard and fast.”

Aiden sucked in her breath.

Jonah remained quiet. He watched Dani.

Dani said slowly, “‘Incapable of life?’”

“It’s not…I didn’t mean…it’s not like that, Dani,” Aiden finally answered. “Yeah, that’s what I’d been hoping for at first, but I consider you a friend now.”

“Incapable of life?” Dani asked again.

Aiden frowned.

Kelley Lynn cut in, “It’s all over town that something happened to you. Everyone knows it. We can all see it. We don’t know what it is, but you are the walking wounded. You look like a lost little lamb begging for someone to bandage up your broken limbs.”

Whatever ‘broken limbs’ that Dani might’ve had healed in anger. She straightened. “Say that again?”

“Please. You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Kelley Lynn flushed, but moved back a step.

“I might have taken it before, but you’re right. Something did happen, and I’m not the same Dani O’Hara who left like a wounded puppy with her tail tucked between her legs.”

“I’m not saying you are.” Kelley Lynn shifted back a second step.

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