She closed her eyes and sighed. It had been a hell of a day. One that had started out by making sweet love to Chad, then visiting Bryce, and then learning that all she’d accomplished was based on a lie. Not to mention she might be stuck with that damned trophy for a very long time, because the man she loved was clueless when it came to relationships.
Thinking of it all again made tears leak down her cheeks, despite her clenched eyelids, so she’d just give herself a minute before she went inside to get what she needed most. A hug from her mom, and for her reassuring voice to portend that everything would all work out just fine.
A soft knock on her window made her jump. It was her mom, concern written all over her face.
Jo quickly wiped her tears and then grabbed Chad’s trophy, because she’d never leave something that valuable in the car, and opened her door. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart.” Her mother cocked her head when she saw Chad’s Heisman, but didn’t comment. Instead, she gave Jo a tight hug. “Are you ready to come in now and tell me what’s wrong? It’s freezing out here.”
“Yes, sorry.” Jo released her mother, already feeling a hundred times better. “I need some advice.”
“That’s what I’m here for.” Her mom led the way to the front door. “But if that’s Chad’s murder weapon, then I don’t want to know. Can you stay for dinner?”
Chuckling, she said, “I’d love to.”
“Wait. Maybe I should warn you. Mrs. Abrams is away visiting her daughter for the weekend, and your father is still traveling home from his convention tonight, so I’m the cook. I won’t hold it against you if you bail.”
“Then we’ll make it a girls’ night.” Jo followed her mother inside the warm mansion she’d grown up in. “Cooking calms me. I’ll make dinner for us, if you’d like?”
“I’d like that a lot.” Her mom shut the massive front door behind them. “Now tell me why you look like you lost your best friend.”
“Because I just did. Three of them.”
Her mother took her coat and hung it in the hall closet. “Which three are we talking about?”
“Shelby, Chad, and Ryan.” She couldn’t help the quiver in her voice.
“Then dinner can wait. We need wine. Lots of it. Maybe you’d better plan to spend the night.”
Yeah, maybe she should. Her life was crap at the moment.
14
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT THINGS COULDN’T GET ANY WORSE . . .
An hour and a half later, Jo and her mother were still settled on comfy couches in her mom’s den, with a fire roaring in the massive fireplace. They’d just finished off the nachos Jo had made to go with their wine in lieu of a proper dinner. Her mother had silently listened while Jo told the whole story, starting from the day Chad had walked into her café. Now Jo waited for her mom’s always helpful advice.
“Wow. You’ve had an interesting month so far, sweetheart. And a really bad day.” Her mom set her wineglass on the coffee table and sighed. “But I’m glad you finally went to visit Bryce. I have to give Chad credit. Every time I go, there are always flowers on his grave. But I’d still like to smack that man upside the head for being so dense sometimes.”
“Join the club.” Jo shook her head. “I didn’t hit him with the trophy, by the way, I just stole it. Maybe when it’s gone, he’ll realize the thing he loves the most is just a piece of metal that can’t love him back like Ryan and I can.”
Her mom smiled. “I thought maybe you took it because he’d hurt you and you needed to hurt him back.”
Jo shrugged. “There might have been a bit of that too.” Sadness enveloped her heart again.
“Well, time will tell how that part works out. I think Chad and Shelby had their hearts in the right place. They just went about things wrong. But I’m very proud of you for being brave enough to walk away from the man you love, to give him a chance to change his ways, rather than settle for being number two or three in his life. I had to do that once with your father.”
Jo blinked in surprise. She’d never thought her mom had ever stood up to her father. “You left Dad? When? I don’t remember that.”
“That’s because it was before you were born.” Her mom chewed her bottom lip, like Jo often did when considering. Finally, her mom said, “I’ve had just enough wine to tell you the story. I think it might help you understand a few things about your situation.”
“Okay. Shoot.” Confused but curious, Jo tucked her stocking feet underneath her and settled in for the tale.