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“How’s Helena’s mom?” I said as a hello

“The saotten any worse so that’s a good sign, I guess”

“Is there anything I can do?”

“You could tell ”

I rolled my eyes at the amusement in his voice He knew me too well “I really am concerned about your mother-in-law”

“I know that But I also knohen your voice gets all high and twitchy like that, you’re worrying about so”

“Is my life empty?”

“Sweetheart,” he replied

And everything was in that one word

Jesus Christ, Matthew thought my life was empty

He would In comparison to his it was He was an architect and passionate about it; he had Helena, who he was in rapture over (still!); and he had his little girl, Perry, who he adored And it wasn’t hard to adore her since she was the coolest,that had existed since Jimmy Stewart! Of course my life would look empty next to Matthew’s

“You need that vacation, Jess That’s all I’ to say Get away fro around with”

“Get a little perspective?”

“Exactly,” Matthew said “Helena and I were in Hawaii last year and it was a You’d love it there”

“Hawaii” I tried to picturecocktails for a feeeks

“There are so More to it than cocktails by the pool”

But even so, Hawaii didn’t feel right “I don’t think so”

“Okay, so where do you feel like going?”

Honestly, the whole idea of taking a vacation to get perspective on my life scared me a little What if I found perspective and realized I really did hate my entire life? That would suck, black-hole-style And who needed to deal with a black hole, right?

“Jess?”

“Hartwell,” I blurted out “I’ to Hartwell”

“Hartwhat now?”

“Hartwell It’s a boardwalk town here in Delaware”

“How adventurous of you”

“I’ll have you know that it is an exciting place to be”

“It’s Delaware, honey The same state you live and work in If it was an adventure it would be Hawaii or the jungles of South America”

“You’re lucky I love you, you condescending ass”

“You’re lucky I love you, you pain in the ass”

At the sound of his warhter, I felt better than I had since I’d found Sarah’s letters

FOUR

Cooper

Hartwell, Delaware

“It’s your alternator, Ayd,” Cooper said, staring down into the engine and pretending he couldn’t feel his sister’s best friend’s breasts pressed up against his back

“Really?” she said breathily “And what about that squealing noise it wasbefore it died?”

“Drive belt needs to be replaced probably” He pulled back, taking a step away from her

Aydan was a good-looking woman, but Cooper had a rule He didn’t fuck a woain He especially wasn’t going to mess around with Cat’s best friend Not only because he didn’t want to piss off his sister but also because Aydan was vulnerable Her husband had run off a year before, leaving her alone with her teenage daughter, Angela She was struggling to make ends meet, which hy he’d said he’d fix her car so she didn’t have to pay the local garage to do it

But Cooper knew fro for a stable man in her life

Cooper wasn’t that guy

For now, he was steering clear of relationships

Despite the fact that they lived in a small town and everybody knew Cooper wasn’t interested in settling down again, Aydan see his position

When he’d turned up at her place to tow the car to the large shed he owned on the outskirts of Hartwell, he’d known soht tank top, and high red heels she earing

Aydan usually dressed for comfort He’d only ever seen her in a skirt and heels when she was on the proith Cat when they were younger

Shit

“I really appreciate you doing this, Coop,” Aydan said, closing the distance between theertips down his bare arm “Maybe I could have you over for dinner to say thanks”

Shit

“Sure You,her kid and his nephew “A faood”

Her face fell “Well, I was thinking—”

“It shouldn’t take et the parts for your car As soon as they arrive, I’ll et the bar open I’ll give you a ride back into town”

He went to rabbed his wrist “CoopI’d really like to have you over for dinner Just you Angela is staying with friends next weekend”

Ah, hell

She was staring up at him with those pretty blue eyes as if he could hand her the world with just one word, and ither what she wanted She deserved a good guy in her life Cooper just wasn’t the guy He reached out and brushed her soft cheek with his thumb “If you were anyone else but my sister’s best friend, I’d be over to your house for dinner in a heartbeat” o;How’s Helena’s mom?” I said as a hello