April had never been good at keeping secrets, but she was determined not to say a word to Flynn. But—and there always seemed to be a but where her life was concerned—when they got home, Flynn noticed that Nessa’s eyes were red.
“Have you been crying?” Flynn asked.
“Allergies.” Nessa brushed away his question with a flip of her hand.
April had to bite her tongue to keep from telling him that Jackson had broken Nessa’s heart. She felt a kinship with both her cousins these days, and she wouldn’t do anything to hurt either of them, even if some of their friends weren’t working out. “We want to hear the long version of the story about Tilly,” she said as she helped Nessa put the groceries away. “Sit down at the end of the table there and start talking.”
“April saw the lawyer tonight, the one who has a little girl and who came to adopt a cat, so you both need to talk,” Nessa said.
“What lawyer?” Flynn asked. “Why do you need to talk to a lawyer? Are you in trouble?”
“The lawyer and his daughter adopted a kitten, remember,” Nessa explained. “I think he has a crush on April, and I know his daughter does.”
“Oh, hush.” April blushed.
“You know the story. Tilly came. She offered. I refused and tried to talk to her about her lifestyle, like I did with my dad. I felt like a fifth wheel too many times when Dad would bring home a woman that had kids, and he showed them more attention than he did me,” Flynn said as he poured himself a tall glass of milk. “Your turn, April.”
“That’s just like a man,” Nessa fussed. “Just the bare bones, and no feeling. We want to know how you felt when she was standing out there.”
“Guys don’t talk about things like that,” Flynn protested.
April got a wine cooler from the fridge and sat down in her regular place at the table. “Yes, they do, but they just do it with other guys. Pretend we are guys and tell us how you felt.”
“This feels like one of those therapy sessions I’ve seen on television,” Flynn said, “and honey, in my wildest imagination, I can’t see either of you two as guys. But I’ll give it my best try just for y’all.”
Nessa brought a glass of sweet tea to the table and sat down on the other side. “Do your best, and then we’ll hear from April.”
“If this is group, then we should hear from you, too,” Flynn argued.
“I’m the therapist in this scenario,” Nessa said. “I might have something to say when you two get done, or I might not.”
“I felt panic when she drove up,” Flynn admitted, “and I felt like I’d done the right thing when she left.”
April could sure relate to that moment of panic, because she’d felt the same way when Kent and Callie greeted them in front of Walmart.
“My chest got tight, and I wanted to shake my fist at God. Why would He blast me with a test like that after less than a month? Then I felt sorry for her and tried to make her realize there was no future in that lifestyle.” Flynn looked miserable just talking about the whole ordeal.
Nessa patted him on the shoulder. “You can’t save the world, Flynn.”
“You’ll do good to save yourself.” April wondered what would happen if Callie ever did convince her dad to ask her out for ice cream or coffee. The little girl seemed to want her father to have a girlfriend, but Kent Wallace was a lawyer, for goodness’ sake. He had a graduate degree, and April had barely made it through high school. They were just too different to even go on a first date.
“I don’t think Tilly is close enough to God for Him to use her for a test,” Nessa giggled. “I reckon, if she was bringing the test to you, it was straight from the devil himself.”
Flynn nodded in agreement and stood up.
“We’re not done,” Nessa said. “Group sessions last an hour.”
“I’m not going anywhere except to the pantry. I saw y’all unload a package of oatmeal cookies. They won’t be as good as what you make, Nessa, but I need something to go with my milk. And besides, talking about this makes me hungry,” Flynn said.
“Does talking about it make you nervous, too? Surely you’ve sweet-talked lots of women,” April asked.
“That’s just spreading on the bull crap,” Flynn said. “Talking about feelings is tough for guys. Flirting comes easy.”
“Yes, it does, and then . . .” Nessa clamped her mouth shut.
April raised her eyebrows. Was Nessa going to fess up about sleeping with Jackson? Flynn could probably offer Nessa some good advice on the matter, but she could see that Nessa wanted to keep quiet.
Poor Flynn would have to work with the man tomorrow, knowing that Jackson was seeing another woman. Flynn wouldn’t be able to judge his boss, because most likely he had done the same thing in his past. But Nessa was his cousin, and they’d all gotten pretty close this past month, so he might feel that he should defend her.
Be quiet, Nessa! April tried to convey the message through telepathy.
“But I’m the leader of this group therapy. I’m supposed to be listening to y’all. Did you have any other feelings about Tilly?” Nessa asked.
Good job. April heaved a short sigh of relief.
“She’d probably hate me for saying it, but I pitied her. I feel like I’ve made progress, and it’s like when you’re in school and algebra finally works for you. Suddenly, you want to help your friend get a handle on it, too,” Flynn answered. “Then I felt kind of deflated because she didn’t want my help.”
“Darlin’ cousin, you’re just like me in some ways. We’ve both been living in the moment so long that we can’t believe we’re ready for something with a future.” April took a cookie from the package Flynn had brought from the pantry and bit into it.
I like the future I’m seeing, she thought.
“That’s a good way to put it, but what if, after a year or two, when I settle down, I’m not happy? My dad tried to start a new life when he married my mother, and within two years he was cheating on her. I saw how it affected Mama. I don’t ever want to be that guy.” Flynn dipped a cookie in his milk.
“Then don’t be,” Nessa told him.
“That’s easier said than done,” April argued.
“Why do you say that? If Flynn gets a wandering eye, then he should . . .” Nessa paused to take a cookie. “I was about to sound like my father and say he should pray about it, but that’s not right. We three cousins need to set aside some time each month for one of our sessions. What’s wrong with us was thirty years in the making. We won’t solve everything in one week, but we understand each other. This is the house that will rebuild us, kind of like we hear about in Miranda’s song. We’ve helped each other come this far. April and I were listening to another song—Kenny Chesney’s ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.’ We decided that was our new theme song. The lyrics might not all match our situation, but the title sure does.”
Flynn laughed, shaking his head. “I guess you’re right.”
“And you deserve as many cookies as you want for not falling into bed with Tilly.” April grinned.