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“No,” she said quickly. “I’ll do it. I’ll tell her. Tonight.”
I couldn’t keep the triumphant, shit-eating grin off my face.
Nora was mine. For now.
Chapter 21
Nora
IreluctantlyleftMichael’sbed in order to go home, shower, and change into something more appropriate for an evening out. I practiced telling Suzie about Michael while I applied my makeup. Something like, oh, by the way, I had sex with Michael a couple times, no big deal.
Except Suzie wasn’t going to agree that it was no big deal.
It wasn’t that Suzie would bemadabout it. She might be a little miffed that it had taken me a solid month and change to tell her about it, but then she would be thrilled. And that was the problem.
Suzie was going to think it was a very big deal. A month ago, I hadn’t been too worried about it. Once Michael left, our relationship would be forced to reach its natural, inevitable conclusion. No hard feelings, no drama. Suzie wouldn’t have a reason to choose sides.
But now things were different. Now that Michael was planning on returning to Hart’s Ridge permanently, it wouldn’t be a simple breakup. It would be messy. It would be painful. And Suzie would have to take Michael’s side because they were family. I didn’t even begrudge her that. But I also didn’t want to be on the losing end of it.
I swiped on a final touch of lipstick and stepped back to admire myself in the full-length mirror. I rarely had a reason to dress up, but I had to admit I looked damn good when I put in the effort. My dress was tight and black with a short hemline that stopped mid-thigh. Normally a short hemline was wasted on my short legs, but tonight I was wearing four-inch heels that made me look like I had legs for days instead of stumps. It was a little much for Dreamer’s, but I didn’t care. I was in the mood for it, and I hadn’t been in such a long time.
My phone buzzed. I glanced down to see Grant’s name flash on the screen. Weird. Brandon had had his dental procedure that morning, but normally Grant would text with an update. He wouldn’t bother to call. “Hey! Everything okay?” I asked.
“Bad news. I won’t be done here until late. Can you pick Brandon up from the vet? I won’t be able to make it before they close. You’ll need to stay with him and make sure he doesn’t have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia. I’ll pick him up from you tomorrow.”
I stared at my phone in disbelief. “You want me to drive out to Asheville? Now?”
“He could stay at the vet’s overnight, but I knew you wouldn’t want him to do that. He’d have to sleep in a cage, and you know how that would make his joints ache. After all, it’s nothisfault he has diabetes.”
I flinched. It wasn’t my fault either, but I still felt guilty. “Right. No, of course I wouldn’t want that.” I rubbed my temple. “Okay, yeah. I’ll go get him.”
I swore softly after I hung up. Asheville was a forty-minute drive from Hart’s Ridge. That meant I would be at least half an hour late to meet Suzie and Kate. But what could I do? Grant was right; Brandon deserved better than to sleep on a hard, uncomfortable floor. I sent them an apologetic text with a brief explanation and then rushed out the door.
I arrived at the vet ten minutes before it closed. Brandon was in good spirits, thankfully. His tail thumped enthusiastically as he licked my face in greeting when I bent to rub his head.
“What does he need for aftercare?” I asked as I paid the bill. “Grant said I should stay home with him tonight to keep an eye on him. Any symptoms I should be on the lookout for?”Dr. Francis looked puzzled, then shook her head. “No, Brandon did really well. The procedure took about an hour, but he came out of the anesthesia with no issues. He’s been awake since eleven this morning, so it’s safe to say there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. His mouth will be tender, so only soft foods for the next two days. You can give him a Novox if he seems to be in a lot of pain. I’ll grab some for you. But no, he doesn’t need more supervision than normal.”
Well, that was good news, anyway. That meant girls’ night was back on. I sent another group text to let them know I would be there in an hour. That would give me time to get home, make sure Brandon was comfortable, and get to Dreamer’s Cafe.
An hour later I slid into a booth next to Suzie, across from Kate. “Sorry! Sorry! Small dog-related emergency, but I’m here now!”
“No worries. All we’ve done is order wine,” Kate said. She studied me for an instant. “You look good, too. Healthy. You’re glowing.”
I laughed. “I think the word you’re looking for is frantic. Rushing around like a maniac always makes my cheeks pink. It’s better than blush.”
Suzie poured me a glass of wine. I was taking my first sip when I noticed a familiar face at the bar. The wine went down my throat all wrong and I coughed.
“What’s Michael doing here?” I sputtered.
“He’s our ride so we can drink with abandon. Sam’s car is in the shop and I didn’t want to leave him home with four kids and no car, so he’s got the minivan. Do you want to go say hi?” Suzie asked.
I shook my head. “Maybe later.” Since my usual way of saying hi to Michael involved sticking my tongue in his mouth, a fun fact Suzie was not yet aware of, I decided ignoring his existence was a better idea. Less awkward.
Tonight. I would tell Suzie tonight. I just needed to figure out how.
“Does he want to join us?” Kate asked. “I don’t mind.”
Suzie gave her a look of mock horror. “No way am I going to let my brother join girls’ night out.”
