“If not now, when? When his mother passes and he comes back again? Or when Bridget graduates from high school and asks you why she’s never met her dad? When is it the right time?”
I pressed my lips into a thin line and crossed my arms over my chest. “Not now. That’s all I know.” I turned in my seat and pointed at her as she parked the car. “And remember, you promised you wouldn’t tell Sam.”
Meghan looked miserable, her eyes stormy as she frowned. “I made that promise before Sam and I were . . . well, together. I haven’t said anything to him because I promised you and it’s never come up. And because you said you’d tell him yourself.”
I unhooked my seat belt and reached for the door handle. “I will. But not now.”
“Ali, please. Think about this. Flynn probably won’t be here long, like you said, and you don’t know when he might be back in town.”
I twisted my face into a parody of a smile. “That’s what I’m counting on.” I opened the door and climbed out of the car, forcing myself to walk slowly and not look upset. My brother was weird; like most guys, he was clueless much of the time, but when I was trying to hide something, he suddenly morphed into a bloodhound.
He was sitting at the kitchen table when I stepped inside. When he looked up, his eyes were sparkling, and I laughed a little when his face fell.
“Don’t worry, big brother, your sweetheart is right behind me. She drove me in from the stand.”
Sam tipped his chair back, studying me. “You’re back early. What’s wrong?”
“We were slow all afternoon, and I decided to wrap up early. Why does something have to be wrong?”
The screen door behind me slammed as Meghan came in. She dropped her bag at my feet and skirted around me to get to Sam, whose chair legs clattered to rest on the floor again when he jumped up to meet her halfway. I rolled my eyes as he gripped her upper arms and brought his lips down to crush hers.
“Okay, guys. That’s enough. Geez, you just saw each other Wednesday.”
Sam released Meghan’s arms, chaffing them a little as he smiled down at her. And then his smile faded. “What’s wrong, babe?” He held her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over her cheekbones.
“I stopped at Boomer’s to pick up your whatchamacallit. And Boomer told me Brice Evans died yesterday.”
My brother’s eyes closed. “No. Oh, my God. What happened?”
Meghan told him the same thing she’d shared with me back at the stand. Sam didn’t say anything, but I saw his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed. He’d known Mr. Evans as long as I had, though not quite as well; he hadn’t dated the man’s son for four years.
“Did Boomer say anything about Maureen and Iona?” He sat back down as Meghan turned to take her bag upstairs.
“Not really. Only that they were waiting to make arrangements until Flynn got here, and that he’d arrived this morning.” Her eyes flitted to me, and then back to Sam. “Um, I’m going to take my stuff upstairs. I’ll start dinner in a few minutes.”
I pulled out the chair across from my brother, closing my eyes and letting my head drop back as I slouched.
“You okay?”
I opened one eye. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?”
He shrugged, careful not to look at me too closely. “I don’t know. Your ex-boyfriend is back in town after eight years. His dad is dead. Thought you might, you know . . . need to talk.”
I toed my sneaker off under the table and lifted my sock-covered foot to kick him in the knee. Not too hard; I wasn’t trying to do damage, just get him to back off before I lost my shit right here in front of him.
“Ouch. What was that for?” He scowled at me, rubbing his leg.
“Man up. I barely touched you. And stop with the questions. I don’t want to talk about this with you.”
For a minute, Sam looked like he didn’t know whether to be offended or relieved. Then his eyes narrowed. “You already talked to Meghan, didn’t you?”
“We’re girls, Sam. And she might be your snuggle bunny, but she’s my best friend. Yeah, we talked. So you’re off the hook. I promise, I’m not going to go nutso and chase after Flynn while he’s in town. In fact, I’m going to do my damnedest to stay out of his way. I think that’s the smartest for all of us.”
“So you won’t go . . . to the funeral? Or even just stop in and say hello? Ali, you practically lived at the man’s house during high school. Between Reenie and you, and . . . well, you know. Seems like you should do something.”
I shifted in my chair. “I’ve lived in the same town as Maureen without seeing her on purpose or talking to her beyond the bare essentials for a long time. Don’t you think it would be a tad hypocritical to pretend we’re best buds now?”
“It’s what people do.” Sam’s eyebrows drew together. “You rise above old disagreements and offer comfort, right?”
