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“They’ve always loved music.”

“And they have good voices too. Riley has perfect pitch and Carter can find a rhythm in any piece of music. They’re singing in a children’s choir for my annual benefit concert.”

“I wish I could be there to hear them.”

Hannah wanted to reach across the digital divide and hug her friend. “I know this is easy for me to say from the outside but I expect these few months away from them will feel like only a tiny blip when you’re looking forward to having the rest of your life to hug your children.”

“What if we don’t have that?”

The fear in Morgan’s voice ripped at her heart.

“You will,” she said confidently. What else could she say?

“Doctors can’t give me a hundred percent guarantee,” Morgan argued. “While this experimental treatment has been highly effective on my type of cancer, it doesn’t always work.”

“Then we’ll find another treatment. And another one and another one after that.”

Morgan gave a small, watery smile. “You’re an amazing friend, Hannah.”

She wondered what Morgan would say if she knew that a portion of the proceeds from the annual benefit concert would go directly to her, to help cover her expenses.

“Talk to me about something else,” Morgan asked. “How are things with your sexy friend? The one with the dog.”

She blinked and could feel heat rise on her cheeks. She had to hope the lighting in her kitchen didn’t reveal all. “Wes? I haven’t seen him in a while. I’m sure he’s fine.”

More than a week. Not that she was counting the days or anything.

“He seems nice. It was kind of him to help you put together a bed for Carter.”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

“Have you known him long?”

“He grew up in Shelter Springs but moved away a long time ago. We haven’t stayed in touch.”

“But you were good friends when he lived here before?”

Good friends? Would she call it that?

Images flickered through her mind—Wes sneaking into her student apartment to spend the night tangled together on her tiny twin bed, Wes taking her to his family’s pharmacy after hours for ice cream from the back freezer, Wes kissing her in the back seat of his old Jeep like the world might end if they stopped.

Good friendships didn’t usually break apart with a woman feeling as if her world had imploded.

“We . . . dated,” she said finally, her fingers tapping against the table. “It was a long time ago.”

Morgan’s eyebrows lifted and she looked far more animated than she had for the past hour. Apparently she had been waiting for Hannah to spill the tea. “Like, serious dated?”

Hannah gave a half laugh. “As serious as you can be when you’re young and think you know everything. He left. Life happened.”

“And now he’s back. And hot. And he helped you put Carter’s bed together.” Morgan grinned. “That has to count for something.”

“It counts for him being helpful basically because his grandfather made him,” Hannah said, a shade too quickly. “He’s just here visiting his family while he . . . while his dog recovers.”

“But when he was there the other day, I definitely felt heat between you. I’m sure I didn’t imagine that.”

Hannah shifted, looking down at her lukewarm tea. “There’s nothing between us, Morgan. I promise. We were young when we were together. He suffered a family tragedy and then everything fell apart.”

Her friend studied her. “And you’re totally, one hundred percent over it.”