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“It is.” Phoebe curled her arm around my shoulders from one side and Adele on the other.
“Is that why you moved here?” Maisie asked. She was still holding my gaze, the look in her eyes comforting.
“My dad always wanted to come here. He’s big into fishing. But after everything blew up, there was definitely nothing holding me there at all. So, I figured it was time. I knew my dad wanted to live here, so it just seemed ideal. I got the job at Heartfire Falls and, well, here I am.” I paused. “My biggest concern is that if somehow I screw things up with Lincoln, I’ll lose my job.”
Kendall shook her head firmly, along with Elsa. “Absolutely not. Maggie wouldn’t let that happen, and we would all collectively kick Lincoln’s ass.”
My laugh was a little watery. “Okay, well, that helps.”
Someone knocked over a glass of water, and the jumble to clean it up broke through this moment, which I needed. That was about all I could handle for now.
“Just take it one day at a time,” Phoebe said later when the conversation had moved on and she caught my gaze.
“Is it that simple?”
“Relationships are both the most simple thing in the world and the most complicated. The simple part is, if they matter, you find a way to make it work. For what it’s worth, Lincoln has been through some stuff. He’s the kind of man who will be there when it matters.”
At one point after the cards had finished and the group was sort of spread about, Maisie found me when I was tucking away leftover pizza. The group had voted for us bring the leftovers out to the resort.
“Hey,” she said, stopping in front of me. “I hope it’s okay I asked about your miscarriage.”
“Of course it is. I may not have figured all of this out yet, but pretending like it didn’t happen definitely doesn’t help.”
“If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
“Thank you.” My throat was suddenly tight again. I felt surrounded and protected by this group of women, all so different and yet all so basically good.
“I can’t imagine going through a miscarriage on my own the way it sounds like you had to. Especially with what your ex did.” Her gaze was so understanding, it felt like a balm on my achy heart.
“It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through,” I said, taking a slow breath. “But I made it. I’m here. Right?”
“You are. You’re right here,” she said firmly, before pulling me into a fierce hug. “Just know if you need to talk, I’m here. I’m not going to make you talk though. I hate when people make me talk.”
Her fierce tone eased the moment, and I grinned. “Understood.” Maisie was married to Beck, another firefighter. I’d met them plenty of times at the coffee shop in town. “Did you win tonight?” I asked as she stepped back.
“I won two out of three games tonight.”
“Why are you so good at cards?”
“Oh, you know. We all have our baggage.” She shrugged lightly. “My dad was a card shark. Legitimately good, but he also knows how to cheat and make a lot of money. I learned from him. I don’t cheat though.”
She looked so serious that I burst out laughing. “I know you don’t cheat.”
“It’s just important for me to clarify that.” She rolled her eyes.
“Anyway, thank you. I felt really alone after what happened and it’s kind of weird to talk about it,” I added.
“Because people almost feel like it’s going to jinx them. When I had my miscarriage I had already had two kids, but it’s a strange thing. You can sense how it worries people. My doctor told me miscarriages are really common. But even with that, it’s one of those taboo subjects. That’s why I speak up when I hear about it. I never want people to feel alone.” She gave me another hug. “
The group gradually filtered out into the darkness. As I rode home that night, Elsa driving with Kendall, Adele and me chatting casually in the car, a cozy sense of kinship spun around me.
What happened would always hurt. I knew that. But I felt like I had good friends now, and I didn’t feel so alone.
Chapter Thirty-One
Lincoln
Stars
