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“Gah!” Jojo slapped her palm to her forehead. “I forgot the message I was supposed to deliver.”
“Oh?” Lilly said casually. “From…Alec?”
“Yes.” Buster paused to inspect a flowering ice plant. They watched him nose a blossom and then jump when a bee buzzed up from bright petals. “This morning he’s been commandeered for a round of golf with some of the group. He wanted me to tell you he’s sorry. Last night he got waylaid when more of our relatives showed up.”
Including the one who had triggered Lilly’s discomfort. “New arrivals.”
Jojo made a face. “Aunt Ruby and Uncle Ernie. We console ourselves that they aren’t very close relatives, being they’re our mom’s third cousin and his wife or something like that. They’re famous for arriving early and overstaying their welcome, so we’re just glad they can only join us for a few days.”
“Ah.”
“If you happen to meet them, please don’t judge us by their behavior. Uncle Ernie is sure to pinch your ass and we regularly check Aunt Ruby’s purse for random ‘borrowed’ items that have a habit of going home with her.”
Her own aunt and uncle were known for much worse. “Don’t worry.”
Jojo sighed. “I don’t know why Mom invited them, but this is her big party and nobody wanted to censor her guest list.”
“Thirty-five years is quite something to celebrate.”
“Yes.” The cement pathway ended, dropping them into the soft sand of the wide Dragonfly Beach. With silent consensus, they continued on, Buster gamely leading the way, delighted in only the way of dogs about any adventure.
Jojo sent Lilly a sidelong glance. “You know about Simon.”
“Yes.” She nodded. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you.” Jojo halted and turned her face to the horizon. When the wind blew back her hair, Lilly could see the resemblance to her brother. “Mom struggled more than any of us, but she seems to be vastly improved. The new puppy proves it.”
“Oh?”
“Simon had a dog—”
“Not in the car?” Lilly clutched her throat.
“No, no. But he came to live with my parents after the…crash.” Jojo dashed a finger under one eye, as if she felt a tear. “He lived a long life and went to the great Dog Park in the Sky a couple of years ago. That seemed to set Mom back again…she retreated from everything and everyone.”
“Oh, wow,” Lilly murmured, unsure what to say.
“But she started to rouse from her funk last year. And when they brought Buster home…well, it was proof Mom was ready to take a chance and love again.”
“I’m so glad.” Lilly thought the dog even more adorable now. “I really like your mother.”
The other woman nodded. “I was worried my recent divorce might hinder the progress she’s made, but she’s doing okay.”
Lilly nodded. “I’m sorry to hear about the end of your marriage, too.”
Jojo shrugged a shoulder as if trying to dislodge an uncomfortable weight. “It was my own fault. Completely spontaneous decision on my part to marry the guy. He was upfront about being after a green card.”
“Oh.”
“I know. The stupidity leaves one speechless, yes?”
“When did you marry?”
“Four-and-a-half years ago.”
The timing wasn’t lost on Lilly. Six months after losing her brother, Jojo Thatcher had made an impulsive move.
“He’s French. A chef, actually,” Jojo added. “Does that make it any better?”
“I don’t know,” Lilly said. “Do you like escargot?”
Jojo released a bark of laughter. “Actually, no. But the omelets, the beef bourguignon, and this amazing leek soup he could whip up on an instant was to die for.”
On a nostalgic sigh, she continued on. “Maybe if he’d been better in bed I would have made a more determined go of it.”
“Oh,” Lilly said.
“Yeah.” Jojo shook her head. “Not only selfish, but he made love like he was starring in a porn movie. Always insisting on his good side…which was on his back so I did all the work.”
