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“I have several close friends with kids, and my half sister just had one,” she said instead. “So I’ve heard a lot about the delivery and recovery process.”
“It’s been really hard,” Jenny said. She sounded almost confessional, as though she’d kept her doubts and struggles to herself for so long, she wasn’t sure she should be talking about them now.
“I’ve heard,” Ainsley said. And Jenny’s situation was apparently made even more difficult thanks to her cad of a husband.
“He shouldn’t be cheating on you,” Ainsley said, feeling bolder now that they’d been talking on their own. “You don’t deserve that.”
Jenny looked down again, but not before Ainsley caught the sheen of tears in her eyes. “You don’t think it’s my fault?”
“Not at all,” Ainsley conformed. “You shouldn’t have to put up with that. If I were you, I’d leave him.” She lowered her voice. “My husband is cheating on me, too. I know what it’s like. But trust me, there’s someone better out there for you, someone who won’t sleep with other women and then try to blame you for his actions.”
“I don’t know,” Jenny said sadly. “Steve says my body isn’t what it used to be. He’s right—I still haven’t lost all of the baby weight.”
Screw him! Ainsley screamed in her head. This guy had really done a number on Jenny’s sense of self-worth. It was going to take more than one pep talk to help Jenny feel better about herself. But Ainsley had to try.
“Any true man would be lucky to have you,” she said.
Jenny glanced up, a shy smile forming at the corners of her mouth. “Do you really think that?”
Ainsley nodded. “I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Jenny said, sounding tentative. “Maybe I—”
“Babe? Jenny, what are you doing back here?”
As soon as the male voice interrupted their conversation, Jenny retreated back into her shell. She seemed to grow smaller before Ainsley’s eyes as her shoulders drew up and her head lowered.
“Hi, honey,” she said. “I was just taking to one of the women from my group.”
A man walked up and put a possessive hand on Jenny’s arm. Even if Ainsley didn’t know what he’d said and done to his wife, she would have disliked him on sight. He was a few inches taller than she was, with an arrogant air about him. His blond hair was combed to the side and shiny with gel. He sported khaki pants and a tucked-in polo shirt, the business casual uniform of corporate drones the world over. But it was his eyes that she found so repulsive—small, blue and mean.
He gave Ainsley the once-over, clearly suspicious. “Oh yeah? You know we’re not supposed to talk to others outside of sessions.” He tugged on Jenny’s arm. “Come on. We don’t want to be late for lunch.”
Jenny gave Ainsley an apologetic glance before turning away. “Okay, Steve.”
Steve released Jenny’s arm and hung back while his wife walked away. He glared at Ainsley.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” His voice was low and full of malice.
Ainsley bit her lip, stifling a knee-jerk reply. As satisfying as it would be to bring this man down to size, he was liable to take his anger out on Jenny. The other woman hadn’t said there was any physical abuse going on, but as Ainsley took note of Steve’s red face and clenched hands, she didn’t trust that he wouldn’t start beating his wife for talking out of turn.
“We were just chatting,” Ainsley said. “We have some things in common. Jenny looked like she could use a friend.”
Steve relaxed a bit, though he didn’t quite seem to believe her. “She’s fine,” he said shortly. “She doesn’t need any friends. She’s got enough already.”
“Why don’t you let her decide that for herself?”
Steve took a small step forward. Ainsley stood her ground, refusing to be bullied. “Stay away from my wife,” he said quietly.
Any other time, Ainsley would have pushed forward, ignoring this man’s blatant intimidation tactics and doing what she wanted. But she just couldn’t bring herself to make things harder for Jenny. The other woman had enough trouble as it was—the last thing Ainsley wanted was to add to the new mom’s difficulties.
“I won’t talk to her,” Ainsley said, hating the words even though she knew they were necessary. It wasn’t in her nature to back down from a bully, but she had to do what was best for Jenny.
“But,” she added, “if Jenny speaks to me, I’m not going to ignore her.”
“She won’t,” Steve said shortly. “She knows better than to do that.”
He gave her one final glare and turned on his heel, walking quickly to catch up with his wife.
