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“Well, look on the bright side,” Simone says, plucking another tissue from the box Jen thrusts at her. She dabs her eyes before giving me a watery smile. “At least you’ll have an excuse to get a boob job.”
“Simone,” Candice chides, but her lips twitch.
“She’s got a point, honey,” my mother says, shrugging, and for the first time in many, many weeks, I find myself laughing about my future and my fears. “Once you have kids, it’s all downhill from there. Literally.”
“Actually, they’re doing a reconstruction in the same operation as the mastectomy,” I say.
“Any chance they’ll plump up the other one while they’re at it?” Simone grins. “I know I’d be asking for it.”
A few agreeing grunts sound in the room, and I let out another laugh. Leaning back against the couch, I meet my mother’s gaze.
She pats my knee, her eyes still shining. “You’ll be fine, honey.”
This time, it sounds like she believes it.
CHAPTER 26
Rudy
Georgia has her arm hooked into the crook of my elbow from the time we leave my office to the time we reach her car. She jingles the keys to her new home and gives me a coy smile. “I won’t be able to use this excuse to talk to you anymore.”
Despite myself, I let out a laugh. At least she’s upfront about it. “I hope you didn’t buy a five-million-dollar property just as an excuse to talk to me.”
“If I did, it would be worth it.” Smooth words from a woman who doesn’t mean them. She clicks the fob in her other hand to unlock the Mercedes SUV behind her, then gives me a look. “I bought champagne to celebrate my first time stepping through the doors to this house. It would be a shame to drink it all by myself.”
I’m a professional. I’ve never slept with a client, and I have no desire to sleep with Georgia. I open my mouth to reject her as diplomatically as I can when a door opens behind me and women come spilling out.
“Rudy!” Lottie calls out behind me. “Long time no see. Have you been hiding along with Lily all this time?”
I turn to see the older woman exiting the door that leads to the library above Four Cups. Beside her is Lily, and the sight of her takes my breath away.
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve thrown myself into my work and given her space. I wanted to respect her wishes and show her I care what she says—and sometime in the past few weeks, I convinced myself it was the right decision. We shouldn’t be together. I don’t need to care for someone with cancer, not when I’ve made it my mission to keep my relationships short and casual.
But she tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear and blinks those bright eyes at me, and all I want to do is fall to my knees in front of her.
“Lily,” I choke out.
She inhales sharply, and that’s when I notice the redness of the tip of her nose, and the wetness gathered on her lashes.
“Have you been crying?” I take a step toward her. Just like that, the past few weeks disappear from my mind. I can’t walk away from her. I can’t leave her be. All I want to do is tug her close and wipe those tears from her face.
“We were all crying,” Lottie announces. “Absolutely ridiculous. Bunch of blubbering messes, every one of us. Weren’t we?” She turns to Candice, who snorts and nods.
“Went through an entire box of Kleenex,” Simone says. “Literally the whole box.”
“Absurd,” Nora adds.
“Are you okay?” I ask Lily, not once taking my eyes off her. There are lines around her eyes that weren’t there before, but her shoulders are relaxed.
“Oh, I’m just peachy,” she responds, and for some reason, everyone bursts out laughing. Even Lily’s lips twitch and twitch until she’s leaning on one of her sisters and laughing along with them. I look at the group of women, frowning. I don’t understand what’s so funny…
And then the penny drops. I look at all the faces of her closest friends and family, and I realize she told them what’s going on. “They know?” I ask softly.
Lily’s eyes widen slightly. She straightens off her sister’s shoulder and gives me a single, sharp nod.
Then Lottie makes a noise and throws her hands up. “Hold on. Wait, wait, wait.” She whirls on Lily. “Rudy knew too? You told Rudy before you told me? Your own mother, Lily?”
“Mom,” Lily starts, eyes flicking from me to Lottie and back again.
