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She’d never had a say in Will’s life, and she told herself she didn’twantone. But apparently, she did.
What had changed?
No answer was forthcoming, which left Janessa confused and wanting to glare at Daphne once again. If the woman hadn’t come there that evening, she wouldn’t be thinking about how she didn’t want Will to get into a relationship again.
“What’s got you upset?” Misha asked as she settled on the empty chair beside Janessa.
“Someone’s ex is here, and we can’t figure out why.”
Misha glanced around, then said, “Has she not attended Bible studies before?”
“Nope. To my knowledge, this is the first time.”
“Well, I would guess there’s nothing saying she can’t attend. Isn’t it a good thing she’s here?”
Janessa knew that it was. Attending a Bible study could help with spiritual maturity, so Janessa was aware that she should be grateful that Denise desired that for herself.
She’d never understood why Will had fallen in love with a woman who had so little to do with church outside of Sunday mornings, especially given his dad’s role as pastor. But there was no accounting for feelings, she supposed.
Taking a deep breath, she let her gaze drift around the room, trying to draw the calming atmosphere into herself. The space had warm taupe paint on the walls, and the carpet was a dark brown. The décor included large pictures of the landscape of the area around Serenity Point. The stone fireplace was gas, but when it was in use, it added to the ambiance of the room.
It was a cozy room that was used by the church for things like Bible studies, but it was also rented out to members to use for family gatherings and such. She’d been there for many baby and bridal showers over the years.
But for now, she was there for a Bible study, and she needed to focus on that and not try to figure out why Daphne had decided to suddenly show up.
Two women were leading the study, and since it was the first meeting, they took the time to share what they hoped to accomplish during the study. Janessa knew both of them since they’d been members of the church for several years. The women were sisters, one was married with children, the other was single.
While one spoke, welcoming them to the study, the other handed out the material they’d be using. As she held the book out to Janessa, she smiled. Thanking her, Janessa took the book.
She rested the book on her lap as she leaned back into the couch. As the evening progressed, Janessa became acutely aware of how her attitude hadn’t been great on any level over the past several months.
But was she ready to face the root of it all?
She wasn’t sure that she’d ever be ready to do that. Facing it would also mean delving into her reaction to Jay’s withdrawal, and she didn’t want to do that.
Things were better between her, Jay, and Will, and Janessa just wanted that to continue. Lately, it felt more important than ever that she rebuild her relationships with them. Especially Will.
CHAPTER TEN
Somehow, Will had gotten back into the habit of going to Charli and Janessa’s for pizza almost every Friday night. In the past, he’d gone on Friday nights a couple of times a month if Daphne wasn’t available to hang out with him. But that had all fallen by the wayside with everything that had happened with Jay and his own breakup.
Now though, if there wasn’t a basketball game on a Friday night, Jay would call him up and tell him to go to Charli and Janessa’s for pizza. He, Misha, and the kids were always there. Sometimes Gareth and Aria joined them. Kayleigh popped in periodically, but Skylar rarely made an appearance, obviously preferring to spend her Friday evenings with her friends.
Regardless of who was there, he was glad they included him. The alternative was that he’d either be sitting alone in his apartment or hanging out with his parents. Pizza with friends was definitely more entertaining.
After parking in front of the house, he waited a minute to see if the rain that had started a few minutes earlier was going to let up. When it didn’t look like it was going to, Will decided to make a dash for the covered porch.
“You’re wet!” Layla exclaimed when she opened the door.
“I am.” He stepped into the foyer. “It’s raining out there.”
“Good thing you’re not a dog,” Layla said as she waited while he took his shoes and jacket off.
“Why’s that?”
“Because you’d shake and get me all wet.”
Will chuckled. “Dogs do that, don’t they?”
