“It’s okay,” I say, meaning it. I want Jenny to be remembered for the way she lived, not the day she died. “Anyway, the visit reminded me how much Jenny hated it when I was in grump mode. She was very anti-grouch.”
“From what I’ve heard around town, it sounds like she was a wonderful person,” Naomi says.
I nod. “She was. Never an unkind word out of her mouth. Always smiling. Lit up a room every time she walked in it. Made me a better man every day I was with her.”
Naomi smiles softly, sadly. “I’m so glad you had her. And so sorry you lost her too soon.”
“Thanks.” I glance down at the floor. This conversation is close, intimate, but strangely, I’m okay with it. “I tried to deserve her. Not sure if I—”
“I’m back,” Maddie chirps, cutting me off as she returns with a plate full of wings. “I brought extra in case the two of you couldn’t resist. And extra napkins because when it comes to wings you can never have too many napkins.”
“Or too much blue cheese dressing, apparently,” Jamison says, wandering up behind Maddie and casting a critical look at her plate. “That’s a lot of dressing, Whitehouse. You sure your arteries can handle all that?”
“I didn’t ask for your input, Jamison,” Maddie says, narrowing her eyes his way. He’s two years older than Maddie and teased her relentlessly when we were kids—a tradition he clearly intends to continue now that Maddie’s back home in Bliss River.
“Just trying to help,” he says, lifting a hand in mock surrender. “Didn’t you used to say salad dressing gave you zits?”
“Ew,” Maddie mumbles around a bite of wing. “I’m eating. Naomi, tell him to quit being gross while I’m eating.”
“I don’t take orders from big sisters,” Jamison says, shifting his attention Naomi’s way. “What about you, Naomi? You think this is a good idea? For Maddie?”
Naomi shrugs, seeming nervous again. “Um, well…probably not,” she says, running a hand through her hair. “I should order a drink. Be right back.”
Before I can offer to order something for her, she bolts, setting off at a swift clip. And she doesn’t stop when she reaches the long bar. She keeps going, past the bartender and on toward the stage, disappearing into the hallway leading to the restrooms.
“Is she all right?” I ask, concerned.
Maddie sets her plate on a nearby table with a sigh and wipes her fingers with a napkin. “I’m sure she is, but I should probably go check on her.”
“She’s a big girl,” Jamison says. “Surely she can go potty by herself.”
“Of course, she can.” Maddie rolls her eyes. “But there’s no harm in making sure she’s okay. That’s what sisters do.”
“Just because you’re sisters doesn’t mean you have to put up with her crap.” Jamison casts a cool look toward the restrooms. “She always was a drama queen.”
Maddie turns on him, all the playfulness vanished from her voice. “You don’t know anything about who Naomi is, Jamison Hansen, or what she’s been through. So why don’t you keep your jerky opinions to yourself and quit talking out of your asshole.”
My brother’s eyes go wide and his mouth opens, but by the time he finds his words, Maddie’s walking away.
“Guess I said the wrong thing?” He exhales and accepts a fresh beer from the waitress as she passes by.
A moment later Mick Whitehouse appears beside us, a frown creasing his forehead as he stares in the direction his sisters disappeared. “Are they okay?”
Jamison shakes his head. “I have no idea, man. Women confuse me. All I know is Naomi ran off first and then Maddie followed a second later, after handing me my ass on a stick.”
“Which you probably deserved,” Mick says mildly.
“Absolutely,” Jamison agrees.
Mick grunts as he grabs a buffalo wing from the plate Maddie left behind. “All right. I’ll give them a few minutes and then go check on them if they don’t come out.”
Jamison grins. “You’re going to brave the ladies’ room?”
Mick shrugs. “If I have to. They’ve both had a hard year. I want to be there for them when they need me. Even if it’s in the ladies’ restroom.”
“Oh, yeah?” Jamison grunts beneath his breath. “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking?”
I’m about tell my brother it’s none of our business, but Mick speaks first, “Maddie’s husband left her for a dude.”
Jamison winces. “Ouch.”
“Tough,” I agree.
“Yeah, and then Naomi’s baby came too early,” Mick says with a weary sigh. “Grace only lived for a few hours and Naomi’s fiancé didn’t even come to his daughter’s funeral, the miserable fuck. I hate him so much.”
His eyes darken with anger I completely understand. In fact, I’d like to go find the scumbag who fathered Naomi’s baby myself.
Right now.
Find him, and smash his piece of shit face in.