Her eyes narrow, and her lips press together, sizing me up as if wondering if I could pull off such an enterprise. I almost hope she challenges me so I can prove it to her.

Her hands rise submissively. “Fine. From that perspective, I suppose he saved Ashe, too—half his assets. You two never would’ve lasted.”

“It’s time for you to leave.” I hobble to the door and hold it open for her. Smiling, always smiling. Steaming on the inside, though. I slam and lock the door behind her.

Deep breaths calm me as I mourn my decade-long career coming to such an unexpected end. I have lived and breathed Sunny’s for so long that I never would’ve imagined this outcome, that it could all be destroyed to rubble over my personal trauma. My body and what it can and can’t do. My love and worth shattered over this. An accident. An absence. A future never guaranteed anyway.

But here I am. Once again. Family gone. Abandoned.

15. Grady

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Grady

“That’s bullshit!” I blurt.

All eyes in the Seagrove Public Library magnetize to me, standing with Marigold in the checkout line. The two women in front of me, whose conversation I’ve just butted into, stare over their shoulders with their gossiping, hate-spewing eyes.

“You heard me,” I tell them. “And you’re jerks for talking like that.”

“Um, mind your own business,” one says ironically.

“Watch your filthy mouth, Grouchy Tripp, or I’ll have a word with Carmela,” says the other.

“You’re going to tattle on me?” I spit back. “Grow up.”

“Sir, quiet, please,” says the librarian at the counter.

“Grady, rules,” Marigold whispers, cowering with embarrassment beside me.

Another checkout opens, and the irritating gossipers flee to it. I scrub a hand over my face as if I can wipe their words away. But I only get angrier the more I think about it.

No one should talk about Marina that way.

It’s been two weeks since I’ve been by her place. Once her migraine subsided and after the awkward encounter with Cora, I reinstated my policy to limit my involvement. The last thing I want to do is make things harder for her with the Sullivans.

But we text often.

This morning, when asking for my usual update on her healing, she answered with an adorable picture of her cats, staring up wantonly at the camera.

We’re cat-tastic!

Her response, as cheesy as it was, made me laugh. I texted back with a similar picture of my three dogs begging for breakfast.

We’re dog-gone happy for you.

Not one of my best jokes, but she still responded with three laughing-with-tears emojis. Swapping pet pics has become a daily trend for us.