“They weren’t pleasant.” Kit ran her finger around the condensation on her glass. “I told my therapist I must be really stupid to marry a guy like my uncle. She said it wasn’t stupidity, but that, when stressed, it’s easy to be drawn to someone who feels familiar, like someone from the past, especially if that someone had a major effect on you.”

“Even a harmful effect?” Audrey questioned.

“She said it didn’t matter. The familiarity was what sucked a person in.”

JJ blinked. “You know, that might explain some couples who don’t seem to belong together at all.”

“That’s why I was so receptive to Obadiah,” Kit said. “My first husband had died, and I felt lost and alone, and here was a take-charge guy who had all the answers. It seemed like we fit.”

“You totally didn’t fit,” Frankie growled under her breath. “But familiarity—that makes sense.”

“Ooooh, speaking of strong men… Kit, might I interest you in some book boyfriends?” Audrey dug in her bag and handed over two library books. “I checked out a couple of westerns for you since Frankie said you’d been reading Hawk’s.”

Wow, how awesome was this? “He got me addicted to westerns but, Audrey, I don’t have a library card.”

Smirking, Audrey tapped the card sticking out a book. “You do now.”

Kit took the card and saw KIRSTEN SANDERSEN in official lettering.

Seeing her birth surname rather than Obadiah’s, she felt something snap home, as if she’d reclaimed another tiny piece of herself. “Thank you. Really, thank you.”

“Hey, I love adding people to my library rolls. Next, I’m going to get you to join one of our book clubs.” Audrey frowned. “Only we don’t have a discussion group for westerns. Would you like romance, maybe?”

Kit snorted. “I haven’t read one since I met Obadiah. He didn’t approve of romance novels.”

“Too much competition. He was probably afraid you’d realize he was lacking.” Frankie poured herself more sangria and refilled the others’ glasses. “Bull loves when I read a hot romance, because I usually jump him afterward.”

Jumping a man. Having sex. Kit pulled in a breath. Over the past couple of months, the notion had gone from nauseating to interesting. Almost tempting, even.

Frankie was watching her, probably remembering, of the two of them, Kit had been the one more interested in sex.

Someday, it would be true again. It would.

“By the way, I bought presents when I was shopping with Bull in Anchorage,” Frankie announced.

Audrey tilted her head. “What’s the occasion?”

“Because I wanted to?” Frankie tried to look embarrassed and totally failed. “Ms. Librarian, you know how you’re a sucker for office supply stores? That’s me when it comes to bed-and-bath shops.”