Susan launched into a story, and Kate realized she’d hit pay dirt: Susan thought Kate needed advice, and she certainly had no trouble offering it. Finally, Kate had a way to get Susan to open up. Of course, Susan was coming at it from the wrong angle, but still . . . Maybe now Kate could finally get some real insights into Susan and Roy’s marriage. And finally begin fulfilling her promise to help Lucas.

That evening Lucas was fixing a broken lamp when a knock sounded at the back door. Kate, who was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher, opened the door. Lucas heard his sister’s voice. “Is Lucas home?”

“Of course,” Kate said.

Jamie entered the living room, and Lucas saw tears sparkling in her eyes. He set the lamp on the table. “Hey, what’s wrong, sis?”

Jamie plopped beside him and crossed her arms over her T-shirt. “I just got back from Meredith’s house and she said—” Jamie sniffed as a tear escaped. “She said Aaron said I was a loser.”

“Now why would she say that?”

Jamie flicked the tear off her cheek. “When we were at the beach last week, you know, after I talked to you, I went up to Aaron and sat with him. We talked and I tried to, like, show him I was interested like you said.”

Lucas’s stomach sank. He hoped he hadn’t given her bad advice. The last thing he’d do was hurt her.

“I thought things went pretty well, but he didn’t come to the beach anymore that week, and I haven’t seen him since.”

“And then you went to Meredith’s today?”

“Yeah. We were having a good time and everything, and then she just brings up Aaron and says that he called her a few days ago after I sat with him on the beach, and that he called me a loser!” Jamie wept into her hands. “I made such a fool of myself!”

“Oh, honey, come here.” Lucas wrapped his arm around Jamie, and she turned in to his shirt.

“I flirted with him and everything.” Her hands muffled her voice. “I practically threw myself at him.”

Lucas rubbed Jamie’s shoulder. Across the room, Kate loaded a plate in the dishwasher and met his glance, a sympathetic smile on her face.

Lucas returned his attention to Jamie. “Now, hang on. Why did Aaron call Meredith?”

“What?”

“You said Aaron called Meredith and he said you were a loser. Why was he calling her?”

She uncovered her mottled face. “I don’t know.”

“How do you know she’s telling the truth?”

Jamie sniffled. “Why would she lie?”

“Well,” Lucas said. “Relationships can be complicated. For instance, what if Meredith likes Aaron? What if she’s jealous?”

Jamie straightened a bit and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I guess that could happen. But if Aaron called her, he might like her and not me.”