“Good plan,” April said. “Mine is about the same. No sleeping with a guy on a first date. No letting him move in in anything less than six months, and being up-front and honest from the beginning about what I want in a relationship. Your turn, Nessa.”

“I’ve dated lots of guys, got to a second date with a few, and a third date with only a handful. But there were no bells and whistles, even with the few where I could say that there was a relationship. Daddy thought I was a rebellious daughter, but I wasn’t really. I’ve never done drugs and actually drank very little. Been drunk maybe three times in my life. I have been sassy, and I do speak my mind, and Daddy couldn’t make me get married at eighteen.” She paused a moment before going on. “I wanted to experience the world, and I never want to wind up with a controlling man like my father. I guess that’s what scares me most. That I would misjudge a guy, and after we got deep into a relationship, he would expect me to be a submissive little wife. Then he’d get all bossy and wind up cheating on me before we even broke up.”

“So were there bells and whistles when Jackson kissed you?” Flynn asked Nessa.

“Like I said before, I don’t kiss and tell.” Nessa blushed again. “I’m sorry that we’ve all had these kinds of problems. Looks like one of us could have had a healthy relationship by this time in our lives.”

“You can’t build a brick house out of sticks and mud, or a relationship out of what we’ve had to offer.” Flynn reached for the bowl of potatoes.

“You got that right.” April nodded. “All we’ve had up until now is mud and more mud, but I’m going to do my best to have a brick house before next year.”

“Amen,” Flynn and Nessa said at the same time.

When they’d finished supper, Flynn offered to take care of the cleanup. “That way y’all can go on to the grocery store and get back before bedtime. I like a glass of milk before I go to sleep.”

April felt as if a few more chains had fallen from her heart and soul.

What Nessa liked best before going to sleep was a good round of hot sex, just like she and Jackson had had the night before. She had been expecting him to call all day and was disappointed when he didn’t, but then maybe he and Flynn had been extra busy that day.

Are you making excuses for him? the voice in her head asked.

No, I am not. I’m being honest. She tipped her chin up a notch and felt liberated to be able to argue the point.