This just got worse and worse. “Oh . . . right. I thought, but I can . . .”

“Ignore that reporter, Jessa. Talking the way he does, I doubt he’ll be a problem much longer.”

Chapter Forty-Two
Gabby

Two days later, when Gabby got the text from Jessa about meeting again, she almost ignored it. They didn’t have a lot to say to each other, and Gabby hated being near Jessa. Something about her drove Gabby to lay out every fault and jump up and down on them. It was rude and unnecessary, especially because Jessa wasn’t going to change . . . but she was punctual.

They met on the sidewalk out front of the coffee place Gabby liked. A different one from where they’d met last time.

She’d arranged to meet Rob at the same spot later. Since last time, she’d looked over every piece of paper he’d given her and was ready to talk. She’d also read articles about Tami. Seen their engagement photo. Felt the loss of a woman she’d never known.

Rob had to be trapped in a grief spiral. She knew how profound a shocking loss could be. But believing the words and having them be true were two different things. She’d originally suspected the former was at play, but now she feared the latter.

Gabby and Jessa walked to a small table on the patio out front without saying a word. Jessa finally broke the silence. “This is a courtesy meeting.”

Good Lord. “I will never understand you.”

Jessa made a strangled sound. “What is your problem this time?”

That fast Gabby flipped into offensive strike mode. The urge to lash out and take Jessa down swamped her. “With you? Do you want the list or are you looking for an abridged version?”

“Because you’re so freaking perfect.”

That stopped her. Jessa wasn’t wrong. Gabby didn’t exactly have the high road. She’d made plenty of mistakes, but the similarities between them ended there. She refused to believe otherwise. “I never pretended to be.”

“Guess the rumor about how you gave in to your attraction to your brother-in-law and engaged in a fling does suggest you screw up now and then. Literally.” Jessa smiled as she shook her head. “You should know that bit of gossip provided the law office with hours of speculation and amusement. Trying to figure out how you hid it, how you strung both men along. The logistics.”

Don’t react. Gabby repeated the refrain over and over until it echoed through her entire body.

“I thought you didn’t hear anything about my case at the firm,” Gabby said, desperate to bring balance back to the conversation and gain the control position. “See, this is what happens. You lie, you get caught. You get that look on your face. That one.” Gabby pointed at Jessa’s strained expression. “Then you crawl out of the hole by throwing other people in it.”