‘I keep telling myself Nick’s done nothing wrong, but I can’t shake the feeling this isn’t going to end well,’ she said, wishing she felt differently – and not only for Faith’s sake. How could she consider giving up the group while all of this was going on?

‘He may not have done anything wrong as far as Faith’s concerned, but what about the affair?’ asked April. ‘It takes some gall turning up to a group of widowed spouses expecting a shoulder to cry on, especially after we caught him out. What about Erin’s husband? Aren’t we supporting the wrong person?’

‘You’re not suggesting we invite him to the group, are you?’

April hunched her shoulders. ‘All I’m saying is I’d feel better offering sympathy to the person who actually deserved it,’ she said. ‘Aren’t you just a little bit curious about him?’

‘Why? Are you?’

‘I might have revisited Erin’s fundraiser page. She obviously meant a lot to him.’

‘I imagine she did,’ Tara said cautiously. ‘But he’s found a way of dealing with his grief by creating the charity, and we should let him be. Faith had a point when she said we’d be saving him from unnecessary pain.’

‘But what if that pain is necessary? Finding out about Jason and Bree almost destroyed me but I’m glad I found out.’

Tara wasn’t so sure. April couldn’t know how that knowledge would affect her in the future, particularly with new relationships. Neither could she know how the truth would affect Erin’s husband. ‘April, it’s not your decision to make,’ she warned.

‘There’s going to be a Valentine’s Day fundraiser this weekend and I was thinking of going,’ April said. When Tara spluttered, she quickly added, ‘Not to talk to him or anything.’

‘Then why go at all?’

‘I want to hear what he says about his wife. You’re probably right about him finding his own way to grieve, but if I have to pretend to feel sorry for Nick, I need to know that Josh is OK. I have to see it for myself.’

‘You really shouldn’t.’

‘But I will,’ April said, locking eyes with her friend. She would not be dissuaded.

Tara muttered a collection of expletives under her breath. ‘Well, I suppose if you’re going, I’ll have to go too.’

April’s face lit up. ‘I was hoping you’d say that.’

26

Nick stared at Faith across the table, the flickering candlelight adding fire to his eyes. ‘You look amazing,’ he mouthed, although there was no one close enough to overhear.