Then I remember I’m not staying in Rush Creek, so Lucy can’t be that friend.

Lucy tells me her story—about how a one-night stand blew up her work life and the subsequent implosion dropped her in Rush Creek. She ended up working on a plan to save Wilder Adventures—the plan that, among other things, led to Brody hosting girls’ nights.

Gabe apparently wasn’t a big fan of Lucy’s plan at first—and I sense there’s a whole story behind that, but just as I’m about to ask, Lucy shifts her attention to me. “What about you?”

I’m hit with a painful flashback to That Day.

“Unless you don’t want to talk about it,” she says gently.

“No,” I say. “It’s helpful to talk about it.” I sigh. “In my case, it was my work life that blew up my sex life.”

I tell them the story—Amanda’s already heard it, but Hanna and Lucy haven’t—of how I came home early because I’d been fired and walked in on Werner and The Woman, which is how I think of her.

“The Woman, by the way, turns out to be someone Werner met when he was out for drinks with co-workers.” And then I supply a piece of intel I intercepted earlier this afternoon: “Facebook says they’re dating.”

They all curse out Werner colorfully, and I appreciate it.

“You’re lucky you saw his ass now,” Amanda says.

I wince at the image that pops into my head, but she’s so right.

They ask what I’m doing about my job, and I tell them about the call I got from Hettie.

“So you’re definitely going back,” Amanda says.

“I mean, yeah. Rush Creek was never for me.”

As soon as the words come out of my mouth, I feel like I need to clarify them, since I’m surrounded by women who’ve made Rush Creek their home, but as I open my mouth, Amanda waves me off.

“Don’t,” she says. “We get it. It’s not for everyone, small town life.”

“I didn’t think it was for me,” Lucy said. “I thought I was a New York girl through and through.”

“How has it been?” I ask before I can stop myself.

Lucy smiles a sweet, secret smile. “Turns out I’m a small town girl after all.”

Amanda eyes her drink and her clothes. “You’re like a hybrid model. New York tastes, small town heart.”

Lucy laughs at that.

Jill shows up again, wanting to know if we want to order entrees or are ready to skip straight to dessert. That’s an easy question for all of us—Oscar’s has the best chocolate cake in the known universe—and Jill leaves to grab us four slices. She’s back moments later, and we all dig in with gusto.

So. Good.