Because the pain in her heart had nothing to do with the jerk who had just scurried out of the building and everything to do with the dark-haired man who had stolen her heart.
She leaned against Jack and thought for the millionth time how much easier everything would have been if she’d been able to fall in love with him. But no. Her heart was nothing if not difficult.
“Thank you,” she said as she stepped back. “You were all great.”
“Anytime,” Kenny said.
* * *
TARYN GOT HOME, changed clothes and contemplated the long hours until she could realistically go to bed. The fact that she hadn’t been sleeping didn’t help things. She was exhausted and yet every time she closed her eyes, all she saw was Angel.
The killer of it was, she got why he’d freaked. He’d told her about what had happened with Marie and Marcus. She knew he blamed himself for their deaths. She knew his emotions ranged from feeling that he hadn’t been able to protect them when he should have to the sense that loving anyone else was a betrayal of what he’d had before.
She wanted to tell him that she knew he would always love Marie. That loving Marie was part of what she loved most about him. That she respected his past and his devotion. But he wouldn’t listen and if he did, he wouldn’t believe her.
Someone knocked on her door. For a second she allowed herself to hope. It fluttered like a trapped butterfly in her chest until she opened the door and saw Kenny standing on her porch. He had a stack of DVDs in his large hand.
“Hey,” he said. “Am I the first one here?”
“First one?” She groaned, realizing she was about to have an invasion. “What’s going on?”
“We played basketball this morning,” he said. “Angel wasn’t there. Jack asked why. Ford told him the two of you weren’t seeing each other anymore.” Kenny’s blue eyes were sympathetic. “If you dump a guy, you’re all about calling him scum. You haven’t said a word.”
“We broke up. It’s no big deal.”
Kenny stepped into the house and closed the door behind him. “No. He left you? Want me to kill him?”
Kenny was taller and had more muscle, but Angel knew things. “You’ve seen the scar on his neck,” she said.
Kenny nodded.
“You don’t want to be the other guy.”
Kenny put down the DVDs, then rested his hands on her shoulders. “What do you need? Are you pregnant?”
She swore and drew back. “Don’t you dare propose.” That had already happened once in her life and she wasn’t going to repeat it. “I’m not pregnant.”
“Want some revenge sex?”
She held in a sigh. While it was a nice suggestion, he didn’t mean it. They were family. It would be like sleeping with his sister. “You’re sweet to offer.”
“We could do it. You’re hot.”
She raised her eyebrows.
He took a step back. “Okay, yeah. Not gonna happen.” His face brightened. “You could sleep with Jack. You two had sex before, right?”
“I don’t need help getting laid, but thank you.”
There was another knock on the door. She opened it to find Sam and Jack. Sam held bags of takeout and Jack had a couple of six-packs and a bottle of tequila.
Five minutes later they were all in her living room. Jack had put in the first DVD. It was all highlights from his career. Next would be Sam’s DVD and then Kenny’s.
The DVD began and an announcer’s voice filled the room.
“The Stallions are down by three with the clock ticking. McGarry’s playing with a bad shoulder, but everyone knows if the Stallions are going to make it out of the play-offs, it’s up to him. We’re watching the clock. There’s the snap. McGarry steps back and finds...”
“Rib?” Jack asked, passing her an open container.
She was about to refuse when she realized she was kind of hungry. She took one and a napkin.
Sam and Kenny had each taken one of the oversize club chairs, while Jack sat next to her on the sofa. She’d already had two shots of tequila, so it was just a matter of time until the ache inside faded just a little.
She’d specifically asked her female friends not to give her one of those “he’s such a bastard, you need to feel better” parties. Looked as though she was going to have one anyway. In a kind of twisted way. With her family. Maybe that was the way it was supposed to be.
* * *
“THEY’RE SO PRETTY,” Olivia said as she opened the box from Plants for the Planet.
Angel stood behind her and glanced down. Yup, there they were. Wreaths done in tiny pink flowers. With matching ribbons. Nine of them. The girls would be—
“There’s nine,” he said. “Who gets the ninth one?”
Even as he asked the question, a voice in his head screeched the answer. He held up both hands. “No way.”
Char grinned at him. “You have to. You’re our Grove Keeper.”
“It’s not for him,” Chloe said. “It’s for Taryn.”
“Where is Taryn?” Sarah asked.
Angel knew fighting about the wreath would be easier. “Taryn’s, ah, not coming to the meeting.”