Chapter Four

Nathan strolled right into her apartment like she didn’t have a front door. “My, did we forget our manners?”

He put a six-pack on her counter and gave her a look. “You should lock it. You’re a woman living alone.”

“I just walked in from work about two minutes ago. My hands were full. But you’re right. If for no other reason than to keep the riffraff out.” She eyed him.

He sighed so she decided to poke at him for kicks.

“Do you need me to give you the talk? You know if you put your thingy in her she could get pregnant with your baby type people, right?”

He appeared horrified and then dissolved into laughter. “God, you’re gross.”

“Nathan, if you think it’s gross to put your thingy in Lily, you probably need a whole ’nother kind of talk.”

He punched her arm. “Quiet, you. I wanted to thank you.”

She smiled up at him. “For what?”

“You’ve been really good to Lily. You know, with all the planning for the wedding and stuff. She’s got a lot on her plate and her own family isn’t much use.”

“Sit. Crack one open.” She knew he needed to vent about Lily’s mother and that he’d never do it to Lily, who was already conflicted about the situation.

“You know me so well.”

“And I love you anyway.” She winked and poured some chips into a bowl, pushing it his way. He slid a beer hers and she clinked it against his. “What’s she done now?”

“She’s probably not going to come to the wedding. Lily is heartbroken, though you know she’s trying to pretend she isn’t.”

Lily’s mother had gone to rehab after her drinking and mental-health situation had gotten so bad she’d neglected her teenage son, and Lily had given up her life to come back to Petal to take care of things. Chris, her brother, was back on the straight and narrow once again, thriving in school. Lily’s mother had opted to go from rehab to a sober living house that was nearly four hours away.

Beth took a deep breath, wanting to make him feel listened to, but also saying what needed being said. “She’s going to be far better able to live her life when she does come home. That’s the biggest thing she can do for Lily and Chris both.” She took a sip of her beer. “That said? I think it’s shitty she won’t even come out for the wedding. It’s one day. An important day for a woman who gave her whole life up to come back here to do her mother’s job.”

He grumbled. “It makes her sad. I hate that. I can’t protect her from that kind of sadness.”

Her brother had lost Lily a decade before by being a dumbass. Since she’d come back into his life and he’d won her over, he’d been very protective of her. She knew it hurt him as much seeing Lily hurt and not being able to help as it hurt Lily that her mother was MIA.

“She knows you love her. That’s the important thing.”

He rolled his eyes and she rapped his hand with a nearby pen. “Don’t you roll your eyes at me. Lily needs that love. She needs to know you’re there for her. And you are. That means everything to her. Her mother? Well, look, Nathan, she could be a drunk like our father and never do a damned thing. Would you rather that? She’s trying. In her own way, she’s trying to get better and come home. The recovery process takes time. She’s got a lot of shit to get over.”

“What about the shit Lily has to shovel while she’s gone?”

“She couldn’t handle it. Right? That’s just reality. She’s trying. Which took a lot of guts. Give her credit. I know you hate it that it’s left Lily with that burden. But in the end, her mother is trying to get herself together so that when she comes back, she can handle that burden again without breaking. She’s got to be afraid, you know? She was a mess when she went to rehab. For a woman who had as much control as Lily’s mom, facing that had to be a huge thing.”

“Don’t take her side.” He frowned, but she knew he heard her. Knew she was right.

“I’m always on your side. You know that. I know you’re upset. I know you want to protect Lily, and I’m all for it given how Lily is my best friend and all. And I know you came here so you didn’t spill all this in Lily’s way because she already feels enough angst, guilt and anger about it.”

“You’re pretty smart.”

She shrugged. “We can’t all be school teachers. But I get by.”

“I hear you’ve set your cap for Joe Harris.”

She groaned. “God, this town! What’s it to you?”

“Oh ho! It’s my sister sniffing around a guy with a questionable reputation, that’s what it is to me. You don’t need that kind of trouble. He’s more man than you can handle, Beth.”

She laughed then. “You don’t know anything about me. Not that way. If you think I’d go after some jerk like Dad, you’re out of your damned fool mind. He’s not that way. He’s a nice guy. He came back here to help his family out. He was in the army. He rescued a dog. Hardly the work of Satan’s minion.”

He tipped his bottle. “If you say so. You have good judgment. Mostly. But if he hurts you, I’m gonna kick the shit out of him.”

She grinned, but refrained from mentioning that Joe was like four inches taller and a solid wall of muscle. It was the thought that counted. “You’re so nice to me sometimes.”