The Best Man Plan - Jaci Burton Page 0,65
forward with your life.”
She snorted out a laugh. “Oh, like you’ve done since your divorce from Mitchell? I don’t see you doing much moving forward, Brenna.”
Brenna shot visual daggers at her. “We aren’t talking about me right now.”
“Well, you can’t offer me advice on how to live my life, considering you aren’t doing a good job of living yours.”
“I had a date.”
“And how did that go?”
“He left the table after dinner to go brush his teeth.”
Erin gasped. “Dear God. Did you report him to the police?”
“Not funny. He was rude and I didn’t like him.”
“You always find fault with guys you go out with so you won’t have to admit that no guy is going to be good enough for a second date, and then you can continue to hide out at home.”
Now it was Brenna’s turn to gasp. “That’s not true.”
“Hey, you two,” Honor said, her tone even. “Please stop. Brenna can date or not date whomever she pleases. And Erin can choose to see Owen or not.”
“You’ve been quiet through all this, Honor,” Brenna said, switching her attention to Honor. “What’s your take on this whole Owen business?”
Honor looked down at her lap. “He texted me.”
Erin’s heart rate shot up. “What? He texted you, too? When? What did he say?”
Honor looked over at Erin. “Right when he got back. He asked how you were doing.”
She couldn’t believe Honor had kept that from her. “And what did you say?”
“The truth. I said you were miserable and unhappy and I asked why he did it. He said he wanted to talk to you. I told him he should text or call you, not me. He said he would. Obviously, he hasn’t.”
“Why didn’t you tell me right away when he contacted you?”
“Because you were already upset and I didn’t want to make it worse. I’m sorry, Erin.”
Honor had the most miserable, dejected expression on her face. It always worked to defuse any argument the sisters were having.
Erin inhaled deeply, then let it out slowly. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. And I’m sorry, Brenna. Taking potshots at you is just my anger at Owen being misdirected.”
Brenna nodded. “And I had no business butting in. I’m sorry, too.”
Honor stood. “Group hug, then?”
Honor was ever the peacemaker.
They all stood and hugged it out, then took their seats again.
Erin took a long swallow of her coffee.
“So, what are you going to do about Owen?” Honor asked.
“I don’t know. I realize I need to close that chapter, which means I’m going to have to talk to him, but every time I think about it I get so angry and my emotions get so jumbled that I shove the thought of seeing him aside. And then when it comes up again, the whole circle repeats itself. But you’re right, I can’t let this wait until the wedding. It’s not fair to Ryan and Yolanda. I’ll take care of it.”
“It’s for the best,” Brenna said. “As painful as it will be, you need that closure so you can move forward.”
Erin nodded. She knew Brenna was right, but she’d be just as happy if she never had to speak to Owen again.
Closure was just some word that someone made up to make themselves feel better about being broken up with.
She’d never feel okay about what Owen had done to her.
CHAPTER
twenty-three
JASON TOSSED HIS surgical mask in the bin, followed by his gloves. He pulled off his gown and left the surgical suite, leaving wrapping up Sweet Pea to the surgical techs. He went straight to his office and uncapped the jug holding his ice water.
What he really wanted was a large whiskey.
Losing a patient was the hardest damn thing.
Correction. Having to tell Sweet Pea’s owners that their dog didn’t make it through surgery was going to be the hardest thing.
He knew going in that it was going to be a difficult surgery, and had let Clyde and Frances know the odds were stacked against their terrier mix. They wanted to do the surgery anyway. Sweet Pea had gotten into a tussle with one of the neighbor dogs, and she’d suffered serious puncture wounds in several areas of her body, along with excessive bleeding. At twelve years old, it was an uphill climb, and one the poor old pup just couldn’t make.
Now he had to make the hardest phone call, but it was his job and he did it, letting a crying Frances know that he’d done everything he could to save her beloved Sweet Pea’s life. It