“I know what happened to Charlie, Nina,” Bitsy said gently. “So, I know you’d get me.”
I felt tears hit my eyes at what she was saying and I whispered, “Bitsy.”
“I had my moments, Nina, it’s terrible to admit but I understand Charlie.”
I swallowed and whispered, “Okay.”
“I’m sorry for you and for him.”
“Thanks.” I was still whispering.
“But my husband was fooling around on me,” she whispered back. “And I don’t blame him because, you know, the way I am. But I have to talk to someone about it. Someone who gets me.”
I heard the tears in her voice when she stopped talking so I said, “Oh, sweetheart.”
“And you also get what it’s like to have Shauna involved, seeing as she was after my man and she’s after yours too.”
“I’m not sure Max is my man.”
“Oh he is. Never seen him like that with anyone except Anna.”
I sucked in a silent breath and my body locked.
She kept speaking. “The whole town’s talkin’ about it. We’re all real glad. Thought Max’d never find anyone after Anna died. It’s been ten years, that’s a long time. Lord knows, I know that.”
I couldn’t think of her open talk about Anna, I had bigger things coming at me from her words.
It seemed now I was up against my own idiocy, my mother, Steve and the whole town of Gnaw Bone. My only ally was my father and right then Max and Steve were running him out of town.
I wasn’t in trouble, I was screwed.
“Bitsy –”
“Brody told me all you’ve done with Mindy and, I gotta say, I’m glad you’re nice. Anna was my best friend and I loved her. She’d want Max to end up with someone nice.”
Yes. Screwed.
“I don’t know what to say. Um… thank you.”
“Thank me for you bein’ nice?” she had a smile in her voice.
“Yes, I guess, and thank you for trusting me to talk to.”
She was quiet for long moments then she asked, “Do you think I’m crazy not to be mad at Curt?”
“I can’t say you’re crazy for anything you feel right now.”
“These past ten years, even though… you know.” She stopped and I didn’t know but I didn’t get the chance to ask before she went on, “I wasn’t much of a wife.”
I thought this was hideous if Curtis Dodd made Bitsy feel that way but I didn’t tell her that.
“Things are hard, when this happens, on everyone,” I told her.
“He loved me, people don’t get that. We had a good marriage, considering. We were… uh… you know….” she hesitated and then said, “active that way it’s just that it wasn’t the same as, you know… Shauna could do.” Then when I didn’t speak, she repeated, “You know?”
“Of course,” I said, thinking I kind of knew but mostly I didn’t and I said a little prayer of thanks for that.
“And he’s a man,” she went on defending her husband.