Steele (Arizona Vengeance #9) - Sawyer Bennett Page 0,52

season before Jim and I split.

“It’s a recent thing,” Pepper explains, and my gaze moves to her. “Late last spring, when we were in the playoffs, we all sort of found out how much we have in common and like each other, so we started having little get-togethers.”

“And well,” Brooke takes over, reaching out and putting her hand over mine. “We didn’t know if we should approach you when you and Jim separated. We thought—maybe wrongly—that you’d want some space from the team.”

“But now that you and Jim are back together,” Pepper finishes the pitch. “We’d love to have you start hanging with us.”

“Oh, Jim and I aren’t back together,” I blurt out, then immediately want to clap my hand over my mouth. It’s none of their business what we are.

Or maybe I didn’t want to say that out loud as it might jinx us?

“Oh, you’re back together,” Willow says slyly, nodding her head.

“Well, what I mean is that we’re not sure it’s going to work permanently,” I explain.

“Jim sure looks like it is,” Willow challenges me, peering over at the table where he sits with Dominik and Dillon. All ladies turn to look that way, and Jim smiles back.

“Maybe what I should have said is I’m not sure it’s going to work permanently,” I admit in a small voice.

And just like that, the women all collectively pull their chairs in closer and lean in, sympathetic smiles on their faces, including Mollie and Clarke, who haven’t said much since I joined them.

“Tell us what’s going on,” Brooke prods me… her tone genuinely empathetic. “Sometimes, it helps to brainstorm things.

I consider this a moment. I’ve never had a close female friend to share things with. Jim has been my best friend since we first fell in love. It was one of the hardest things I had to adjust to when I asked him to leave… not having someone there to listen to me work through something.

And even though he has been listening very closely to me the last few weeks, it might be good to have another perspective.

“I’m scared,” I say bluntly, boiling my reservations in admitting we’re back together down into simple terms. “Everything is great right now, but what if he moves back home, gets complacent, and then I go through the whole heartbreaking process of separating again? It was so hard that first time. I wasn’t sure I’d survive it. But I did, and I don’t want to go through it again.”

Three women nod sagely, understanding my plight.

“I think I can talk a little bit about fear,” Clarke says, and all eyes go to her. “I had been burned badly in a past relationship, and I was terrified to let myself fall for Aaron. I was afraid of getting hurt again, and I was afraid to trust.”

“Clearly, you’re together now and very happy according to reports that reach my ears,” I reply with a grin. “So, what made you decide to go for it?”

“Simple, really.” She leans in like she has the biggest secret to tell. I slant in a little bit closer. “I realized I loved him, and the risk wasn’t in my trust being broken but in me living life without the man I loved. It was a no-brainer.”

“Hmm,” I say, jerking back slightly. That does seem pretty simple.

“Do you love Jim?” Mollie asks.

“Wholeheartedly,” I admit with no hesitation. “That never stopped, even when I asked him to leave.”

“Then you’re back together,” Willow says in that same self-assured tone she used on me only moments ago. “You just have to pull the trigger and accept it.”

“It’s food for thought,” I murmur, wondering if I should just go for it.

Maybe.

I’ll have to think about it.

“Well,” Willow says, slapping her hand on the table. “Since we’re here until Monday, count me in for brunch.”

When everyone looks my way, Brooke asks, “And you?”

Suddenly, I find myself wanting to become a part of this group of women. Within just moments, they managed to swing my guarded suspicions of their motivations. They gave me some clarity on my issues with Jim.

“I have to check with Lucy,” I reply. “It’s our day together.”

“Get Jim to hang with her,” Pepper suggests.

I shake my head. “It’s a game day. He has specific things he does from the moment he gets up, plus he’ll be heading to the arena possibly before we get back. Not that Lucy needs a babysitter. She’s fine to stay by herself. I just want to make sure it’s okay with