I closed my eyes. Clenched my jaw. “Naomi, don’t.”
“Dex, come on. Don’t get mad. In the two years since we split up, the girls have never once mentioned a female friend, and after she came around, it was nothing but Winnie this and Winnie that. It’s obvious she was around a lot.”
“She was,” I admitted.
“It’s okay. It’s not like I expected you to be alone forever. And you’ve always been very accepting of my relationship with Bryce.”
“Me being alone forever is a lot more likely than a relationship with Winnie.”
“Why?”
I scowled at her. “Why do you even care?”
“Because I care about you, Dex.” She poked a finger at my chest. “Maybe you find this hard to believe, but I do actually want you to be happy. It’s true that our marriage didn’t work, and I don’t think you tried hard enough to save it, but I don’t believe it’s because you weren’t capable. That’s what drove me crazy all the time. You could be a good partner to someone—if you let them in.”
I rubbed a hand over my jaw. “You should know better than anyone, that isn’t my thing.”
“Oh, believe me, I know.” She sighed. “But maybe you and I were just the wrong fit. Maybe I was never going to get over feeling shut out. Maybe your emotional baggage and mine were always going to prevent us from giving the other what they needed. And I wasn’t going to settle for being unhappy, Dex. That’s why I asked you to leave.”
“I know.”
Her voice softened. “And you didn’t fight me.”
I shook my head.
“At the time, I was hurt, but I came to accept that we were better off apart. And now I found someone who can give me what I need.”
“I’m glad for you,” I said, and I meant it.
She smiled. “Thanks. And we’ll figure out something for that weekend. I need them Friday for the rehearsal and Saturday is the wedding, but I was going to have my mom take them back to her house at maybe ten or so. They’ll be tired.”
“Why don’t I just pick them up from the reception?”
“That works. Let’s say ten-thirty in the lobby of the yacht club?”
I nodded. “I have to work Monday, so I’ll have them back Sunday evening.”
“Okay. Thanks again for letting me have them during your weekend. If you’d like them for an overnight during your off days this week, just let me know. We can work it out.”
I thought for a moment. “I have some coaching sessions Monday and Wednesday, but Tuesday would work.”
She smiled. “Perfect. I’ll tell them you’ll pick them up from school. Oh—they have dentist appointments that day. I think at four-ten and four-forty.”
I took out my phone and put the appointments in. “Got it. They’ll be there.”
“Good.” She paused. “I wasn’t going to say anything about this, but I ran into your sister the other day and she told me about your dad. That’s . . . that’s tough. And I’m sorry.”
I adjusted the cap on my head, feeling guilty because I still hadn’t talked things out with Bree. “Yeah. Thanks.”
“Are you going to see him?”
“I don’t think so.”
She nodded. “I get it.”
“Do you think I’m being too harsh?” I asked. Naomi had been around since high school and all through my mom’s illness, so she knew the history.
Exhaling, she lifted her shoulders. “I think you have a powerful sense of right and wrong, and you’ve always known which side of the line he’s on. But I also know that letting go of painful shit from the past feels better than hanging on to it.”
“Yeah.” I hefted my keys in my hand, impatient to leave. “I’m still thinking about it.”
“Good luck. And Dex . . .” She put a hand on my arm. “I know your first instinct is to shut down when things get emotional, but don’t shut Bree out. She’s worried about you.”
I stiffened, annoyed even though I knew she was right. “I know. I’ll talk to her.”
Twenty minutes later, I knocked on Bree’s back door. Justin pulled it open, holding Prescott over his shoulder. “You knock now?”
“Wasn’t sure if I’d be welcome.” I rubbed my jaw. “Last time I was here, there was some, uh, shouting.”
He shrugged. “Family shouts sometimes. Come on in.”