“I can’t help it. You’re still in last night’s work clothes, and you never made it to your room last night. You have dark circles under your eyes, and I’m worried.” After folding the Afghan throw Nikki had used as a blanket the night before, Janine lowered herself onto the couch. Nikki glared at her.
“You should have thought of that before you brought Kevin back into my life. Where was your concern then?”
“I was thinking about you.”
Nikki curled her legs beneath her. “Give me one good reason why you did it. Just one. Make me understand how my best friend could betray me.” Because she and Janine had seen each other through the aftermath of Tony’s death and Kevin’s abrupt disappearance, Janine knew how deeply Kevin had wounded her.
She would have given him her heart, if only he’d stuck around to accept it. He hadn’t of course. She’d lost her brother and Kevin in rapid succession.
Janine met Nikki’s gaze. No remorse showed in her green-eyed gaze. None shadowed her expression. Only the kindness and compassion she’d shown Nikki from the start. “Would you have preferred a gentle let-down the morning after?”
“Whose side are you on anyway?”
“Yours.” Janine laid a hand on her shoulder. “Always yours. What Kevin did was wrong, but did you ever think he was suffering too?” she asked softly.
“Yes.” And Nikki had wanted to help him heal.
“You couldn’t have healed him. He had to come back on his own,” Janine said, reading her mind.
“With a little nudging from you?” The only person she had left had switched sides, leaving her to fend for herself. Nikki didn’t understand. The world had shifted beneath her feet and she hated the unsteady sensation that left her wondering what jarring thing would come next.
“He’d already come back, settled into a house he inherited,” Janine said.
He’d admitted as much, Nikki thought. “And?”
“And I asked him to meet me at the bar.”
“Why?”
“Because when I’m gone, you’re going to need someone to lean on.”
Nikki bristled at the implication that she couldn’t take care of herself. Coming from the person who’d seen her at her worst then seen her pull her life together after, the lack of faith hurt And then the rest of Janine’s words sunk in. “What do you mean, when you’re gone?”
“My baby needs more than me.” Janine placed her hand over her still-flat stomach, rubbing circles in a gesture that had become familiar to Nikki during the past few months. “Actually I need more than me, and no insult to you because I’m going to miss you like crazy, but I need my family.”
Nikki blinked at the sudden but not altogether unexpected admission. She’d seen the signs lately—the increased phone calls home, and Janine’s recollections of the farmhouse in Iowa where she’d grown up.
“Okay.” What else could she say that wouldn’t be selfish and one-sided? She loved Janine like a sister. Losing her would be like losing Tony all over again. But she understood and would respect her decision. She had no choice. “There’s always airplanes and holidays. I’m not going to let my niece or nephew grow up without knowing me.”
Janine smiled. “I’d come back to visit for the same reason. Meantime, I’m stranding you.”
Nikki shook her head. “You’d never do that. Look, I can’t afford the rent here, but there’s this other waitress who’s looking for a roommate, and I can afford that on what I make at the bar. See? I’ll be fine and you didn’t need to worry about me.
“I can’t believe you’re taking this so well.”
“I can’t believe you didn’t think I would. Look at me, Janine. I’ve grown up.”
“Yes, you have.” Her sister-in-law’s gaze traveled over her. “How are you feeling this morning?”
“Better than last...” Nikki’s words trailed off. “How did you know I was sick?”
“Kevin called. I grabbed the phone before it could wake you.”
“Well, he shouldn’t have bothered. I’m fine now.”
“Are you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”