Don't Date Your Brother's Best Friend

8

Luke

Despite saying she needed to get back to the yard, Sarah Jo didn’t attempt to leave. Instead, she changed the subject.

“You’ve been around Ryan a lot more than I have in the last few years. Is there… or can you think of any way I could help him out? He really seems to be having a tough time,” she said.

“I think you’re already doing plenty. I was going to ask you the same thing, like if you think I should get him out to socialize more, or should I set him up on a date?”

“Oh, I’m not sure about that,” she wrinkled her nose. “I think he’s pretty caught up in the whole chaos of the divorce right now. I doubt he could make it through dinner without just talking about that so much that anyone we fix him up with would be—”

“Miserable?” I supplied. She laughed, then put her hand over her mouth like she’d been caught giggling in church.

“Yeah, I think we need to help him keep as much of his personal business as private as possible. And if we arrange a dinner date for him, we’ve given him an audience. I think he acts like nothing is wrong when he’s at work and maintains that professional attitude, so once he’s off work, it’s like he can’t hold it in anymore. And it just—spews out. I don’t think he can help it,” she faltered.

“I tried the other night to suggest he get some help, but he didn’t seem like he was ready to hear that,” I said carefully.

“You were brave to try. It was good of you. You’re a good friend,” she said, “I honestly haven’t had the nerve to tell him he needs to talk to a professional. I know he’ll get mad. I wouldn’t care about that if I thought he’d listen and take it seriously after he got over being mad. But I think he’d just be pissed off and the drama would go on and on. I love my brother. I just don’t want to kick over a hornet’s nest when I’ve already got my hands full.”

“I can understand that. I want to help him, partly because you’ve taken on so much, plus he’s my best friend. I’d do anything for him. He’s just not listening to anything I say.”

“Not while he’s still so mad at Whitney. I think partly he’s mad because he thinks he can have it all, and he maybe didn’t put a lot of effort into the marriage because he was so into his career. It’s like he feels cheated, like she tricked him,” she said. “And I was never a Whitney fan, but he took her for granted.”

“I wish I knew what to do for him. He’s really wallowing in this, and it’s just keeping him stuck,” I said, “because he won’t help himself.”

“I know. I just want to fix things for him. For him and my dad,” she said.

“Who fixes things for you?” I asked. She shook her head adamantly.

“No one. I fix them myself. The only thing I can’t fix is the damn upstairs shower. I can’t get enough water pressure to rinse my hair, and I’m about to lose my religion over it,” she laughed.

“I can fix that for you,” I offered.

“No, I’m fine,” she said, almost automatically.

I already knew Sarah Jo could be on fire and wouldn’t ask for any help. But at least there was something small I could do now.

9

Sarah Jo

After putting the finishing touches on the sale ad for the newspaper for the following week, I made sure all the calls were returned and online orders filled for the next day. I did the drop-off at the bank and went home. I collected the mail and sorted through it, put the bills in a stack to take care of later. I found my dad sitting in his chair with the TV on. I refilled his water glass that was still full from the morning with some fresh water.

“I’m gonna go take a shower, and then I’ll start dinner,” I told him.

“Luke stopped by and brought some food from the bar, fixed some stuff upstairs,” he replied, “He tried to get me to go up there with him, but I figured he could handle it.”

I dashed up the steps two at a time. I peeled off my clothes, got in the shower and sighed as glorious hot water pounded down on my hair and cascaded down my back. Just like a real shower instead of the annoying trickle I’d been dealing with for weeks. As soon as I was done, I jumped out, toweled off and texted Luke to tell him it was the best shower I’d had since I’d been home. I thanked him and went downstairs to heat up dinner. With what Luke had dropped off, I had everything ready in no time and on the table. I coaxed Dad to come eat in the kitchen although he wanted a tray in front of the TV.