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“I’m home!” The stranger’s voice filled the living room.

Savannah instantly tensed, unsure about who this person was. She hadn’t been able to help Kyla move like she’d intended, but she had no doubts that this was the new roommate. The person who had let Kyla and her horde move in without hesitation and without requirement of rent. As much as the voice put her on edge, Savannah should probably bow down and praise the woman with everything she had.

Kyla’s watery smile instantly turned brilliant. She rolled her shoulders and shifted in her chair, pushing out another chair with her foot. The woman was wiry thin, her hair in a mess of curls held back by a straining clip.

“Savannah, you haven’t met Holli yet.”

“No, I haven’t.” Savannah sucked in a sharp breath. “Good to meet you.”

“And you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Holli plopped onto the offered chair and immediately pulled her shoes off. Her scrubs were a dark blue, and reminded Savannah too much of the hospital and the floor where her brother had last been.Oncology.She’d never forgive those doctors and nurses—not that they deserved it, the ones who had missed his diagnosis several times, the ones who had ignored his complaints and told him he was too young to have pancreatic cancer. The others, the ones who had actually cared, they deserved every spot in Savannah’s memory.

Savannah had to swallow down that pain. It wasn’t Holli’s fault. In fact, Holli had done everything to help Kyla and the kids the moment she’d found out that Conrad was sick.

“Dinner will be ready in about an hour. It’s in the oven.”

“One of the best advantages to having you here, I think.” Holli laughed lightly as she tugged her socks off and wiggled her toes. She looked like she would have moaned if she were alone. “You’ll have to excuse me, but I need to take a quick shower to get the day’s work off me before I’m going to be presentable and sociable.”

“Don’t mind me,” Savannah answered. “I understand completely.” She wanted to say something about how thankful she was for all the help Holli was giving to Kyla, but she held her tongue. Something about that comment didn’t quite feel right.

Holli nodded, touched Kyla’s shoulder lightly, and then padded barefoot up the stairs. Savannah stayed quiet, trying to figure out what to do and say next.

“You should go out with Fallon tonight.” Kyla’s voice was quiet but confident.

“What?”

“Go out with her. Brin can stay here. She’s been begging for a sleepover since we moved in, and one more kid really isn’t going to make a difference in this house.” Kyla put her thumb over hershoulder. “Dinner’s on, and she’ll eat it like she always does, and it’ll give you some time that you desperately need.”

“I’m not desperate.”

“No, but I am, for some good gossip and details. Get out of here.”

“Kyla…”

“I’m serious.” Kyla gave her that look that would end any discussion. Conrad had described it once as the look he could never fight with. “Go.”

“I don’t even know if Fallon is available tonight.”

“Ask her.”

“I think it’d be better if I stayed around here. Brin is still struggling.”

“Savannah.” Kyla clipped her name short. There was that look again. “What’s holdingyouback from this?”

Shaking her head, Savannah stopped. She hadn’t thought about it like that before. She’d told Fallon that she wasn’t going to make her a priority, that Brinley would always be her first and foremost. But a sleepover at her favorite aunt’s? Where was the harm in that?

So what was the problem? Really.

Savannah shook her head and bit her lip. She lifted her gaze to meet Kyla’s and blurted out the first and only thing she could think of. “What if I’m not good at it anymore?”

“At sex?” Kyla hushed her tone in case there were any kids running around that could overhear them.

“Yeah. I mean, it’s been… well, it’s been a long fucking time, Kyla. Since Forrest.”

“You haven’t—I can’t believe I’m asking this—you haven’t been with anyone since him?”

Savannah shook her head, that same embarrassment creeping up again. “And it wasn’t like we were getting horizontal for quite some time before the divorce happened.”

“How long has it been?”