When Least Expected Read Free

nodded.
    Lexi smiled at the image Kelly’s offer conjured up in her mind.
    â€œNo. I’ll see you guys tomorrow at the funeral.” Lexi gave her ex-sisters-in-law another hug and went home. Alone.
    Â 
    â€œYou are such an asshole.” Ian looked over his shoulder to see his older sister as she walked out on his parents’ porch to chastise him.
    â€œI know, Kel. You don’t have to tell me.” He knew it to the very depths of his soul.
    â€œWell, I’m going to tell you anyway because it makes me feel better.” He nodded as she went on. “What are you doing with that little girl?”
    â€œShe’s twenty-two. She’s only eight years younger than me. Not a little girl.”
    â€œShe sure as hell sounds like a little girl.”
    â€œShe can’t help that, now can she?” he spat in self-defense. He understood; he’d had visions of munchkins the first time she’d spoken to him.
    â€œShe looks like a little girl.”
    â€œAgain! Can’t help that!” He ran his hand down his face, hoping this conversation would be over soon.
    â€œShe said something to Lexi when they were in the bathroom together.”
    That got his attention. “What did Lex say she said?” He was certain Meeghan could be rude when she felt threatened, and being around Lex definitely would make her feel threatened.
    â€œLex didn’t say anything. You know she wouldn’t. I didn’t hear it, but it was something nasty by the look on Lexi’s face when she came out of the bathroom.”
    â€œI can’t really do anything about that either then, can I?” he asked wearily.
    â€œYou’re miserable. Can you do anything about that?” she asked.
    â€œMy favorite uncle just died. Of course I’m miserable, Kel.”
    â€œYou know that’s not what I’m talking about. You were miserable before Jimmy died.” That was true, but he’d thought he had been hiding it better than this.
    â€œLook, I’m with Meeghan now. I’m asking you to cut me some slack.”
    â€œSome,” she conceded and gave him a level look before she went back inside.
    She was going to be very disappointed. The truth was he didn’t know what to do to get his life back in order.
    When he’d run from Alexis, he’d thought he was doing the right thing for both of them. He’d moved into an apartment on the other side of Roanoke from where they had lived together in the hopes he wouldn’t run into her.
    After three months of working himself up to face her so they could go to counseling, as originally planned, he still couldn’t make himself do it. He knew what he would see in her pretty blue eyes.
    Compassion, understanding, hope, and more than anything . . . pain. Pain she was trying to hide from him. She was always trying to push on and be strong, and he couldn’t do it anymore.
    So without so much as a phone call to warn her, he’d called his lawyer and had them serve her the papers. The divorce went through quickly. He gave her everything. The house, the furniture, the car.
    He couldn’t stand to take one more thing from her when he couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted the most. A family.
    A few minutes later, Willa came out. She was less direct than Kelly, but he could tell he wasn’t going to like what she had to say either.
    â€œAre you going to marry that girl? She’s told me three times how she’s going to be the next Mrs. Montgomery. Please don’t marry her. I don’t like her.”
    â€œI’m not marrying anyone at the moment, Will.”
    â€œOkay, thanks.” She sighed and looked up at the dark sky.
    â€œThat’s it?”
    â€œIt was sad seeing you and Lexi apart.”
    â€œIt is sad.”
    â€œWhat happened?” she asked, trying to understand.
    â€œI don’t have an answer,” he said honestly.
    She nodded and didn’t say anything