The next evening, Janie gingerly sat on the stool at Colton’s house. She had to have the talk with her best friend. She had no idea how it would go.

“So,” Janie said as Madison opened the fridge.

Madison held up a sparkling water and a beer, and said, “Or mixed drinks?”

“Sparkling water. I don’t know if I’ll have to drive out of here quickly. Dave hasn’t texted me since he went to see his mother this afternoon. I’m pretty sure that’s a bad sign. Oh, and hey, I’m in love with him and have been screwing him for a little while. No biggie.”

She usually sprang information on Madison. It made things go so much faster.

As expected, Madison paused in pouring the sparkling water. She finished one glass, then returned the other glass to the cabinet and put away the water. A different glass came out, followed by the vodka and a container of orange juice.

“That’s bad news, then?” Janie asked.

“Protection?”

“Just birth control. We had a brief discussion.”

“Right.” Madison drew the word out. The vodka diluted the orange juice quite a bit.

“So that’s really bad news, I take it.”

“Real love?”

“Yes. I’ve never felt like this with anyone else. It is all consuming in the best way possible.”

Madison dropped in a couple ice cubes and leaned back against the counter to sip her drink. The sparkling water was forgotten. “And you aren’t going to get over it?”

“We’ll see. Dave said he loved me too. He said it first.” She briefly told her friend about him busting into the apartment the night before.

Madison’s eyebrows rose to her hairline. “Wow. I didn’t expect that. And he said all that about his mom?”

“Yes. But, like…that was before he knew that I had threatened his mom eight ways from Sunday.”

“You’re the one that I got that saying from. It’s wrong, you know.”

“Why would you assume I care?”

“Good point. My bad. Anyway, so before you threatened the neighbor, then trekked into the ghetto to see your mom so you could threaten Dave’s mom, he wanted to change his life for you?” Madison took a sip, watching Janie over the rim of her glass.

“Yes, okay. My excitement was premature, fine. But maybe his mom didn’t say anything?”

“He hasn’t texted you since he met with her, right?”

“Yes, but maybe she shut him down, daring me to make good on my promise, and he’s stressing?” Janie grimaced as anger rose. “She better not have. I will totally haunt the shit out of her.”

“You can’t haunt your boyfriend’s mom. In no situation does that actually work out.”

Janie sagged against the island, then straightened up again. Her nipples were tender from all the attention they’d gotten last night. They didn’t need to meet any hard surfaces. “So we’re in a wait and see situation. Wait and see if he curses me. Or reports me. Or any number of things I didn’t totally think through when I snuck into a rehab center and threatened to stalk an old woman.”

“Among other things.”

“You’re not helping. What if he decides not to help me with the paintings?” A wave of worry washed over Janie. “He is so incredibly good at the business side. So incredibly good. I had no idea.”

“The guys won’t let you flounder, regardless of whether Dave wants to kill you or not.”

“I guess, but Dave was getting sex for his help.”

“Dave gets plenty of sex. That wasn’t the reason he was doing it. But yeah, the whole mother situation might strain things a wee bit.”

“I still love him.” Janie pointed at her sparkling water. “Can you bring that to me, please? I don’t want to get up.”

“Why?”

“Because he fulfilled his promise and showed me that anal could feel good and very naughty at the same time. The problem is, day two should really be called ground zero, because my shit is sore.”

“Literally.”

“Ew. No, not literally.” She grimaced. “Fine, literally. But seriously, what do you have against Dave? Are you withholding some horrible information about his past?”

“No. You’ve seen all his baggage. Hell, you’ve threatened his baggage—”

“I really wish you’d leave that alone.”

“—but Dave thinks big. Sometimes he bites off more than he can chew. I’m worried that he’ll do that with you. That he won’t be able to get his life together like he says, and you’ll pay the price. Assuming he doesn’t want to kill you after talking to his mom, of course.”

“I’d be crushed at that point regardless.”

“True. You’re an idiot.”

“Yes.” The doorbell rang. Butterflies filled Janie’s stomach. “Oh God, I hope that is someone trying to sell you a new roof.”

Madison came back and shook her head. “But possibly equally bad news,” she whispered.

“Why, who is it?”

Ethan strolled in wearing a flowing red Hawaiian shirt and aquamarine hipster jeans. The combination should not have worked in a million years, but he somehow looked sexy as hell. The man could ride the Crazy Car all day long.

“Hey,” Janie said. “Can you do me a favor and grab the water on the counter over there?”

Ethan paused in sitting on the stool next to her. He switched gears and sauntered over.

“You didn’t ask Janie why she couldn’t get it herself.” Madison grinned at her.

“I just assumed she was lazy.” Ethan set the glass in front of her and took a seat. “But now that you ask, I assume it is something else.”

“It’s nothing. I mean, that is why, yes. Lazy.” Janie took a sip, shooting Madison a look of death. “So how’d today go?”

“Great and weird.”

“Elaborate, please.”

“Do you want the great news, or the weird news first?”

“Great?”

“I could really use a sandwich.” Ethan hopped off the stool. “Well, the great news is that we found a place. It is perfect. Perfect size, perfect state of disrepair, and low cost. It’s in worse shape than the one we were originally thinking about. I’m excited. I think your work will really shine.”

“And the weird news?” Madison asked.

“Dave barely said two words more than was necessary all day. As soon as he closed the deal to rent the space, he asked me to take him to his car. I haven’t heard from him since.”

Jane gulped. That wasn’t good.

“Did you ask him what was wrong?” Madison asked.

Ethan dropped a package of lunch meat onto the counter. “No.”

She flicked her eyes upward before looking at Janie.

“Has he been like that before?” Janie asked.

The doorbell rang again. Madison left to answer it, and this time she shook her head as she came back in. “Just Noah.”

“Is Dave here?” Noah asked as he walked into the kitchen.

“No. I was telling the girls that I haven’t talked to him since we closed on a rental.” Ethan held up two types of cheeses and looked back and forth between them.

“You closed on a rental?” Noah took a stool at the island. “Where is it?”

“Why are you looking for Dave?” Janie asked, her stomach twisting.

“Oh. He texted me.” Noah took out his phone and looked at the screen. “Asked me to meet him here.”

The door opened and closed. Madison started forward, but she didn’t get far before Colton waltzed in, all power and brawn and wide shoulders. He didn’t stroll like Ethan tended to do. “Dave here?”

The doorbell rang, and Janie clasped her hands together. “I don’t like this. Someone should probably tell Dave that I’m here.”

“He knows you’re here.” Colton took an apple out of the fruit bowl on the counter. “I texted him.”

Janie’s stomach flipped. “When?”

“An hour or so ago, when Maddie said you’d maybe be here for dinner if you guys didn’t get in a fight. I figured Janie wouldn’t run out on the possibility of getting fed, no matter what the situation.”

“You know me so well, Lionel.” The doorbell rang again. “Let’s pretend we’re not here. Maybe he’ll go kill someone else instead of me.”

“Do you think he knows about you threatening his mom?” Noah asked quietly. The humor drained from everyone’s faces. They all knew, after all. The only person Janie hadn’t been transparent with was Dave himself. Which would probably turn out to be her gravest offense in the end, but they’d all agreed that he shouldn’t know. Not at first, anyway. He probably wouldn’t have agreed with her tactics.

Ethan repeated the information about the warehouse rental.

“Great, you found one?” Colton clapped Ethan on the back. “Where?”

“You guys, that is not important right now. Is someone going to get the door?” Janie shifted, and then winced.

“Ah. You got popped in the pooper, huh?” Ethan nodded like he knew her pain. Being that he wasn’t into guys, she had to wonder. “You’ll just have to ride out the day after, sadly. Small dicks are a better bet for the back door.”

“Wow. You are literally the strangest man ever,” Janie said, not daring to shift again.

“Yeah.” He went back to his sandwich. “Women really seem to dig it.”

“I’ll get it.” Noah slid off his stool. “Run if I say so.”

“Ten-four,” Janie muttered.

Dave walked in with an easy saunter. A tight white shirt hugged his spectacular torso, and stressed jeans molded to his incredible lower half. His shoulders swung freely, like he didn’t have a care in the world, but his tight eyes and thinned mouth told another story.

He didn’t glance at Janie as he walked in, or at anyone really, except for a slight nod at Colton. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the top, taking a swig in the ensuing silence.

“Well? What’s on your mind?” Ethan held his newly constructed sandwich in one hand, waiting to take a bite. “The suspense is a killer.”

“I spoke to my mom today,” Dave began, looking at the floor. “She mentioned some…troubling things.”

Janie’s heart crawled up into her throat.

“When I went to the trailer park to check on her place, I heard about a few situations that were…even more troubling.”

A few? Noah mouthed at her.

She grimaced, wondering if the thugs from her mom’s complex had acted on her gentle nudge.

“I’m going to come out and ask bluntly,” Dave went on, “and I’d prefer an honest response. Did you all know that Janie went to the Hutchinsons’ house—my mom’s neighbors—and then to visit my mom?”

It was as if Santa Claus had eaten a truckload of cookies and then sat directly on her chest. That’s how hard it was to breathe.

She shrank down, staring at her fingers.

“Yes,” each said softly.

Until Ethan, that was. “Did you know that Noah and I were at the Hutchinsons’ house with her? I had a talk with the woman. She is poison. Very unhappy, that lady. Beguiling, though. I wouldn’t totally blame your mother in that situation.”

Dave scrunched up his brow and held his hand up. “So you all knew, yet you actively kept it from me.”

“Yes,” each said softly again. Madison elbowed Ethan to keep him quiet.

Dave’s eyes came up and hit Janie, his expression unreadable. “Can I talk to you alone for a moment, please?”

Was no a possible response? Because she kind of wanted to run out of the room.

She slid off the chair, wincing.

“Be easy on her, bro,” Ethan said around a full mouth. “You should know better than to cram a big dong into a virgin butthole. That wasn’t kind.”

“Oh my God, Ethan, are you serious?” Madison demanded as Janie followed Dave.

“No. I thought it might ease the tension. Although he does know better. So actually, yes, I—”

Janie didn’t catch the rest, though she would’ve definitely preferred to stay and listen to that conversation, as embarrassing as it was, than participate in this one.

She settled gingerly on the squishy couch. Ethan hadn’t been wrong about the size issue…

Dave stayed standing, crossing his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged. “I’m not really sure what to say, Janie.”

She wasn’t either, so she opted for nothing.

He shifted and looked at the Goodbye painting. Heat prickled her eyes, and Santa was joined on her chest by all his reindeer.

“Betty—my mother said you broke into her room the other night. Is that true?”

“I was let in by a crooked rehab staff member, but for all intents and purposes, yes, that’s true.”

He switched his gaze to his feet. “She said you threatened to break in every day if she didn’t do everything I demanded. Is that true?”

“Partially. I did threaten to get escorted in, but that was if she didn’t try to get better for you. Following your demands was more implied than specifically requested.” She was pretty sure, anyway. She hadn’t taken a transcript of the conversation, after all.

“And her neighbors. Did you threaten them, too?”

“That question seems vague. Do you really not know?”

His head tilted, indicating he wasn’t inclined to raise his eyes to look at her. “Please don’t lie to me.”

She entwined her shaking fingers. “I definitely threatened them, yes. Big time.” She briefly went through what she’d done. “And honestly, I’ll go back there if they start up again.”

“They can’t start up again. They were robbed by what they describe as gangbangers. They didn’t call the cops, which I found suspicious. All the thieves took was a suitcase and some cash. They didn’t take the brand-new TV, or the iPads, or any of it. I heard all this from another neighbor. The Hutchinsons wouldn’t answer their door to me, though I know they saw me approach. One of them was standing in the window as I started over.”

“Too bad you didn’t get in, because you should’ve taken all their fancy electronics. You paid for all of it.”

“I am aware. Betty—my mother filled me in.”

“Well, that’s something.”

He went still, staring at his feet. “Do you know those gangbangers?”

“Oh, man, you are really putting me on the spot here, Dave.” She wiped the sweat from her brow. “I don’t want to be honest about that.”

“Janie,” he said softly. She couldn’t tell if that was a warning or a plea in his voice.

After a world-weary sigh, she gave him the story, including the part where Noah wouldn’t let her go alone.

“Your mother never wants to see you again…because of the information you got in order to break into my mom’s rehab place?” he asked, his gaze going to the Goodbye painting again.

“Nah. She already didn’t. I’d promised never to go back already, but this came up, and I didn’t have any other options. My mom sucks. It has nothing to do with this.”

He shook his head and turned away from her, showing her his broad back. “I don’t know what to say.”

She was desperate to keep from begging for forgiveness. She wouldn’t apologize for doing any of it, nor would she apologize for not telling him. She’d do it all again if she had the chance, regardless of the outcome.

“My mother told me some of what you said. That you loved me, but I didn’t love you back. That you were doing all of that—threatening her, cutting off her supplier, getting info on open apartments, the thugs—simply because I deserved it. You took all that upon yourself, without asking if it was desired or even warranted, because you thought it was the best thing for me. You thought it was the best thing for me. Not she, or the neighbors, or me, but you.”

How many times could she grimace and wince in the same day? She might set a record.

“As for the first part,” she said hesitantly, “let it be noted that this was before you said how you felt. I thought I’d be saying goodbye to you.”

“You would haunt my mother, even after moving on from me?”

“She used the word haunt, did she? Kind of loose-lipped, your mother.” Janie rubbed at her chest. Breathing hadn’t gotten any easier. “Honestly, yes. I would. Because she was trying to cop out. I’ve seen how she breaks your heart, Dave, and you don’t deserve that. If it takes ten years of following her ass around with crazy eyes, making sure she gets a clue and does the right thing, I will. I have the tools to help you. After all you’ve done for me, I have no choice but to use them. And no, you might not agree with my methods, but in many situations, they work. It’s all I’ve got. I’m sorry you’re pissed. I’m not sorry I threatened your mom. Or her neighbors. I’m certainly not sorry I threatened my own mom. She sucks.”

Dave blew out a breath and shook his head again, back to looking at that painting. She now wished he was looking at the Love painting. That would be a better sign, under the circumstances.