“How did this happen?” I whispered one week later, blowing my raw nose and dabbing at eyes that felt like someone had thrown sand in them.

“It will get better, I promise.” Zoe squeezed my hand. “Give yourself time.”

“Right now, I don’t feel like I’ll ever get over this kind of heartache.” My lips trembled. “Do you realize how different my life will be now?”

“It sucks, I know, Babe.” Harmony patted my shoulder from behind me. “But we all saw this coming.”

“At least she’s at peace now.” Morticia stepped up to flank my other side.

“She looks great.” I stared down into the plush gold-and-white casket, and fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. “You know how much Grammy’s appearance meant to her, and you made her look fabulous. I can’t thank you enough for that.” I walked down the aisle away from the casket, needing some distance and wanting to give others a chance to pay their respects.

“You’re welcome. Dad did a nice job with the calling hours, I thought.” Morti and the others followed close by my side.

“The flowers are beautiful. This town really loved Eugenia Eisenhower, that much was evident.” Zoe’s eyes grew misty. She took a deep breath. “I love this church.”

“You’re lucky they love you.” Harm chuckled. “I still don’t think Sister Mary Agnes has recovered from the time your darling daughter used the vibrator she named Snaky to mix the cake batter that you were going to serve at their party. Wonder if they’ll ask you to plan this year’s Sisters of Sacred Heart Banquette.”

My lips tipped up at the corners, remembering our trip to Adult World in Boston. It had been fun shocking Zoe. The best part had been when her cell phone had vibrated next to Katy’s Barbie microphone, the whole congregation had gasped, thinking she’d brought Snaky to the Sunday service. I giggled.

That had been priceless.

“Well, it never would have happened if you guys hadn’t bought me the ridiculous two-headed monstrosity.” Zoe’s face paled. “Like I would ever use that even when you all thought I needed one, which I didn’t by the way.”

“She’s still in denial.” Morti laughed.

“I’m not in denial. I’m the only smart one to know that thing is just plain freaky.” Zoe shuddered. “Besides, now I have Chaz who doesn’t need any help in thoroughly satisfying me, thank the Lord.”

I actually laughed out loud over that one. “And thank you all for cheering me up.” I smiled at each of them. “I don’t know what I’d do without any of you, so please don’t go MIA on me anytime soon. I can’t handle any more change in my life right now.”

“Can you handle me?” said a male voice behind me, and my stomach dropped down to my black patent leather toes.

What the hell was he doing here?

Inhaling deep, I willed all my anxiety to form in my lungs, and then exhaled the stress on a long slow breath. Thank God for yoga, meditation, and massage. Pasting on a neutral expression, I turned around and looked down my nose at the dark-haired, dark-eyed scum bucket behind me.

Still as handsome as ever, but pure ugliness resided within.

“Bud Grant, what on earth are you doing here?” Thank God for two-inch heels. My ex-husband was only five-foot-eleven when he stood up straight and wasn’t trying to fake a bad back. Being six feet with my shoes on put me at least one inch above him.

At this point, I would take any advantage I could get.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world, darling. I am your husband, after all.” The corner of his weasel lip hitched up, and I knew he was playing me like he played all women, making me wonder all over again why the hell I had married him in the first place.

“Ex,” I finally said in disgust. “I certainly pay you enough money each month for you to be a kept man; but trust me, doll, I threw you out five years ago, and I’ve never been fond of seconds.” He was up to something. There was no way he would just randomly show up for Grammy’s funeral to pay his respects.

The question was what exactly did he want?

“You’ve never been fond of siblings, either,” my twin sister, Tabatha, said in a sarcastic tone from beside me.

She wore black jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. We were identical, but we were nothing alike. I was white diamonds and expensive champagne. She was white gemstones and cheap beer. It wouldn’t have mattered one bit to me, but she was the one who had turned up her nose whenever she was in my presence.

I slowly turned to look beyond her, dreading what I knew I would see. Sure enough my biological parents, Charlie and Rita Scott, stood behind Tabatha…the twin they had kept. They claimed they couldn’t afford to keep both of us back then, since my mom cleaned houses and my dad was a beer vender.

They’d said it was only temporary, and they would come back for me some day. But once I went to live with my grandmother, they’d never looked back. Grammy had disowned Rita, disapproving of her marriage to Charlie and the fact that they had abandoned their own child. So, I took Grammy’s last name and did the same by never looking back.

I’d be damned if I’d start now.

“The only sisters I have are my best friends.” Zoe, Morti, and Harm flanked my sides without hesitation, the way I knew they would. “What do you want?”

“We just want to be here for you in your time of need.” My mother’s tone sounded oddly sincere, as she smoothed her short, golden blonde hair back and lowered her periwinkle blue eyes, so similar to Tabatha’s and mine.

I could tell she was nervous, and maybe a little sad, but I didn’t let that get to me. She’d had her chance, and I had to stay strong for Grammy. I wrinkled my nose to keep the tears at bay. “Right. Like you’ve been there for me for the past forty years?”

“Hey, we can’t help it your grandmother never let us see you,” my father chimed in defensively, giving me a disapproving look for upsetting my mother.

“Oh, don’t even go there, Charlie.” I refused to call him Dad. “Like you even tried to be a part of my life. You pretty much wrote me off the day she took me in. Can you blame her for writing you three off now?” Grammy had made it clear before she died that they were all cut out of her will.

“They did try. Many times, in fact. You’re just too blind to see it.” Tabatha looked at me with disgust. “I told you guys this was pointless.”

“Tabatha, don’t,” my mother said softly. “She’s been through a lot.”

Tabatha threw up her hands. “Like we haven’t?” She gave me a look of pure resentment and then stormed off.

A weird feeling swept through my stomach, but I pushed it down. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. All I know is I never would have made it without Grammy, and I won’t let you or anyone else take that away from me.”

“I’m so sorry.” My mother choked back a sob and then fled the church.

My father stared at me with a frustrated, helpless look. He rubbed his slightly pudgy beer gut, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “I know you don’t believe this right now, but I’m sorry, too. All we ever wanted was the best for you, and we’ve never stopped loving you. From the moment you were born, we knew you were destined for great things. Things only your grandmother could provide.”

“That’s right.” I raised my chin a notch. “She did provide for me, and I owe her everything. Not any of you. I don’t owe you a dime.”

“And I’m not asking for one. I didn’t deserve your mother, and I didn’t deserve you. I hope one day you’ll come to realize the sacrifice we made and finally learn the truth. We don’t care that your Grammy cut us out of her will. We’re here for you.” And with that, he turned and walked away, looking as though he had the weight of the world on his weary shoulders. His buzzed, balding brown head hung low, and his faded brown eyes stared at the floor.

“Yeah. What they said. I’m here for you, darling,” Bud chimed in from beside me, looking anything but sincere.

“You’re so fake,” I managed to get out. “You make me sick.”

He leaned in and didn’t bother pretending anymore. “And you’re so rich, you make me horny.” He grabbed his crotch and leered at me. “You’ll be hearing from my lawyer, sweetcakes. With my bad back, I’m thinking you owe me more money every month…now that you’re rolling in it.”

“And you’re a pig.” I clenched my fists before I did something stupid and turned around to my friends. “You guys ready to go? I think I’ve had about enough for one day.”

No words were necessary as they hooked my arms and led me out of the church. Just before we walked out the doors, I glanced one last time at my grandmother’s casket and tripped over my own feet.

Matt McGinnis stood staring down at Grammy, saying some sort of prayer over her. Then he stepped away but halted when he saw me. He gave me such a sincere look of sympathy and understanding and regret, that I was more tempted than I’d ever been to throw caution to the wind and hurl myself into his arms. One quick glance at my ex reminded me of exactly why I would never do that.

My heart was much more fragile than anyone knew.

Chapter Four