Oh crap.
Now I liked each of them for different reasons.
Snap.
I flicked through the images and then grouped them and fired them over the group text to the guys. The dings of their phones right outside the thin changing room walls made me grin. Then I frowned.
Wait, they were right there, and I couldn’t hear them chatting?
I blew out a sigh. They really were plotting something. It was a good thing I loved them so much, or I’d get irritated. As it was, I sent Rachel a text before I changed back into my clothes, and the guys started debating which suit they liked best.
Rachel answered immediately. She couldn’t say a word, but yes, she did know what they were up to, and she promised it was all good.
Me: Thank you.
Rachel: I got you. I promise. Also, make them work for it. They’re cute, but they aren’t as cute as they think they are.
Me: Do I want to know what that means?
Rachel: Nope. Love you. Have fun at therapy with the boys. I bet Erin wants to write a dissertation.
I laughed.
We still needed to road trip to UNT. Maybe I’d see if Jake would let me hit the asshole first.
No surprise, I got all three suits. When the guys gave Ian shit about it, he just grinned. “That just means I get her in her birthday suit.”
And then we started all over again.
Rachel was right—Erin was going to have a blast with these nutjobs.
Chapter Ten
Breathin’
Coop
Erin was not what I expected. Not that I had a lot of expectations, to be honest. For over six months, she’d been Frankie’s lifeline and, in some ways, her anchor. She’d been a steady hand to help her cope with everything that had happened. While I wanted to be that person in Frankie’s life, I understood that sometimes, it was the person standing outside the equation who could see it the most clearly. That, and she gave off a strong maternal vibe. One that probably helped ease Frankie into talking to her.
“So this is Coop,” Frankie said, introducing me, and I extended my hand to shake Erin’s. “This is Ian and Jake.” They followed suit. “And Archie.” Of the four of us, Archie had been the last to agree to this session, and I understood his reservations. Even now, his expression remained guarded, though his eyes warmed whenever he glanced at Frankie.
“Thanks for coming, gentlemen,” Erin said by way of greeting. “I appreciate the effort to support Frankie.”
And that was it in a nutshell.
Of course we were going to support her.
“Normally, I conduct sessions in my office, but all of us would make that very crowded, so I’ve borrowed the conversation room.” She guided us into what looked like a comfortably appointed living room with sofas and thick armchairs. The plush rugs and heavy wall hangings probably added to the sound insulation, and the half-wall window looked out onto a manicured garden with a fountain.
Very peaceful.
Serene.
It probably worked to minimize distractions and possible external stress. We didn’t really plan ahead how to do this, but Frankie sat near Archie on one of the loveseats, while Bubba took an armchair, and I flopped on the opposite sofa with Jake. If I were Erin, I’d probably read that as Bubba was the most isolated and that Frankie was most worried about Archie.
She’d probably be on the money about the latter, but Bubba was less isolated than he was comfortable. Lucky bastard had been riding high all morning, and why shouldn’t he? I bit back a grin when he gave me a bland look.
Yeah, yeah, focus on why we were here.
“Before we get started, do any of you have any questions?” Erin glanced around at us, but I wasn’t alone in shaking my head. Frankie made a face as Erin focused on her. “Do you have any questions?”
“No,” she said with one of those smiles that had come to her easier and easier since Christmas break. I hadn’t realized how much those had faded in recent years until they came back. The ease in her smiles, the brightness in her eyes, even the quickness of her sharp tongue. While we might quip and tease, she was no slouch. “I still think it’s weird you wanted me to invite everyone, but we’re here.”
“Well, it’s not unusual to talk to partners and to close family of patients at some point during the therapy. You’re standing on the cusp of a huge transition, this on the heels of a lot of other big changes.”
Mouth twisting a little, Frankie gave a reluctant nod and leaned back in the seat, her shoulder butting up against Archie’s. His hand closed over hers almost automatically, and I swallowed back my own smile. There was no mistaking how much he’d needed her a few months ago or the subtle, but indelible shift between them that had cemented into something they both relied on.
The fact it steadied them both, even when they faced uncertainty, just made it even sweeter.
“I know, and we did talk about that,” Frankie admitted, casting a look at all of us as she responded to Erin’s description. “I guess…it just seems like right now, it’s not so much upheaval. I mean, it’s all good stuff. I got to meet Hank—Oh, I didn’t get to tell you about Hank.” Then she launched into a quick description of meeting her father. The clear affection she’d already developed made me thankful as fuck that Archie said his background checks came in clear and that he came across as a genuinely nice guy when we met him.
The full forward press with her was mitigated only by distance, but the man clearly wanted to be a part of her life. I liked him. We all did.
Well, all of us except Arch, and Archie didn’t hate him, so we’d call that a win.
“That sounds like a lot,” Erin pointed out. “Also, you need to remember that positive stress, it’s still stress. You’ve graduated high
