Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
The last word has such a Southern drawl to it that it makes me smile.
“Fine,” I agree. “No one’s gonna try and convince you to start drinkin’.”
Her laughter makes me smile wider.
“We’ll get you back to your roots before you know it,” she teases, bumping her shoulder into mine. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Emotion threatens to clog my throat as I shake my head. “Never.”
“Okay,” she says as if that’s all I have to say to make the conversation about what happened to me in Austin completely off-limits. “Then let’s talk about getting you back on the horse.”
“No horses for me,” I say. “And you sound like my mother.”
She winces playfully. “There are worse people to be than your mother.”
I nod in agreement.
“She’s been trying to set me up on blind dates,” I tell her.
Adalynn blows a quick breath that puffs her cheeks up, telling me she’s probably catching the same push toward a relationship from her own parents. Only it would be worse for her because her parents, although divorced and both remarried, are still a united front when it comes to their three children.
“She went as far as mentioning Ronnie and Donnie as options.”
My friend shakes her head.
“You mean option.” She clarifies the singularity of a relationship with her brothers.
“Which neither she nor my dad seem to have a problem with.”
Adalynn’s cheek twitches as she considers my words.
“I don’t think they would be a good fit for you.”
“I don’t consider them an option,” I argue. “I could never date your brothers.”
“But no argument about dating two men at the same time?”
“And have two men that lie to me? No thanks.”
“Oh, honey,” she says, covering my hand with hers.
I shake my head. I told her I didn’t want to talk about it and I meant it.
She nods in understanding, pulling her hand away and picking up her glass. Her eyes skate around the bar, and I know exactly who she’s looking for. Coming to the Hairy Frog, the only bar in town, is what we’ve done every time we’ve hung out since we were old enough to get inside legally.
“What time does he normally do a walk-through?” I ask, not at all feeling guilty at the way her cheeks start to heat.
“Who?”
I scoff. “Really? We’re going to play that game?”
“What game?” she asks, continuing to act like she doesn’t know exactly who I’m asking about.
I nod. If she agrees to my rule about not talking about Sam and how he hurt me, then I can do the same for her and not mention Cash.
I purposely didn’t mention the conversation with my mom that involved Cash because I think it would hurt her feelings, and I’d never manipulate someone like that.
We spend the next couple of minutes people watching.
“Tequila and Diet Coke with lime,” the waitress says as she places the drink in front of me on the pub table we’re sitting at.
“Thanks, Hailey,” I tell her, reading her name tag.
“You’re very welcome. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“She’s new to town,” Adalynn says, a mark of apprehension in her tone.
Every new person in town is marked as an outsider until they prove themselves. It’s very possible that poor Hailey has been here six years already, but if she hasn’t been welcomed with open arms yet, she’ll stay new until it happens.
“She seems really nice,” I tell my friend as I lift the straw in my drink to my mouth.
I gag, choking on the flavor after swallowing a massive swig of the noxious stuff.
“What’s wrong?” Adalynn asks, her hands slapping me on the back when I start choking.
“That’s the wrong drink,” Walker says, standing in front of me.
“It’s Jäger,” I manage on a cough. “That stuff nearly killed me in high school.”
“We don’t condone underage drinking at the Hairy Frog,” Walker says, his tone rote and emotionless.
I get my coughing under control and glare at him.
“You’re the one who gave it to us,” Adalynn reminds him.
“We are more than the mistakes we’ve made in the past,” he says, his lip twitching as he tries not to grin.
The man is full of shit. I don’t doubt that he’s serious about the underage drinking. Owning the bar now is much different from when he used to work here when we were all younger. The guy is as fun loving as he always has been. He’s proof that someone can be a little older and still get along with everyone. He spent several years in the military before coming back and buying the bar after he got out.
“I’m not paying for this,” I tell him, as I pick the glass back up and bring it to my lips.
“It nearly killed you a second ago,” he says, watching as I pull the tiny straw out and upend the contents of the drink.