she’d like to drink, she said grimly, “Cranberry and soda.”
Lily, her fair skin complemented by a thin rose-colored sweater, raised her delicate blond eyebrows. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Sure. I don’t always have to drink booze, you know.”
Lily and George, who wore a gold-colored jersey that made her hair look especially fiery, exchanged glances.
Kim pretended not to notice.
“How did . . .” George started cautiously, then broke off as Marielle, in white capris and a vivid orange top, rushed in. A quick scan of the drink list, and she ordered something called a Brazilian. It sounded like a wax job, but must be one of the colorful, boozy drinks she loved.
The brunette looked as happy as Kim felt miserable. The moment the waiter left, Marielle leaned forward, eyes flashing. “Wasn’t Saturday the best day ever?”
George said, “It was fun, but I’m dying of curiosity. What happened with you and Blake?”
“What didn’t happen?” She gave a burbly, smirky laugh. “That man is amazing! Believe me, that Dirk dude in our book doesn’t hold a candle to Blake.” Elbows on the table, she leaned forward eagerly. “And yes, I stayed over, and went to the rodeo Sunday too. They had afternoon events, then the finals in the evening. Blake was amazing in the bull riding, and he won saddle bronc with a score of 89. He got fifteen thousand dollars! I think I inspired him. And last night, oh man, he took me for one wild ride.”
She turned to Kim. “I thought you’d come see Ty compete. He was in the finals too, and he—”
“Stop!” Kim almost yelled. “I don’t want to hear about it.”
Oops.
Was that an overreaction? Three faces stared at her curiously.
“The two of you seemed to be hitting it off,” Lily said. “Was it okay that George and I left? If we’d thought there was any problem—”
“No!” Kim rarely interrupted people, but now did it for the second time in twenty seconds. “There was no problem. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself in a bar.”
“You had to look after yourself?” George’s eyes narrowed. “Did Ty Ronan try something?”
Kim stifled a moan. What hadn’t he tried? Sex this way, that way, every fabulous way she could imagine. Well, not quite every way; they’d fallen asleep before they could— She dragged her mind away. “He was fine. We danced.”
She’d been raised to be honest, which she interpreted as not straight-out lying. Omitting an occasional detail wasn’t a lie. Like the way she and Henry hadn’t told their parents they were just friends now. Let their parents be happy—and not bug her and Henry—for a little while longer.
“And I drove home,” she added. “And I really have no desire to hear about him again. Are we going to eat? Has anyone ordered appies?”
After a moment’s silence, everyone picked up a menu. They decided on tuna tataki, crispy dry ribs, and edamame.
“All right then,” Lily said crisply. “Let’s talk about the book.” She turned to Kim. “Did you like it?”
“Actually, I didn’t manage to finish the first part,” she confessed. At their surprised looks, she said, “I was busy. I’m sorry.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Lily said with concern. “It’s not like you to not finish.”
“Stop playing mom,” Kim snapped. “I’m fine.”
The wounded look on Lily’s face gave Kim an immediate case of the guilts. “I’m sorry.” She grabbed her friend’s hand. “So sorry. I’m a bitch. It’s PMS or something.”
Something
being Ty Ronan.
“It’s all right,” Lily said quietly. She squeezed Kim’s hand then released it and picked up her martini. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about the book. There’d be spoilers for Kim.”
“How far did you get, Kim?” George asked. “We could discuss it to that point.”
Kim deliberated. Maybe she was a little curious about how the others saw Marty’s fling with Dirk. She waited until their server had put
Lily, her fair skin complemented by a thin rose-colored sweater, raised her delicate blond eyebrows. “Are you feeling all right?”
“Sure. I don’t always have to drink booze, you know.”
Lily and George, who wore a gold-colored jersey that made her hair look especially fiery, exchanged glances.
Kim pretended not to notice.
“How did . . .” George started cautiously, then broke off as Marielle, in white capris and a vivid orange top, rushed in. A quick scan of the drink list, and she ordered something called a Brazilian. It sounded like a wax job, but must be one of the colorful, boozy drinks she loved.
The brunette looked as happy as Kim felt miserable. The moment the waiter left, Marielle leaned forward, eyes flashing. “Wasn’t Saturday the best day ever?”
George said, “It was fun, but I’m dying of curiosity. What happened with you and Blake?”
“What didn’t happen?” She gave a burbly, smirky laugh. “That man is amazing! Believe me, that Dirk dude in our book doesn’t hold a candle to Blake.” Elbows on the table, she leaned forward eagerly. “And yes, I stayed over, and went to the rodeo Sunday too. They had afternoon events, then the finals in the evening. Blake was amazing in the bull riding, and he won saddle bronc with a score of 89. He got fifteen thousand dollars! I think I inspired him. And last night, oh man, he took me for one wild ride.”
She turned to Kim. “I thought you’d come see Ty compete. He was in the finals too, and he—”
“Stop!” Kim almost yelled. “I don’t want to hear about it.”
Oops.
Was that an overreaction? Three faces stared at her curiously.
“The two of you seemed to be hitting it off,” Lily said. “Was it okay that George and I left? If we’d thought there was any problem—”
“No!” Kim rarely interrupted people, but now did it for the second time in twenty seconds. “There was no problem. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself in a bar.”
“You had to look after yourself?” George’s eyes narrowed. “Did Ty Ronan try something?”
Kim stifled a moan. What hadn’t he tried? Sex this way, that way, every fabulous way she could imagine. Well, not quite every way; they’d fallen asleep before they could— She dragged her mind away. “He was fine. We danced.”
She’d been raised to be honest, which she interpreted as not straight-out lying. Omitting an occasional detail wasn’t a lie. Like the way she and Henry hadn’t told their parents they were just friends now. Let their parents be happy—and not bug her and Henry—for a little while longer.
“And I drove home,” she added. “And I really have no desire to hear about him again. Are we going to eat? Has anyone ordered appies?”
After a moment’s silence, everyone picked up a menu. They decided on tuna tataki, crispy dry ribs, and edamame.
“All right then,” Lily said crisply. “Let’s talk about the book.” She turned to Kim. “Did you like it?”
“Actually, I didn’t manage to finish the first part,” she confessed. At their surprised looks, she said, “I was busy. I’m sorry.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?” Lily said with concern. “It’s not like you to not finish.”
“Stop playing mom,” Kim snapped. “I’m fine.”
The wounded look on Lily’s face gave Kim an immediate case of the guilts. “I’m sorry.” She grabbed her friend’s hand. “So sorry. I’m a bitch. It’s PMS or something.”
Something
being Ty Ronan.
“It’s all right,” Lily said quietly. She squeezed Kim’s hand then released it and picked up her martini. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about the book. There’d be spoilers for Kim.”
“How far did you get, Kim?” George asked. “We could discuss it to that point.”
Kim deliberated. Maybe she was a little curious about how the others saw Marty’s fling with Dirk. She waited until their server had put
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