The Posse by Tawdra Kandle

down
bottles each holiday, and Logan remembered it was Jude’s favorite
indulgence, whether she was celebrating or drowning sorrows.
    She walked carefully around
the bar and pulled out another shot glass. Placing it next to hers,
she uncapped the bottle and tipped it over.
    “How many of those have you
had, Jude?”
    She finished pouring, set
the bottle upright and replaced the top. “I lost count after five.
But now you’re here to help me count.”
    She propped her elbows on
the bar, picked up her glass and raised it to eye level.
“To...life. Screwed up as it is.”
    Logan followed suit, lifted
his drink. “To life.”
    Jude slammed hers down,
closing her eyes and breathing out.
    Logan drank his own, his
eyes never leaving Jude. She still sat with her elbows up,
thrusting her breasts into prominence. She’d taken down her hair at
some point, and it was tousled around her shoulders. Even knowing
what she was going through, he found it hard to breathe, watching
her.
    She opened her eyes and
stared up into his. For a long moment, she didn’t speak, and then
she licked her lips.
    “Don’t you want to know what
we’re celebrating, Logan?”
    He couldn’t resist. He
reached out and hooked one strand of hair on his finger. “I think I
have a pretty good idea.”
    “Really? I’d bet against you
on that.” She poured another drink.
    “Jude, maybe you’ve had
enough.” But he drank what she poured him.
    “Not nearly. So how would
you know why I broke out the limoncello, Logan? Is that part of
your mission in life? To keep your eye on me? Make sure I don’t go
off the deep end?” She smiled, wide and almost sleepy, and Logan
felt his heart skip.
    “I know because Joseph
called me on the way out of town. He was worried about you. He told
me the whole story, asked me to come over and make sure you were
okay.”
    “Okay.” Jude dropped her
head to the bar and laughed. “Yeah, I’m okay. What a stupid...” Her
voice trailed off.
    Logan smoothed her hair, let
his hand rest in the crook of her neck. “I know. That was a dumb
thing to say. Okay must be the last thing you’re feeling.”
    Jude raised her head just
enough to look at him. “Logan...I’m a grandmother . Did he
tell you that? He has a baby. He got a girl pregnant.” She put her
head down again.
    “Jude, I know this has to
be...devastating.” He wasn’t sure that was the right word, but it
would do for now. “But it isn’t the end of the world. Joseph is a
good kid. He made a mistake, sure, but that doesn’t mean--”
    “I know.” She turned her
head so that her cheek lay on the bar. “He’s a good kid. Daniel and
I...we used to say, we’ve got good kids. Sure, they have their ups
and downs. All of them do. And I never thought they were perfect.
But I did think I’d always have Daniel there to go through it with
me, when they had their downs. But I don’t. Today when Joseph came
to tell me, I kept thinking...why am I doing this alone? Where is
Daniel when I need him?”
    Logan closed his eyes and
moved his hand around to caress her cheek. “But you’re not alone,
Jude. You never have to be.”
    She didn’t respond, and this
time Logan was the one to pour another round. He needed that last
shot of courage.
    With the burn still on his
tongue, he leaned over the bar. Jude’s eyes were heavy but not
shut. She glanced at him sideways.
    “What are you doing, Logan?”
The words were whispered, just a breath that feathered Logan’s
mouth.
    “I don’t know.” He whispered
too, as though there were anyone to hear them. “But I think I’m
going to kiss you.”
    He lowered his mouth,
bringing his lips softly on Jude’s. The moment they touched,
something surged through Logan, straight to his groin. He groaned
and leaned farther over, so that his mouth took full possession of
Jude’s, no longer a simple kiss but full involvement of their lips
and tongues.
    He had expected a protest,
or at best, a sleepy acquiescence. Instead, she