Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91490 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 457(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
“You came!” someone screeches from behind us. Donna appears and grabs Rosey by the hand like they’re long-lost sisters.
“Did you complete your investigations?” Rosey asks. She’s clearly intrigued.
She grabs my elbow and stands close, pulling the three of us into a circle. “I knocked on the doors,” she whispers. I’m not sure if she’s drunk or just overinvested. “No freaking answer. It was six thirty. If it was a tourist, there’s no way they wouldn’t be in their RV at six freaking thirty.”
She looks between us like she’s a trial lawyer who’s just presented a smoking gun.
“So you think it’s the government?” Rosey asks, her eyes wide.
Donna lifts up her palms. “What else could it be?”
I’m about to give her at least a dozen possible explanations that don’t involve federal agencies, when suddenly the door to Grizzly’s crashes open and three very unexpected faces appear.
TWENTY-TWO
Byron
I slide my beer onto the bar and try to focus on the three men who’ve just come through the door. I glance back at my drink. How many have I had? Is it enough to start hallucinating?
“You know those guys?” Rosey asks.
“If the mountain won’t go to Mohammed,” Worth says as he saunters toward us.
“Then the New Yorkers have to come to the mountains,” Fisher finishes.
Fisher gets to me first and pulls me into a hug. I still can’t believe what I’m seeing.
“What are you guys doing here?”
“Heard this place was banging,” Fisher says, glancing around at the timber-clad walls and stone floors. “Had to come check it out for ourselves.”
Jack offers me an effusive handshake and back slap, always the most formal of our group.
“Fuck,” I say. “It’s going to be a tight squeeze in the cabin tonight.” I glance over at Rosey. She’ll probably need to stay too. I’m not sure if her place has dried out, and I’m not sure I care either way—I just want her near me. “This is Rosey, by the way.”
Each of my friends greets Rosey with a handshake.
“Known Byron for long?” Fisher asks.
“I only got to town a couple of weeks ago,” Rosey says. “Are you local?”
The four of us laugh. “These guys are from New York,” I say. “We’ve been friends a long time.”
“And we miss Byron,” Worth says, ruffling my hair like a sitcom dad. “So we thought we’d drop by. Anyway, we want to see what’s been keeping our friend in Colorado so long.” He shoots me a look that asks, Does Rosey have something to do with it? “This Club better be good.”
“It’s beautiful,” Rosey says. “Billionaire beautiful.”
The guys laugh, we order drinks, and no one asks who Rosey is to me. Instead, the guys sweep her up in conversation, asking her where she’s from and whether she’s enjoying Star Falls.
“Valley Park is beautiful,” Jack says. “Even before we left the RVs, there were so many stars out. I swear we can see fucking Saturn from where we are.”
“Did you say RVs in Valley Park?” Rosey asks. “Like… the three million-dollar RVs that arrived today? That’s where you’re staying?”
“We couldn’t get a bloody room anywhere,” Fisher says. “Worth got us an RV each.”
Rosey dissolves into giggles. “This is perfect,” she says through her laugh. “I bet it takes all of five minutes before someone wanders over and accuses you of being from the FBI.”
“Am I missing something?” Jack asks.
“The whole town has been talking about the RVs,” I explain. “No one understood why they were there or who they belonged to. It makes sense now.”
“Donna said she knocked on your doors earlier. You didn’t hear her?”
“We only got here. Dumped our stuff in the RVs and came right over. It was the only place where there were lights. None of us could get a phone signal. I asked a guy where you were living and they told us we’d find you here.”
“Small towns, right?” Rosey says. “Ever watch Superman?”
“Conversational whiplash,” Fisher says.
Rosey shakes her head. “I know you’re not clad in black leather or anything, but I bet the three of you looked like those Zod villains walking down Main Street.”
“Day made. I always wanted to be a comic book villain,” Jack says.
“I think that’s Leo’s kink, isn’t it?” Worth says.
“He just got there before me. There’s no way I would have let Mystique out of my sight if I’d met her first.”
I raise my eyebrows. “You have a crush on Mystique, or you have a crush on Jules?”
Jack shakes it off. “Nah. Well, not now anyway, she’s my sister-in-law.”
We all exchange glances. I never picked up on Jack having a crush on Jules, Leo’s wife. Maybe I’m reading too much into what he’s saying.
“I’m lost,” Rosey says, breaking through the awkwardness of the moment.
“Me too,” I confess.
“Come on,” Fisher says. “Let’s play pool.” He nods at the table in the back.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Rosey says as everyone moves off.