Total pages in book: 128
Estimated words: 121210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121210 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 606(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
“Thank you.”
“How are you feeling, Norah?” I ask her without really asking her. I’m not sure who in town knows that she’s pregnant, and I refuse to be the one who spills the beans if they’re not ready.
“Well, very thirsty,” she says with a grin. “But I’m pretty good. Though, Josie might say that I’m a little bossy.” She playfully elbows Josie in the side, and Josie snorts.
“Sure, sis. If you want to put it mildly…you’re a little bossy,” Josie razzes. “Not over-the-top dramatic or anything like that. Just…a teensy bit bossy.”
“I like to call it persistent,” a deep voice chimes in, and all three of us look up to find Bennett standing there, dressed in a costume I saw him wear one year when he went trick-or-treating with Summer.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Norah exclaims, and she doesn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his big shoulders. Bennett smiles down at her, his eyes filled with the kind of love that I know is in my eyes whenever I look at Josie. “And you’re Kristoff,” she says, and her voice shakes with emotion. “God, Summer would’ve loved that.”
Bennett’s smile doesn’t falter. “She would’ve, wouldn’t she?”
“Yes.” Norah nods, and I don’t miss the one single tear that slips from her lids.
He presses a kiss to Norah’s lips. “Though, I will say, I do think you look better in it than me.”
Norah’s head falls back as a peal of giggles leave her lips. Her tears are happy. His smile is bittersweet. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the look on her face that day. She couldn’t stop laughing.”
Bennett’s eyes turn wistful, and Norah leans forward to hug him tightly. She whispers something into his ear, and he leans back to meet her eyes again.
“I’m here because I want to be.”
And when Bennett pulls Norah in for a deep kiss, my eyes flit to Josie. She’s looking at me, directly at me, but when we lock eyes, she quickly looks away.
My mind reels. And my heart soars. And I hardly notice when Norah and Bennett skitter off to go chat with a few people in town. But I do notice when Josie grabs her glass of wine and walks away from the bar without a word.
And I watch her the entire way as she heads over to the pool tables where Tad Hanson is dressed like a cowboy and his brother Randy sports a Men in Black costume. Back in the day, Josie and I used to run those fucking pool tables. Whenever a random passerby would stop in The Country Club, she’d play the part of the clueless blonde, and I’d help her bait them into betting money on a few games.
We had a whole routine. And she’d purposely lose the first two games. Just completely bomb them. But by game three, that’s when my little pool shark would come out, and a few games later, those bastards would always end up leaving my bar with their wallets empty and their tails tucked between their legs.
One time, we even managed to get Grandma Rose to join in the charade, and that woman being the Scheming Sally that she was, it was our biggest payday of all. We split the cash three ways and laughed about it for hours at Grandma Rose’s place over takeout from the diner.
Those were the good old days.
But as I stand here, watching Josie talk Tad’s brother Randy into a game, I realize just how much I want those good old days back. How much I want her back.
And when I see how terribly she’s playing during the first game, my mind is made up.
She’s here. In my bar. And I refuse to let this opportunity pass.
55
Josie
Sunday, October 31st
“How much money did you end up taking Randy Hanson for?” Sheila Higgins asks as I walk out of the bathroom stall. She’s at the sink washing her hands, and our eyes meet in the mirror.
“One hundred bucks,” I say with a grin as I step up to the sink beside hers and put my hand under the automatic soap dispenser.
“Poor Randy.” Sheila cackles. “Marty told me you were a bit of a pool shark back in the day, but after seeing you run that table, I realize he was underexaggerating. Girl, you’re diabolical.”
Back in the day. So many memories are tied up in this stupid bar, and every single one of them involves Clay. I hate that my mind wants to reminisce about all of it. I hate that my heart also thinks it’s a good idea.
“I’m just a girl who knows how to use men’s egos against them,” I respond, and I have to force an amused smile to my lips. “Grandma Rose taught me well.”
“She sure did.” Sheila grins as she wipes her hand off with a paper towel. “See you out there?”