“InJanuary.”
“Her cousin will take care of her.” Dad gently takes the pink puffer from my hands. “Go with your brother. Get your mind off all this.”
I hesitate, looking down at the little jacket, before Austin drags me to the door. “First shot’s on me.”
* * *
“This Thursday will bea special Dare Night,” Uncle Craig says on the PA system in a crowded Cooters & Shooters. “We’ll have almost all the kids back home, and we’ll have an early,spicyThanksgiving treat for you, along with some holiday drink specials. Hashtag,gratitude. Hashtag,blessed.”
An excited noise sounds through the dining room, andmy honorary uncle waggles his eyebrows at them in response.
Aunt Dylan has been hosting “Dare Night” at the restaurant since before I was born, and she prepares a special, super-hot pepper dish fordaringcustomers to try while Uncle Craig plays fire-themed music and leads a rowdy dance party, complete with drag.
Gina’s dad, my uncle Garrett, is always in the middle of it, dancing on the bar with him in his own blonde wig, unless he has to work.
“Aunt Allie, Knox needs more purple drink, please!” Gina waves at Mom, who’s helping run the smaller bar near the entrance to the pool tables tonight. “If I can’t have any, at least you can.”
Before Mom married Dad, she was a single-parent waitress at Cooters & Shooters, and even though she’s the high school librarian now, she still helps out when the crowd swells around the holidays and during the summer months.
She puts two cups in front of us, one leaded and the other unleaded, then she reaches for my forearm. “How are you feeling, baby?” Her head tilts to the side.
“Like I’ve had a lot to drink,” I answer honestly.
“I’ll ask Dylan to send over more chicken wings.” She starts to go then stops abruptly, turning back. “Did Liv tell you she scheduled a Zoom meeting with that girl’s lawyer tomorrow? I think she wants you to be there.”
“No!” I straighten. “Shit… What time?”
“I think she said two o’clock.” She reaches down and pulls out a clear plastic cup and fills it with ice water. “Drink this. I’ll get those wings.”
My head spins, and I turn to face my cousin, who takes a big sip of her virgin drink.
“Don’t worry—you’ll be fine by then.” Gina waves her hand at me. “Tell me all about the Quarterback Princess. Iwasn’t expecting her to be so pretty when I saw that YouTube video…”
We’re leaning on the small bar facing each other, and I do a quick mental accounting of how much I’ve had to drink tonight. Austin bought me a shot of vodka, and this is my third purple drink. I slide it to the side and reach for the cup of water instead as Mom puts a platter of chicken wings in front of us, giving me a wink.
“Knoxey!” Gina shakes my arm.
I look down at her. “What?”
“The Quarterback Princess! My new hero! You tapping that or what?”
My eyes drift to the side, and she squeals, grabbing my arm and shaking it again. “Oh my gaaaahd, you are! How did it happen? You were pissed as hell at her in LA.”
“Yeah, she was kind of a pain in my ass in the beginning. She started all this bullshit about me not taking the checkdown and playing hero ball.”
“Take the checkdown, K-Brad,” Austin leans over and shouts at me.
I shove his shoulder. “A-hole,” I holler back.
I’m doing a lot better at not swearing. Put me in front of that lawyer, and see if I drop a single F-bomb. I won’t.
“Ooo… so it started out as hate-boinking?” Gina’s eyes flash, and I huff a laugh, nodding. Then she squeals. “Brain freeze!”
Her eyes squeeze shut, and I hold up my thumb. “To the roof of your mouth!”
She nods, quickly doing as instructed, and I mentally note how I’m such a responsible caregiver. I’m sure they’ll see what a good dad I’d be tomorrow.
I need to wrap it up here and get home and get some sleep, so I don’t look like I’ve been drowning my sorrows all night.
