Dolly grabs Sam’s hand, and Rosie kisses Holden.
Monroe and I walk out the front door after Cash and Duke, who are dressed in their nice Wranglers, snakeskin boots, and brown Stetsons. I shiver when the cold wind hits my skin.
Duke opens the door of the black limousine before turning toward us. The smile melts off his face when he sees me. His eyes rake over my body, heating me from the inside out. His hand reaches up to grab the back of his neck, and he whistles under his breath before facing away from me.
I keep walking, sliding into the limo behind Rosie and Monroe. They saved me a spot between them on the luxurious leather seats. I have to keep my thighs pressed together so I don’t flash anyone. After Duke gets in, champagne glasses are passed around. The driver takes off, almost immediately getting stuck in traffic.
I down half the champagne, my skin feeling raw and sensitive under Duke’s steady gaze. We’re the automatic fourth couple, even though we haven’t exchanged words since the night he told Scott he and I were “just friends.”
And I’m not mad about it. Why would I be? If he wants to befriends, that’s fine by me.
I’m in my healing era. I’m not wasting time hooking up withfuckboys.
I set my jaw, looking out the window at the people on the street as we get closer to downtown. Cowboy hats, gaudy turquoise jewelry, and fringe are everywhere.
When we pull up to the first bar, the driver idles near the curb. Duke opens the door, and we all file out. Cash keeps Monroe close to him, tugging her under his arm when the first person recognizes her and the screaming starts.
I’ve heard the rumors about how wild it can get, going out with Monroe, and I imagine since she’s headlining the concert tomorrow, Nashville is packed with her superfans. The crowd presses in around us as we make our way up to the bouncer, bypassing the line. Duke appears next to me, out of nowhere. He’s not looking at me. His gaze is scanning the crowd. I notice the bulge on his hip when someone bumps me and I fall into him.
They’re probably all carrying right now.
I feel a lot safer being with the Redford brothers than I ever did with Matt.
The bouncers let us in without even checking our IDs as soon as they see Monroe. The brush of Duke’s hand at my lower back tingles my skin. I follow behind Dolly and Sam. They lead us through the dimly lit bar. The loud bass music vibrates the floor as we walk up a winding staircase. People point and gape at Monroe and Cash in front. Someone screams her name while other people pull their phones out to record.
“Is it always like this?” I turn to ask Duke, whose face is level with mine since I’m two steps above him.
He nods. “It’ll get worse as the night goes on. Word willspread that she’s here.” He grabs my hand, as if to reassure me that we’ll be okay.
I turn around and keep climbing the stairs, hoping half the bar isn’t getting flashed by my ass cheeks. I feel a brush against the back of my upper thighs, and when I turn around, I see his cowboy hat hovering right underneath the hem of my skirt.
He winks at me as we reach the top and puts the hat back on.
“Miss Blue and friends! Welcome! What are we drinking this evening?” A man in a black velvet suit with dangling fringe is grinning at us widely with bright white veneers. His bedazzled white cowboy hat stands out boldly against his skin.
“I’m thinking we’ll start with a round of tequila shots! Thank you!” Monroe takes a seat in the center of the leather sofa, patting the spots next to her for Rosie and Dolly.
I take mine on the other side of Dolly, who is grinning brightly at me as I sit down.
She leans toward me to talk into my ear. “Girl, spill. Are you into my brother now?”
I force out a laugh, even as my stomach tightens. “What? No! Not at all.”
His statement about us being neighbors and friends pops into my head.
“We’re just friends. Really good friends.”
Dolly squints at me, playing with the end of her long braid. “I see. Well, he’s obviously still got a huge crush on you.”
I shake my head. “We’re just friends. Really good friends.” I repeat his words.
She lifts a dark brow. “Really good friends, huh? Isn’t that, like, code for something else?”
I shake my head, not answering because Duke chooses that moment to sit next to me on the leather bench.
The bottle-service girl arrives with a beaming smile and a tray full of empty shot glasses. She has a bottle of tequila in her hand, which she uses to fill each glass after she sets the tray down on the table.
She adds lime to all the rims before going around to pass them out. Duke grabs two and hands me one. He clinks them together.
