Page 94 of Second Chance Saloon

Full glass of water, a pack of aspirin and a pink Post-it covered with familiar handwriting:

Hope your head isn’t too bad, cowboy.

Swallowing down a smile, he traced the looped inked letters with his finger.

So, he hadn’t imagined Jackie helping him into bed. He tried to remember what they’d talked about, but his mind wasn’t cooperating, still dulled by last night’s tequila. His lips tingled with the memory of a kiss, and he hoped that wasn’t part of his eager imagination.

His phone buzzed with a new text.

HUNTER: Just warning you that I’m going to call you right now because I’m worried. And Caroline won’t leave me alone until I’ve actually heard you and checked you are OK.

He let out a low chuckle and shook his head.

MITCH: Since when does she care so much about me?

HUNTER: It’s Caroline. She always cares. Calling you now.

The screen lit up with an incoming call and Mitch picked up right away. “Hello, wannabe Scotsman.”

Hunter’s laugh came through the speaker. “You’re trying to be funny, which means you’re hungover. What was it, whisky?”

“Tequila. And I’m always funny, what are you on about.”

“No, you think you’re funny. There’s a big difference. Anyway, how are you?”

Mitch shuffled, propping the pillow up behind his back. He put Hunter on speaker and popped two aspirins, gulping down some water.

“That good, eh?” Hunter teased.

“Shut up. I’m fine. My head’s killing me. But I’ll be okay. Jackie got me to drink some water before I went to sleep, and I think that must’ve helped, at least a bit.”

“Jackie, you say.”

Mitch rubbed his forehead, his sleepy gaze drifting to the balcony door.

It was another gorgeous day. The sun was high in the blue sky, speckled with wisps of white fluffy clouds. Calm waves rippled through the sea, rhythmically hitting the shore. Tiny people waded in the water, their heads popping up and down.

A dip in the sea seemed like the best idea.

“How pathetic would it be to tell her I’ve never stopped thinking about her?” he asked Hunter, humor draining from his voice.

Hunter was silent for a beat. “You mean telling her you’ve never stopped loving her?”

His breath rushed out on a sigh. “I worry I’ve already told her something to that effect last night. I don’t remember much but … You know how I get when I drink a bit too much.”

Hunter cackled. “Oh yeah, I’m aware.”

“So, I’m not sure what I said. But I think I made it clear I want her.”

“Do you want her as in want to sleep with her to scratch the ten-year itch? Or do you want her as in screw the last ten years, you want to spend the rest of your life with her?”

Mitch’s blood boiled. “Fuck’s sake Hunt, you know—”

“Hey, I know! I know you. She does too—or rather, did. I’m just saying, these will be two conflicting questions in her head when you say your piece.”

“It could never be the first, not with Jackie … She’s …” Mitch paused, thick saliva clogging his throat. He cleared it, biting on his bottom lip. “She’s the love of my life. I thought I could forget about her, get on with my life. I was prepared to marry Eve, start a family with her and that’d be it.”

“But you wouldn’t have forgotten Jackie,” Hunter said quietly.