AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sal hides a smirk as Seth rolls his eyes.
“Okay, I say this lovingly, but it is the weekend and y’all are clowns because I know we are not talkin’ about work right now,” Emmy Lou says, her eyes narrowed with annoyance.
Jace lifts a fork stacked with potato salad to his lips. “I don’t think that’s how it works, Em.”
“Sure, we’ll change the subject,” Griff says easily. “Let’s talk about Seth’s new ride.” He shakes his head in disgust. “Fuckin’ shame. That paint color.”
Seth wraps a hand around his beer. “Hey, leave ol’ June out of this.”
Emmy Lou props an elbow on the table, looks at Seth with a smile. “Oh, she has a name now?”
Sal laughs and sips her wine. “It’s the new lady in his life. We have to accept her.”
Luke meets Sal’s eyes, laughter dancing on his face. They both know Seth’s girlfriends are short-lived and scarce.
“Oh, Seth?” Jace snorts. “I don’t think his heart has ever skipped a beat in his life.”
Griff leans in, leveling Seth with a look. “You off-road anything more than forty-five degrees, you’re gonna roll it, you know that, don’t you?”
Luke tenses in his chair at the words.
Seth tosses his fork down, a scowl on his usually sunny face. “What is this, pick on Seth hour?”
Griff shrugs. “When you got a shitty ride, sure.”
“Yeah, well, you know what? You got a shitty fuckin’ attitude, Greyson,” Seth snaps. “Nothin’ much has changed since we left your ass in Florida. Luke might throw you a few bones with a song, but you’re still an asshole.”
Silence falls across the table.
Sal bites her lip, too stunned by the outburst to say anything. Emmy Lou, her light brown eyes wide, gives Sal a stare that says too much alcohol.
Griff growls, anger on his face, a hot retort on his lips, but Alabama lays a hand on his arm. “Griff.”
A calm comes over him, a calm only Alabama can bring out, and he settles back in his chair, disgruntled, twisting a gold ring on his pinkie.
Sal glances around the table. Emmy Lou, in the middle of sawing her burger in half, is wincing, Jace frowning, and Luke...
Luke’s giving his brother a sharp look, silently warning him not to continue this path of conversation. A moment passes between the two of them and then Seth’s dark glare clears.
Seth digs up a massive helping of potato salad, grumbles, “Guy can’t take a damn joke.” As close to an apology as he can get.
Emmy Lou waves a hand around the table like she can scoop up everyone and shake them out into a different mood. “I take it back, I think y’all should go back to talkin’ work,” she chirps, ever the bright light amidst Seth’s sullen scowl.
Griff busts out with an ear-splitting laugh that shakes the house, even Seth joins in on the laughter as the table returns to more lighthearted conversation.
Only Sal shifts uncomfortably. The record player suddenly seems so loud. The house too hot. It feels as if her head might float away from her body. Then, feeling eyes on her, she looks over at Luke and gives him a smile, not wanting him to worry. As the howling laughter swells around her, she closes her eyes and breathes a shaky breath in.
Luke studies Sal, her cheeks pink from the heat. Her bright green eyes stare off into space, her face distracted. Deciding that Seth and Griff won’t full-on beat each other’s ass, he turns his attention to her. “You okay?” he whispers, leaning in.
She nods. Her smile forced. Luke fights a frown, studying her plate. She hasn’t touched her food. Hasn’t said much of anything really.
He looks away from Sal as Jace laughs, turning the conversation to lighter things like rodeos and record deals.
“Sal?” Seth’s frowning across the table.
“I’m okay,” she says.
And then she faints in her chair.
