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Piper puts her hand over her heart. “I’m just a girl standing in front of a boy asking him to give me an orgasm.”
“I’m just a girl looking for a boy who knows how to give me an orgasm.” Cass rolls her gray-blue eyes. “Seriously, men settled the West, they were pioneers, they charted new territories, created maps. You’d think they could find the clitorus.”
Piper snorts into her beer. “From what I understand, Britt has no idea what you’re talking about.”
Sitting straighter, I wave my hands in a cutting motion. “Stop. That’s so unfair. Yes, we’re having great sex, but what about all the other shit just lurking in the background, waiting to come crashing down on my head?”
“Like what?” Piper frowns.
“Like my family? Like his family hating my family. Like my mom being completely impossible with all her premonitions and all her… shit.” The secret I’m allowing my mother to keep presses against my temples, but I can’t tell them. Not before I’ve told Aiden. “Like him kind of being my boss?”
Cass throws out her arms. “What would Shania do?”
“She’d say don’t try to run!” Piper jumps off the couch. “She’d getcha good!”
We’ve all had at least two shots of tequila, and we’re in total drunk-friend, problem-solving mode. I’m off the couch as well, grabbing my phone and pulling up my favorite song. The Bluetooth speaker in the kitchen starts blasting “I’m Gonna Getcha Good,” and we all start dancing as we sing along at the top of our lungs.
Cass has the best voice. Piper and I find the notes with varying degrees of success. We’re two bars in when Edward hops to his feet on the couch and nods his head as if he’s in distress. We don’t stop singing, and he begins howling as loud as our singing, which makes us laugh and sing more. It’s a tradition, the minute we start singing this song, he starts howling.
“You’re going to get a fine for violating the noise ordinance.” Piper wipes her eyes and sits beside Edward, petting his head to calm his howling.
“I’m sure Aiden will be glad to hand-deliver it!” Cass continues dancing, and I join her.
The tension I’ve been struggling with melts away in the warmth of my friends, Shania Twain, and Edward’s howls of protest.
My phone lights with a text, and I lift it to see a photo of three glasses of bourbon with the words,Bourbon tasting. Have fun.
Chewing my bottom lip, my chest warms at his simple order to have fun. Cass and Piper are beside me at once.
“Who knew grumpy Sheriff Stone could be so cute?” Piper coos.
“I did a reading for you,” Cass says softly, threading her fingers in my hair.
“Cass, don’t…”
“I know, I know. You don’t believe in that stuff anymore, but I did one. I saw the two of you together, happy, with babies.”
I’m too buzzed to argue with her. In this moment, I want to believe her sweet dreams and fairy tales. I want to think it could be true. I don’t want to think about all the reasons why magic isn’t real or it won’t work.
I want to believe in how maybe, it just might.
CHAPTER17
AIDEN
“It’s right up there with Pappy van Winkle.” Adam holds the glass of scotch, tilting it side to side. “We’re about to blow up again.”
“I hope so.” Alex returns the bottle of straight bourbon whiskey to the shelf. “I spent a lot of time on that flavor profile.”
“Wheat instead of corn.” My youngest brother nods. “Makes it sweeter.”
“Sure you don’t want to come help me?” Alex lifts his tumbler, clinking it against Adam’s. “Bartenders are essentially pastors. They’re just a lot more honest.”
Alex pours me another finger, but my eyes are on my phone, studying the photo Britt just sent me of Edward with his head lifted. It looks like he’s howling, which makes me smile.
“You’re very relaxed.” Adam walks over to where I’m standing, and I quickly tuck my phone in my pocket.
“What’s that?” I lift the tumbler and take another sip.
