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“Luke’s here,” Carter cheered, his eyes a little red and bleary.
“Somebody get this man a beer,” Kieran added, doing the honor himself, pouring me a pint from one of the several pitchers on their table. He sloshed quite a bit over the edge of the glass. I wondered how the two of them planned on getting home.
I looked over to Elias, however, who sat on the edge of one booth sipping a Coke. Right. Elias had probably thought about that too.
I took the beer that Kieran offered me and sat down, but I didn’t drink it.
“How long have you known each other and that fucker still hasn’t figured out you don’t drink?” Elias laughed.
“Years,” I answered. “Some things never change.”
“Some things do, though. You actually came out tonight. What made you change your mind?”
“Well, when your own mother has more exciting plans than you and starts calling you a shut-in…”
“Say no more.”
“Thanks,” I told him. “So, um, what’s new?”
Elias raised an eyebrow. “What’s new? You mean, like, with me? Or, like, in this town or… I mean, either way, the answer is nothing.”
“I should’ve known. Nothing exciting happens in Blue Creek.”
As if on cue, a woman walked into the bar. She had long auburn hair and wore jeans and a fluttery top. She walked right up to my brothers like she knew them. She looked a little familiar.
“Hey, guys,” she said.
“Stephanie, how’s it hanging?” Carter asked.
He and Kieran stopped their conversation to greet Stephanie before she dropped down in the booth with Elias and me. He gave her a small hug and poured her a beer from the pitcher.
“Stephanie, do you remember my brother Luke?” Elias asked her.
Stephanie looked at me and did a double take. And that was when I realized who this was. Stephanie was StephanieLawless. As in Cindy Lawless’s younger sister.MyCindy. Well, she should have been.
“Do I remember Luke Kane?” she repeated. Something in the way she said my name sounded knowing. Suspicious, even. “Of course I do.”
“Nice to see you again,” I told her. “Um…”
I had a million questions for Stephanie. How was Cindy?Wherewas Cindy? Was she ever coming back to Blue Creek? What was she doing now? How come she never answered any of my calls?
“Um, how long have you all been hanging out?” I finally blurted out.
“My girlfriend is the manager here, and I met these guys when I started coming around to pick up Maya from work,” Stephanie explained.
“I see.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask about Cindy, but I forced myself to stay cool. The last time I saw Cindy Lawless was the day my whole life started falling apart. I’d never forget that look in her eyes as Emme announced her pregnancy. Cindy ran away so fast, her hands covering her face. But I could still picture her in that dress with the wind blowing through her hair. I still remembered how pretty she looked that night.
And how I almost kissed her. But never got the chance.
I was mostly quiet for the rest of the night, listening to Carter and Kieran make asses of themselves as they played darts and flirted with women out of their league. Elias and Stephanie talked about a television show they both liked that I’d never seen, so I couldn’t add much. I was content to let my mind wander, wondering if I should give up and go home, until I heard Stephanie say something interesting.
“I should really get Maya and get going,” she announced. “I’ve got to pick up my sister from the airport early tomorrow morning.”
I plunked my hand down on the table and startled everyone with the noise.
“Wait, Cindy? You’re picking up Cindy from the airport tomorrow?”
