remember. I shrug off a surge of self-pity that threatens to knock me off my bar stool. My life is such a fucking fairy tale.
A figure steps up across from me with a slice of cake the size of a double-wide. Jake, of course. He wags two forks in the air. “Chocolate always helps.”
My stomach lurches at the thought of more food, and I wave his offer away. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
He slides the dessert three seats down, offering it to a bearded man in flannel and denim. “Knock yourself out, Wade. On the house.” And then he turns back to me, leaning across the bar on both forearms. “Bartenders are notoriously good listeners, you know.”
I know he means well, but right now talking about my problems is the last thing on my mind. The very last thing. Not when a mighty fine distraction is standing right here.
“How about drinkers? Are y’all good drinkers, too?”
“I can’t speak for all bartenders,” he says, “but I’ve been known to tie one on when necessary.”
One corner of his mouth lifts, and I watch for the other to catch up. Here it comes.
“Oh, it’s necessary. Because I hate to drink alone, and I’m sure as hell not going back to that house sober.”
And there it is. I free fall into Jake’s extraordinary smile.
6
I WAKE UP the next morning in my bed, my tongue superglued to the roof of my mouth and my head clanging.
No. Not my head. Cal’s iPhone, on the pillow next to me.
I crack open an eye and squint at the screen. Both eyes fly open at the image of me and Jake, his arm swung over my shoulder, my head thrown back in laughter. I have no idea how it got on my phone. Hell, I have no idea how I got in my bed. On the fourth ring, I pick up.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Jake’s booming voice sets off a string of explosions in my head.
“Jesus.” I jerk the phone away from my ear. “What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty. You made me promise to give you a wake-up call at seven-thirty and not a millisecond later, remember?”
I trawl through my memories of last night, but things start to get fuzzy after the second cocktail. “Not really.”
“That bad, huh?”
I put a finger to my temple and groan. “A responsible bartender would’ve cut me off.”
He laughs. “I tried. Honestly, I tried. Has anyone ever told you you’re more stubborn than Curtis Cooper’s old mule? But I drew the line when you reached for your car keys.”
I would wince, but my face hurts. “Probably a good thing.”
“I thought so, especially after you challenged Sheriff Briggs to a game of quarters. But just for the record, you took off your jeans all by yourself. I had nothing to do with undressing you. And I didn’t peek, I swear.”
Now, if I was any kind of good girl, I’d be embarrassed and horrified by what Jake just told me. I’d be worried about the wanton impression the drunken me made. But the truth is, I’m not exactly a good girl, and last night wouldn’t be the first time I’ve tossed back one too many cocktails and shucked my jeans for a cute guy. At the risk of sounding like an oversexed trollop, I’ve kind of lost count.
Still. I really would’ve preferred remembering the experience. A quick check under the covers doesn’t solve the mystery. I’m dressed, but just barely, in last night’s panties and a white tank top. I chew my lip and wonder whether I should be relieved or disappointed I’m not naked.
Jake’s voice drops an octave. “You just looked under the covers, didn’t you?”
“Of course not.”
“Uh-huh.” I feel his smile clear through the line. “Nice tattoo, by the way.”
His words scorch a trail of heat from my cheeks down to my tattoo, tucked away under the lace of my panties on my right butt cheek. A spot Jake wouldn’t have seen, unless he’d been peeking.
“It looked like some kind of flowery tribal symbol,” he continues. “What is it?”
“A flowery tribal symbol.”
“No. I meant, what does it mean?”
“It means you were
A figure steps up across from me with a slice of cake the size of a double-wide. Jake, of course. He wags two forks in the air. “Chocolate always helps.”
My stomach lurches at the thought of more food, and I wave his offer away. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
He slides the dessert three seats down, offering it to a bearded man in flannel and denim. “Knock yourself out, Wade. On the house.” And then he turns back to me, leaning across the bar on both forearms. “Bartenders are notoriously good listeners, you know.”
I know he means well, but right now talking about my problems is the last thing on my mind. The very last thing. Not when a mighty fine distraction is standing right here.
“How about drinkers? Are y’all good drinkers, too?”
“I can’t speak for all bartenders,” he says, “but I’ve been known to tie one on when necessary.”
One corner of his mouth lifts, and I watch for the other to catch up. Here it comes.
“Oh, it’s necessary. Because I hate to drink alone, and I’m sure as hell not going back to that house sober.”
And there it is. I free fall into Jake’s extraordinary smile.
6
I WAKE UP the next morning in my bed, my tongue superglued to the roof of my mouth and my head clanging.
No. Not my head. Cal’s iPhone, on the pillow next to me.
I crack open an eye and squint at the screen. Both eyes fly open at the image of me and Jake, his arm swung over my shoulder, my head thrown back in laughter. I have no idea how it got on my phone. Hell, I have no idea how I got in my bed. On the fourth ring, I pick up.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Jake’s booming voice sets off a string of explosions in my head.
“Jesus.” I jerk the phone away from my ear. “What time is it?”
“Seven-thirty. You made me promise to give you a wake-up call at seven-thirty and not a millisecond later, remember?”
I trawl through my memories of last night, but things start to get fuzzy after the second cocktail. “Not really.”
“That bad, huh?”
I put a finger to my temple and groan. “A responsible bartender would’ve cut me off.”
He laughs. “I tried. Honestly, I tried. Has anyone ever told you you’re more stubborn than Curtis Cooper’s old mule? But I drew the line when you reached for your car keys.”
I would wince, but my face hurts. “Probably a good thing.”
“I thought so, especially after you challenged Sheriff Briggs to a game of quarters. But just for the record, you took off your jeans all by yourself. I had nothing to do with undressing you. And I didn’t peek, I swear.”
Now, if I was any kind of good girl, I’d be embarrassed and horrified by what Jake just told me. I’d be worried about the wanton impression the drunken me made. But the truth is, I’m not exactly a good girl, and last night wouldn’t be the first time I’ve tossed back one too many cocktails and shucked my jeans for a cute guy. At the risk of sounding like an oversexed trollop, I’ve kind of lost count.
Still. I really would’ve preferred remembering the experience. A quick check under the covers doesn’t solve the mystery. I’m dressed, but just barely, in last night’s panties and a white tank top. I chew my lip and wonder whether I should be relieved or disappointed I’m not naked.
Jake’s voice drops an octave. “You just looked under the covers, didn’t you?”
“Of course not.”
“Uh-huh.” I feel his smile clear through the line. “Nice tattoo, by the way.”
His words scorch a trail of heat from my cheeks down to my tattoo, tucked away under the lace of my panties on my right butt cheek. A spot Jake wouldn’t have seen, unless he’d been peeking.
“It looked like some kind of flowery tribal symbol,” he continues. “What is it?”
“A flowery tribal symbol.”
“No. I meant, what does it mean?”
“It means you were