She’d planned to come back but now…she felt as if she’d been cast adrift, as if Whiskey Creek was no longer her anchor. “How does that affect me?”
“He can’t commit, and as much as you’re trying to pretend you’re not looking for love, I know you too well. He’s not the kind of man you need.”
As if Kyle was any better! He’d set himself up with that statement. But this time she let it go. “Have you talked to him recently?”
“I don’t need to.”
“Maybe you’re going by dated information. Maybe he’s matured and you’re missing out on having a great brother.”
“I’m not missing out on anything.”
“You could cut him a little slack, you know. He’s in your wedding party.”
“For the sake of my parents.”
She understood how familial obligation played a role this weekend. She doubted she’d even be attending the wedding were it not for Nancy and Ham. “Now you know why I’m here.”
“I knew that before.”
Again, the door opening and closing at Sexy Sadie’s caught her eye. “I have to go.”
“Wait—”
“For what, Kyle? Get some sleep. You’ll need to be in top form this weekend.”
He’d dared to call her, so she knew he wasn’t with Noelle. Her sister was probably in bed, getting her beauty rest. That meant she could return to her parents’.
But Olivia couldn’t go back there quite yet. Telling herself she’d have just one drink, she drove down the street and parked in front of the bar.
Chapter 6
Brandon’s phone woke him. “Hello?” he muttered, squinting to see the time displayed on his digital alarm.
He was pretty sure it read 1:10.
“Brandon?”
Olivia. He recognized her voice immediately—although he could tell there was something wrong. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry, Brandon.”
She sounded genuinely distraught. “For what, honey? It’s okay that you didn’t come over. I wasn’t really expecting you.”
“I meant for b-bothering you in the middle of the night.”
When she sniffed, he gripped the phone harder. She was crying. “That’s okay, too. What’s wrong?”
“Um…do you think…would it be too much trouble…I hate to ask this, but…”
“Where are you?” He was awake enough to hear that she was slurring her words. That, together with the loud music in the background, indicated she was at a bar. But, if so, where? In Sac? Or in Whiskey Creek?
“S-s-sexy S-s-Sadie’s!” she announced, laughing. “I think I’m drunk. I was only going to have one drink, but…I don’t know what happened.”
“You had more.”
“Yep.”
He’d assumed she left town. He’d known she’d never show up at his place. “Do you need me to come get you?”
“Would you?” She seemed infinitely relieved.
“Of course.” He rolled out of bed and began to dress. “Where’s your car?”
“Out front. But I don’t think-I don’t think I should drive, Brandon. It wouldn’t be safe. I might hurt some-somebody. I wouldn’t want to hurt anybody.”
“You’re not going to get behind the wheel, sweetheart.”
“No, but…I shouldn’t have called you . Today’s the first time we ever really talked since prom so…it’s rude, right? To do that to a new friend?”
“Is that what we are?”
“Aren’t we?”
He smiled at her distress. “Of course we are.”
“Okay, good. Anyway, I’d call someone else but…all my other friends belong to Kyle.”
“They what?”
“They’re his friends. Callie and Eve and Riley and Ted and Cheyenne…”
She seemed to lose her train of thought before she could name all the members of the tight clique Kyle had belonged to since grade school. Rattling them off by memory wouldn’t be that easy to do sober, since there were at least ten.
“Losing them, along with everything else, must’ve been hard.” Her own friends had gotten married or taken jobs elsewhere, but most of Kyle’s had remained here in Whiskey Creek and were as close as ever. A lot of people envied the support and
“He can’t commit, and as much as you’re trying to pretend you’re not looking for love, I know you too well. He’s not the kind of man you need.”
As if Kyle was any better! He’d set himself up with that statement. But this time she let it go. “Have you talked to him recently?”
“I don’t need to.”
“Maybe you’re going by dated information. Maybe he’s matured and you’re missing out on having a great brother.”
“I’m not missing out on anything.”
“You could cut him a little slack, you know. He’s in your wedding party.”
“For the sake of my parents.”
She understood how familial obligation played a role this weekend. She doubted she’d even be attending the wedding were it not for Nancy and Ham. “Now you know why I’m here.”
“I knew that before.”
Again, the door opening and closing at Sexy Sadie’s caught her eye. “I have to go.”
“Wait—”
“For what, Kyle? Get some sleep. You’ll need to be in top form this weekend.”
He’d dared to call her, so she knew he wasn’t with Noelle. Her sister was probably in bed, getting her beauty rest. That meant she could return to her parents’.
But Olivia couldn’t go back there quite yet. Telling herself she’d have just one drink, she drove down the street and parked in front of the bar.
Chapter 6
Brandon’s phone woke him. “Hello?” he muttered, squinting to see the time displayed on his digital alarm.
He was pretty sure it read 1:10.
“Brandon?”
Olivia. He recognized her voice immediately—although he could tell there was something wrong. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry, Brandon.”
She sounded genuinely distraught. “For what, honey? It’s okay that you didn’t come over. I wasn’t really expecting you.”
“I meant for b-bothering you in the middle of the night.”
When she sniffed, he gripped the phone harder. She was crying. “That’s okay, too. What’s wrong?”
“Um…do you think…would it be too much trouble…I hate to ask this, but…”
“Where are you?” He was awake enough to hear that she was slurring her words. That, together with the loud music in the background, indicated she was at a bar. But, if so, where? In Sac? Or in Whiskey Creek?
“S-s-sexy S-s-Sadie’s!” she announced, laughing. “I think I’m drunk. I was only going to have one drink, but…I don’t know what happened.”
“You had more.”
“Yep.”
He’d assumed she left town. He’d known she’d never show up at his place. “Do you need me to come get you?”
“Would you?” She seemed infinitely relieved.
“Of course.” He rolled out of bed and began to dress. “Where’s your car?”
“Out front. But I don’t think-I don’t think I should drive, Brandon. It wouldn’t be safe. I might hurt some-somebody. I wouldn’t want to hurt anybody.”
“You’re not going to get behind the wheel, sweetheart.”
“No, but…I shouldn’t have called you . Today’s the first time we ever really talked since prom so…it’s rude, right? To do that to a new friend?”
“Is that what we are?”
“Aren’t we?”
He smiled at her distress. “Of course we are.”
“Okay, good. Anyway, I’d call someone else but…all my other friends belong to Kyle.”
“They what?”
“They’re his friends. Callie and Eve and Riley and Ted and Cheyenne…”
She seemed to lose her train of thought before she could name all the members of the tight clique Kyle had belonged to since grade school. Rattling them off by memory wouldn’t be that easy to do sober, since there were at least ten.
“Losing them, along with everything else, must’ve been hard.” Her own friends had gotten married or taken jobs elsewhere, but most of Kyle’s had remained here in Whiskey Creek and were as close as ever. A lot of people envied the support and
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