"If you kids are in my yard again, I'm going to call the cops!"
We ran all the way back to the station wagon.
When we finally got there, we sat there, panting and laughing for a few minutes, and then Eleanor put the key in the ignition.
"Right. You mentioned something about margaritas?"
"Frozen, strawberry, or on the rocks," I said.
"We'll get plastered and figure out how to get even," Lorraine said. "Tess, you should have let me stab all four of the hussy's tires. And I swear I'm going to put salt in Bubba McKee's lemonade the next time he comes into the diner. Setting his snake on me like that."
"Even if itwasjust an inner tube disguised as a snake," Eleanor said.
That set us off again, and we laughed like loons all the way to my place, where I found out that tiny little Lorraine could drink the rest of us under the table.
* * *
When Jack showed up a little after ten, he took one look at the three of us and grinned. "Margaritas?"
"Yep." I gave him a huge smile. "You should have come with us, Jack."
"To goat yoga," Eleanor, who was the only one even slightly sober, said warningly.
"Yep. Goat yoga. It was great! And then there was a snake, but it wasn't a snake." I hiccupped. "Lucky for Lorraine."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Did the snake eat the goats?"
For some reason, that set us off again, and we all three fell back on the couch laughing.
"Did the snake eat the goats," I repeated. "No, the snake did yoga!"
Lorraine was laughing so hard she had tears streaming down her face. "If a snake did yoga, how could you even tell? What would—would downward dog look like?"
"Downward snake," I said triumphantly. "Who wants more margaritas?"
Jack took the glass out of my hand when I stood. "I think you've all had enough, my yoga princess. It's a school night. How about I drive these two lovely ladies home?"
Eleanor struggled up off the couch. Okay, so she wasn't all that sober, either.
"I can drive, young man," she said, but then she blinked. "Okay, maybe not. I would appreciate a ride. You would never two-time Tess with a hussy, would you, Jack?"
His grin widened. "Nope. Never, ever. Not a single hussy. Let's get going."
While they gathered their things, he aimed that gorgeous smile at me. "I'm looking forward to hearing all about this later. I'll be back."
"Nope! I will never reveal my secrets. It's a sacred goat yoga trust." I cracked myself up and fell back on the couch laughing again.
Jack shepherded his tipsy charges out the door and then turned back to me. "Please lock the door behind me, just in case. I'll knock when I get back."
"Okay." I got up and took a few unsteady steps toward the door. "Should really give you a key, if I'm going to start locking doors."
Jack froze, an arrested expression on his face. "You—I—Tess, we—"
"Jack, get your butt out here. You can kiss Tess later," Lorraine bellowed.
I giggled. "Yes, Jack, you should definitely kiss Tess later."
This time, the gleam in his eyes was unmistakable. "That sounds like the best idea you've had all day. I'll be back soon."
