The four of us talk until the pizza is gone, the sun is low, and the air has a sudden crispness. Then Frank and Faye head inside, leaving Blair and me to clean the dinner mess in silence.
Stepping back outside from clearing the plates and pizza boxes, she picks up the nearly empty wine bottle. “We may as well finish this. It’s a felony to waste good wine.”
I slide my glass over to her and sit back down, watching her carefully divide the remaining liquid between our cups. Wine definitely isn’t my drink of choice, but I’ll take that over being kicked out of here the second we finished eating—which is what I expected to happen.
“Thanks for coming over. Mom definitely had a good time. She’s been so reclusive…. It’s good for her to socialize a bit.” Blair swirls her glass before taking a hearty drink.
“I’m glad I came. It’s been a fun night.”
She looks at me over the rim of her glass. “Iknowyou have better things to do on a Friday.”
I laugh under my breath. “Like what? Go to theHorseshoe like I do every Friday? I think I can afford to skip a week.”
Plus, you’d have to drag me in there kicking and screaming right now. My phone’s been vibrating in my pocket all night—no doubt it’s Peyton. I was sure to tell Colt I’d be at Blair’s tonight, knowing damn well he’d relay that information to Peyton. With any luck, she might think Blair and I aretogether,and decide to finally leave me alone.
“Don’t you have a rodeo to get ready for? Considering how committed you were to getting a clean bill of health, I would’ve guessed you’d be practicing or something tonight.”
“Nah, when you’re as good as I am, you don’t need to practice.”
Blair smiles.For a fleeting moment that makes my entire chest ache, until she catches herself and tucks it away with a roll of her lips. “I don’t know…the only time I’ve seen you get on a bronc recently, you fell off.”
“Has nothing to do with my riding skills. I’d have gone pro if I was shorter.”
“Right.” She playfully rolls her eyes, that smile threatening to pop up again to spite her. “So what’s the excuse for why you fell off?”
“I saw you.”
Glancing away, her head nods softly. And I watch her watch the evening breeze swirl around the garden. She and I have always been comfortable in the silent moments, so this discomforting quiet makes me wonder if I should’ve lied to her. I could’ve made up something about the horse being absolutely rank, an old injury flaring up, maybe a beesting to my eyeball.
Wind chimes clink together, wind whistles through tall decorative grasses, and I don’t know how long we sit in silence, but one by one various small, dim solar lights begin to light the backyard.
“So, you said your mom had a good time tonight. Whatabout you?” I finally get the nerve to say something, and she takes a long, thoughtful sip of wine, her free hand fiddling with the neckline of her dress.
“Yeah…yeah, I did.”
Maybe she doesn’t hate me. Maybe. Maybe there’s a chance here.
“Blair, about what happened when we were—”
“Let’s not talk about it.” She cuts me off. “Please. Tonight has been really nice, and I don’t think bringing up ancient history is really necessary.”
“Okay, I just—”
“Denver,please.Can we talk about present-day stuff?”
I exhale long and hard into my wineglass. “Sure. Pulled any good pranks lately?”
She wraps her arms tight around herself. “It feels a lot more like the world is pranking me. Patiently waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell me this is all a very elaborate episode ofPunk’d.”
“Sorry.”For now. For then.
“It’s fine. Plenty of people out there are going through a lot worse things, so…” She looks over at me with flattened lips, shrugging her shoulders and finishing off her wine.
Everything in my body aches to be her comfort, her safe space, her person. But she simply switches the subject with forced enthusiasm. “What about you? Any pranks? Piss Austin off lately?”
“You know I live to piss him off.” I laugh halfheartedly. “How long are you going to be in town for?”
“I’m not helping you prank him, if that’s why you’re asking.” Her tongue darts out to lick a drop of wine from the corner of her mouth, leaving her lower lip glistening in the dim patio lighting. “I’m here indefinitely, at this point.”
