“I have liquor, no children to be responsible for tonight,and my bed is within walking distance. I’m ready.” She cracks the bottle, still held up in the air, and chugs the most Fireball I’ve ever witnessed a single person consume in one go.
Jackson finally snatches it from her hand, shaking his head with a laugh, and Denny releases his hold on my arm for just long enough to whistle enthusiastically at her. Then Jackson takes a much more acceptable drink from the bottle before passing it along to Colt. Slowly, it works through Denver’s cousins, skips Cass and Red, and ends up in my hands.
“Oh God. I don’t think you guys want me drinking this. Things will get weird in a hurry.”
“Oh, just do it!” Kate shouts, then quickly mouths “sorry” when Red points out the sleeping baby in the stroller next to him.
I lock eyes with Denver, who raises a daring brow. “Maybe don’t drink quite as much as Kate.”
“I would be lying facedown in the dirt if I did.” I press the rim to my mouth, and it clinks against my teeth accidentally when I take the smallest sip possible.
The cinnamon-flavored liquid burns down my throat, and I wince while handing it off to Denver.
“We should play a game.” Kate claps her hands together, waiting anxiously for the Fireball to be passed back to her.
“Oh, Cassidy loves Seven Minutes in Heaven,” Red quips.
She smacks him on the chest, mouth agape, and he coughs dramatically like she knocked the wind out of him.
“Way to throw me under the bus at your first opportunity,” she says.
Denver tosses his hands up in the air. “Every girl here is taken, so how exactly would that work, anyway? I didn’t think this was that kind of party.”
Every girl here is taken.With a relaxed exhale, I melt into him.
“Never have I ever,” Kate suggests. “I’ll go first. Neverhave I ever…had sex in that barn.” Her finger sloppily points in the direction of the large white barn…a place Denver and I spentmanyhours in as teens.
He and I both drink without question until I lower my bottle and find everybody staring. Kate gives us a slow clap, elbowing Jackson.
Clearing my throat, I clarify, “Notrecently,for the record. At least…not for me.”
“Not for me either,” Denver whispers into my hair. “Although…for old times’ sake.”
Jackson thinks for a second, staring at Denver with the look of somebody prepared to spill every secret about his brother. “Okay…never have I ever had sex in a stock trailer.”
I turn to Denver and gasp. “You told him that?”
He stares at me like a deer in the headlights, slowly raising his beer to his lips. His free hand nudges the bottom of my wine, telling me to drink.
Red’s howling laugh carries around the fire. “Wherehaven’tyou two done it?”
Licking a droplet of wine from my top lip, I turn to him. “We were teenagers trying to get it on whenever we had the opportunity. It led to some creative choices.”
“Okay, okay, okay. If you two have done this, I have some serious questions.” Colt leans forward in his seat, ready to drop a doozy. “Never have I ever had a threesome.”
A reminder of fourteen years apart crashes into my chest when Denver sheepishly takes a drink. For a second, I quit breathing; staring at him, I’m willing myself not to cry. Because that’s stupid. This is a game. We onlyjustgot back together—if we’re even technically together?Everyone else is laughing, but his eyes meet mine with a shameful glance, and I find his hand to give it a squeeze.
It’s fine.
Thankfully, the moment is saved by Cassidy’s shriek when Red tries to discreetly turn to the side and take a drink.
“Oh. My. God.” She cackles, then points between Denver and Red. “Wait…together?”
“Okay, I’m starting to really feel targeted by this game,” Denver says with a groan.
Next to me, Cassidy pokes Red in the stomach. “Oh, you’re so telling me all the details about this later. I can’t wait.”
He responds by choking on his drink. “Can we play a different game?Please.”
