Adam’s entire family went. So did Tracy. Yes, he was keeping track of her and yes, that was a bad idea. But responsibility for their jacked-up relationship sat like a haybale on his shoulders.
So what if she’d kissed him first? He could have deescalated the situation. So many reasons to gently cool things down and only one to turn up the heat—an attack of old-fashioned lust.
He’d shut his eyes to the warning lights and turned a deaf ear to the blaring sirens. Champagne had stripped away her inhibitions, but he didn’t have that excuse.
He’d failed her that night. Was there a way he could get back what they’d lost? Tonight was the first chance he’d had to bridge the gap.
What if he took a page out of his dad’s book and offered to buy her a beer?
CHAPTER TWO
As the noisy group traipsed across the square to the Rockin’ Raccoon, Tracy congratulated herself on making it through the meeting in one piece. That hot glance from Adam had almost undone her, but she’d recovered her cool. Mila was suspicious, though.
She might have already asked Adam what was going on. The three of them had been a team for a long time. Once Mila started digging, she’d get the story out of them.
Tracy’s history with the Bridgers had begun in third grade. A new kid in town, she’d discovered Adam and Mila were her neighbors. Her parents had just bought property next to the immense Laughing Creek Ranch. Her dad had immediately named their much smaller spread Giggling Streams.
Two weeks into the school year, Tracy had proudly announced to her mom that she was best friends with Adam and his twin sister Mila. She’d decided they must be twins because they were the same age even if they didn’t look anything alike.
By then her mom had spent time with Raquel, Adam’s stepmom, and had all the facts. She’d carefully explained that Spence, a widower with three kids, had married Raquel, a widowwho’d also had three kids. They’d had one more together and were expecting a second kid soon.
Adam and Mila weren’t twins. Instead they were stepsister and stepbrother.But they don’t use that term,her mom had said.They’re all just the Bridger Bunch.
Tracy had been enthralled and extremely jealous of her new friends. Some kids had all the luck, getting to be part of abunch.
But she was almost as lucky to be living on the ranch next to theirs. Although she wasn’t a Bridger, they’d welcomed her into their midst. She thought of herself asBridger Bunch adjacent,almost but not quite the ninth child.
Mila became the sister she’d never had and Adam was the brother she’d always longed for. Then, in their sixteenth year, she’d been horrified to discover that watching Adam strip off his T-shirt at the water hole gave her squiggles in her tummy.
She’d immediately hunted up a boyfriend. Clearly she needed one if she’d letAdamaffect her that way, of all people. And she’d never had such thoughts again. Until New Year’s Eve.
During Sean’s breakup speech, he’d blamed her for not being, as he put it,all in.Whatever that meant. She’d been willing to marry the guy. Wasn’t that proof that she’d been all in?
She’d pondered his rejection all through a sucky Christmas week, and by New Year’s had been in the mood to get plastered. Evidently she’d also been in the mood to snog Adam.
He’d responded like most guys would when the hour is late, booze is involved and the kiss is smokin’ hot. His long letter of apology demonstrated his deep regret. She’d texted an apology back.
Neither communication had fixed the awkwardness she’d created between them. She’d dreaded the in-person meeting and had figured they’d blunder their way through it.
Instead, the first time they’d dared to look directly at each other…yowza. What was she supposed to do aboutthat? They couldn’t still want each other. They just couldn’t. But…they did.
She hadn’t figured out a strategy for handling this unexpected turn of events and she was running out of time. Mila knew something was wrong but leveling with her wasn’t an option. What a mess.
Fortunately Mila wasn’t able to quiz her on the way over to the Raccoon. Instead Auntie Kat bombarded her with questions about the requirements for a private club and Mila couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
Warmth and country music welcomed the crowd as everyone stepped inside the cheerful bar. Too bad about the Valentine decorations, though.
The dreaded day was coming up fast and she was doing her best to ignore it. Instead she focused on the upbeat music. Clem, the owner, always provided a live band on council meeting nights as a gift to those who’d volunteered to serve.
Since Adam had been at the tail end of the group walking over, the band ended their tune just as he walked in. Perfect timing for a cherished Raccoon tradition—Clem’s animatronic show.
Whenever someone noteworthy came through the door, like the new mayor for example, Clem flipped a switch behind the bar. A spotlight focused on a lifelike raccoon musical trio mounted on a shelf above the bar.
Outfitted with a guitar, string bass and fiddle, those critters launched into the Rockin’ Raccoon theme song Clem had written. Everyone joined in.
Tracy gave it her all, grateful for a chance to release some of the tension created by close contact with Adam.
We’re rockin’, yes we are, and hangin’ in this bar, cause we are like family as you all can plainly see, so keep on rockin’tonight! We’re rockin’, yes we are, and drinkin’ at this bar, come join us, near and far and keep on rockin’ tonight!
