“Ha! Not possible.”
“Oh, it’s totally possible. In fact, I bet you a hundred dollars that coyotes will be howling outside the bar to drown out my singing.”
Grabbing my coat, I quickly buttoned it, but refused to wear a hat. I didn’t want to mess up my hair. “You’re exaggerating. Get the door.”
She followed behind me, locking the door before clomping down the stairs like a Clydesdale.
“I really think the seven stages of grief should have some sort of reprieve for best friends.”
“Isn’t it twelve?”
“Whatever number it is, it’s too many. There should be crying, drinking, and then movie night. That’s it. You know we’re going to freeze, right?”
It was rather chilly outside. “What do you suggest? We drive the four blocks to the bar?”
“We could.”
“It wouldn’t be any warmer in the car.”
“No, but we’d get there a hell of a lot faster,” she grumbled. “Besides, I’m in a dress!”
“Oh my God! Stop complaining! I want to have fun tonight, and that doesn’t include being the designated driver for the four blocks home. We’ll be fine.”
But as soon as the door opened, the blustery cold wind kicked up my dress and sent chills down my spine.
“Really?” Cheyenne shouted. “You might be fine, but I won’t!”
“So, we’ll ask someone to give us a ride home. Stop being a baby!”
“I hate Montana,” she cried as we hustled down the street. “I want to move somewhere warm!”
“Yeah? Like where?”
“Hawaii.”
I barked out a laugh at that. “Have you seen the spiders there? You’d never survive.”
“At least I’d be warm. Seriously, this whole nine-month winter is for the birds.”
“You’ve lived here your whole life. You can’t really be considering moving.”
We turned the corner for the bar, but we were still a block away. My legs felt like icicles.
“If Dwayne Johnson asked me to move with him tomorrow, I’d be on the first plane out of here, and I wouldn’t even look back.”
Gasping, I shoved my dress down when a blast of wind sent my dress flying up. The blare of loud music signaled our arrival and the end of the rather chilly walk here. Yanking the door open, I stepped into the warmth and immediately forgot about the cold air outside.
The bar was already loud and chaotic. Nearly all the tables were taken and there was already a line for singing. This was exactly what I needed. I took off my coat and hung it on a peg on the wall.
Grinning, I wove my way through the crowd, waving at my sister and brother where they sat at the bar. Grabbing Cheyenne’s hand, I wound my way over to them, nearly tripping over my own damn feet when someone ran into me from behind.
“Oh, sorry—” I started, my grin slipping from my lips when I saw Ellie May holding two drinks precariously above her head.
“Sorry about that,” she murmured before taking off through the crowd.
“Come on. Let’s go,” Cheyenne said, tugging me the rest of the way.
But my eyes were glued on Ellie May’s retreating form, wondering who she was with. When she made her way to a table of other women, I breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t Liam.
