penetrating… and then the remnants of any residual indignation melted away into a warm and
infectious grin. He took Alec's hand into his own, practically swallowing it within his grasp. "You're lying," he said.
"No, I'm not. Fuck. You're impossible. I give up."
"Aboutlikingit here. That's the part I don't believe."
"OK," Alec said, chuckling. "You're probably right about that. But it's only been a day. And my day started horribly with a woodpecker."
Tyler raised his eyebrows.
"Literally," Alec said.
"I can help you with that."
Alec looked at him, flustered and confused.
Tyler's grin grew into a very large smile. "I have a decoy. An owl. I'll put it up tomorrow. He'll scare your woodpecker away."
"Oh," Alec said, his head swimming from the alcohol. "I wasn't sure what you meant."
"What did you think I meant?" Tyler asked.
"Never mind."
"And speaking of snowstorms, we better be hightailing it before things get bad." Tyler stood, put his hat on, and took their empty bottles to the trash.
"Wait… there's another storm coming?"
"Don't you ever watch the weather?"
"I thought we could talk about music."
Tyler crossed to the window behind the bar and lifted the curtain a little with his hand. The
snow had already started falling, large flakes silhouetted from the streetlight on the corner. He
released the fabric and opened the cooler, removing two more beers. "What the hell. Another beer won't kill us."
"Can I get a DUI on a snowmobile?" Alec asked, slurring a little.
"Something tells me I'll be taking you home again."
"On a horse?"
"Brandy."
"Nope," Alec said, holding both hands up in surrender. "Beer's enough."
Tyler popped the top off of another Corona. He set the beer down on the bar and then leaned
across, his face inches away from Alec's. "Brandy…is my horse."
"OK then…Mr.I'm not a cowboy."Alec said, removing Tyler's hat and placing it on his own head where it slid down, bending his ears. "Brandy it is."
13
The two men exited Bear Tavern, Tyler lagging to lock the door. Alec walked over to his
