She was in a good mood as they set out, sparkling and chattering in the truck, and as always, that cheerful glow found its way into all the dark little crannies of his soul, smoothing him out. As predicted, she wrapped a hand around his biceps, clutching herself close and using him for stability as they crossed the parking lot behind Debbie’s where he’d managed to find a parking spot.
One corner of his mouth quirked. Had to admit he liked being her stability.
Standing with David near the long ramp that ran up to the Chamber entrance, Lorraine spotted them, fire-engine-red lips rounding in exaggerated awe before she smiled. “Girl, that skirt is fire.”
“You look beautiful.” Holly released him to hug her friend, the two of them like a fireworks show, Holly’s red sequins against Lorraine’s purple dress. David had their traditional purple covered, too, neatly starched shirt paired with a silvery gray tie and a black suit. Colt reached to shake his hand, and Lorraine graced him with a smiling nod, while she and Holly stood, arms about one another’s waists.
“Still liking the new job?” David flicked a nearly nonexistent piece of lint off his sleeve.
“I’m getting used to it.” This part was still awkward, small talk with Holly’s friends,Tick’sfriends, who had once upon a time been his friends, too. He just walked through it, and sooner or later it was over. “How was your week?”
“Busy. People get crazy this time of year.”
Lorraine turned her head, murmuring in Holly’s ear. Holly jerked back, shock and horror tightening her face. Colt frowned, losing the thread of David’s story about his last shift.
What was that look all about?
Whatever it was, the emotion shifted in a heartbeat, joy overriding everything else, her gaze trained on the sidewalk at the Broad Street entrance to the lot.
Colt didn’t even have to look.
“Tick! You’re here!”
“Hey, Hols.” He dropped his hand from Caitlin’s spine to catch Holly as she threw a hard, enthusiastic hug around him. His easy laugh, his face relaxing into a grin, punched hard in the middle of Colt’s chest. Colt glanced away. He wasn’t doing this shit to himself anymore.
Holly turned Tick loose so she could wrap a hug around Caitlin’s neck. She stiffened a moment before visibly forcing herself to relax. Colt frowned. She was something for sure, a riddle like a Hardy or Yeats poem, not that he’d ever have to worry about figuring her out.
And Holly didn’t seem to mind her subtle standoffishness.
“Cait, you look amazing. This blouse is always great on you.” Holly tweaked the hem of Caitlin’s red blouse, half-tucked into a pair of slim black pants. “Where did you find it? Penney’s or Kohl’s?”
Colt quirked a brow. No way his cousin’s wife shopped at a chain store. No freaking way. And Holly would know that. Something had made her nervous as hell tonight. He tightened up, from his gut all the way to his throat.
Tick choked, and Caitlin shot him a quelling look. “I’m not sure where Jane found it.”
“She’s your friend, the personal shopper, right?” Red sequined skirt glittering with each movement, Holly tucked herself into Colt’s side, winding her arm about his waist. She grinned up at him, eyes sparkling as brightly as that skirt, unwinding some of the tension holding him hostage. “I could do that, spending all day in Tallahassee at the mall, spending other people’s money.”
As much as she loved the vet work, she’d be in heaven with that job. He tucked her in a little closer, squeezing her waist. “You’d be great at that.”
Tick cleared his throat and extended a hand. “Colt.”
Colt stilled, lungs freezing, then he nodded and reached to take Tick’s hand. “Lamar.”
He couldn’t freaking breathe, not with Tick’s fingers closed about his in a firm, warm grip.
“David and Lorraine are here.” Her voice breathless, a slight shimmer of dampness in her blue eyes, Holly waved a hand toward the other couple.
“Lamar.” Pleasure suffused Lorraine’s voice, and the hint of lingering tension drained from Tick’s stance as he took his friend into his arms. Snuggled close, Lorraine patted his ass, and behind them, Caitlin rolled her eyes heavenward. As Lamar stepped away, David pulled him into a backslapping embrace, and Lorraine turned a hug on Caitlin, rubbing her spine.
“I saved us a table.” Colt knew she’d reserved that table days ago, once she’d known Lamar was flying in from Texas for the event. Arm tucked through Colt’s, Holly reached out her free hand to pat Tick’s jaw. “Which saves you from sitting with your mama.”
“I dropped my bag there.” Lorraine curved into David’s side.
Tick’s brows dipped into a frown. “The ER staff doesn’t have a table?”
“They do.” On a harrumph, Lorraine exchanged a pointed glance with Holly. She smoothed the bangs of her short bob to one side. A silver snowflake glittered on one perfect purple nail. “I’m not sitting there with that—”
“Baby.” David squeezed her hip, his tone a blend of soothing and warning.
