“You made my life hell when Willow was in town. I’m just returning the favor, bud.”
“She’s nice, kind of secretive and closed off, but nice,” Jake said. “Rose likes her.”
“Willow is opening up though, don’t you think?” Noah said. “I mean, she’s the outgoing Griffin now.”
“Very amusing, and you know we’re talking about Lani,” Buster said.
“Lani, the girl we met in the general store, right?” Joe Trainer asked. “She’s cute.”
“And you’re married,” Noah snapped, then wished he’d just taken a mouthful of beer like he’d intended.
“Okay, that pretty much confirms you’re feeling something,” Tex said. “And you two are real cute together.”
“I have never been cute a day in my life.” Noah laid down a card, and Declan groaned.
Cubby chose that moment to wander in, to Noah’s relief. “No more gossip until I’m seated with a beer in my hand. Been a shit day, and I need a distraction.”
Cubby pulled out a seat at his table and fell into it. “Continue,” he added when he was handed a drink.
“Why was your day crap?” Noah asked instead.
“That corporation that owns the potato operation are pissed that their name is going to be dirtied because Pretty Boy was using them as a front for his drug operation. They want to keep things quiet and are leaning hard on me to do just that.”
“Set Katie on them,” Jake said. “That girl is mean.”
Cubby’s grin was wide. “She had a few choice words to say to them, but I don’t think they’re backing off. Pretty Boy is singing from the rooftops about how he was set up and reeling off names that made him do it. His lawyer is about apoplectic trying to get him to shut up. The big boys are coming to town tomorrow to take Trask away, and I have to say, I’m pleased about that.”
“I hope you roughed him up a bit for Mikey, seeing as you wouldn’t let me near him,” Jake said.
“He may or may not have received a black eye falling into the cell when he tripped on Katie’s boot. I’m neither confirming nor denying that.”
“I love my sister.”
“Me too.” Cubby raised his drink.
“We’ll deal you in the next hand and you can lose some money. That’ll make you feel better,” Noah said.
They played, they talked and argued, and ate pizza. It was a night like so many others that Noah was pleased to have been part of. The McBrides and Declan left first, and the others straggled out after that until only Brad, Tex, and Newman were left.
“Macy thinks Lani is in some kind of trouble,” Brad said. His eyes looked a bit squinty, which suggested he’d had a few beers to many, but then most of them looked that way now.
“Why does she think that?” Noah was suddenly alert at the mention of Lani.
“She said Lani has the same look in her eyes that she once had. Like she’s scared of something and trying to hide it.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it, but Macy would know what that’s about,” Noah said.
Brad swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “I tell you, it about rips my heart out when she talks like that.”
“She’s not scared anymore, bro,” Tex said. “She’s loved.”
“She is that,” Brad added.
“What do you know about Lani, Noah?” Newman asked.
“Should we be talking about her like this? Smacks of gossip to me, and I’m sure it’s not right,” Noah said, hoping they’d agreed.
“Piss off, you’re just like Buster. You both know more about what’s going on in this town than anyone,” Newman said.
