And that’s what tonight is for. It’s about me, free as a bird, enjoying the night however I see fit—and welcoming this new chapter of my life.
I close my eyes for a second, letting the warm breeze wash over me as the crowd starts to buzz with anticipation.
Then I crack my neck and adjust the flannel around my waist.
“Alright, universe,” I say out loud. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Chapter Two
CASSIE
The opening band’s playing, and I let myself settle into it—beer in hand, music drifting over the crowd.
I’m people-watching again, trying to act like I don’t feel wildly out of place.
An older couple walks past me, and for some reason, I catch the woman’s eye. Blonde. Warm. A little buzzed.
“You here by yourself, honey?”
“Me? Oh, yeah. Just fine.”
She tilts her head. “You look a little lost.”
“I’m on a…personal growth thing.”
“Ah.” She smiles, her tattooed, gray-haired husband hovering beside her.
“Just got out of something,” I add. “Taking a break from men.”
I glance at him. “No offense.”
“None taken,” he says, lifting his beer.
The woman laughs. “He doesn’t offend easily. If he did, we wouldn’t have made it thirty years.”
He clears his throat. “I was kind of an ass when we met.”
“Kind of,” she echoes, amused.
Then she looks back at me.
“Funny thing is,” she says, almost to herself, “the ones you try not to want are always the ones your body picks.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “Yeah, well—my body’s on probation.”
“Mmhmm,” she says, like she doesn’t believe me for a second. “Anyway, enjoy your night, honey.”
The strangers wander off, and I take a sip of my beer.
And then my gut clenches.
I sense him before I see him.
The cowboy is back.
He’s standing six feet away, staring. Again.
I raise an eyebrow. “What is it this time? Ketchup on my face again?”
