Emma's laugh is loud and genuine, the kind that makes headsturn.
"God, I needed this. Adult conversation that doesn't involve discussing the color and consistency of baby poop."
She launches into an animated story about her son's latest diaper disaster, complete with hand gestures that nearly knock over our drinks.
Thank God she's a talker. Fewer questions for me to dodge, fewer lies to keep straight. I steal her fries and laugh at her stories, letting myself pretend I'm just another girl having a normal Friday night out.
"I still can't believe Colt actually hired someone," Emma continues, signaling for another basket of fries. "That clinic's been falling apart since I went on maternity leave. Between you and me, I think he's been drinking his meals more than eating them."
"He seems..." I search for the right word that won't sound like I'm fishing for information. "Intense."
"That's putting it nice." Emma's expression shifts, sympathy replacing the mischief.
"He wasn't always like this, you know. Used to be the fun one, life of every party, heart on his sleeve... Then the whole mess with Beau happened, and..." She shrugs, but there's real sadness in her eyes.
"They really don't get along." Understatement of the century.
"Honey, the Cold War had more warmth. Those two are like grizzlies fighting over the same territory, someone'sgonna get mauled eventually." Emma leans forward, voice dropping to prime gossip territory.
"Used to be thick as thieves, though. Best friends since they were in diapers. Then Sophia happened."
"Sophia?"
"Beautiful girl from Billings. Looked like she stepped off a magazine cover." Emma pauses for dramatic effect, clearly savoring having a fresh audience.
"But here's the thing…it wasn't your typical love triangle situation."
I take a careful sip of Coke, trying to appear casually interested instead of hanging on every word. "No?"
"They shared her."
The Coke goes down wrong. I cough, eyes watering as I try not to choke. "What?"
Emma pats my back while I wheeze. "I know, right? In Briarhaven, Montana, where folks still clutch their pearls if you kiss before the third date. But there they were, all three of them together for months."
My mind spins trying to process this revelation. "But Beau and Colt weren't…I mean, they didn't…"
"Oh honey, no." Emma laughs at my obvious confusion. "Both straight as fence posts. It was all about her being with both of them. Like she was the sun and they were planets orbiting around her."
She steals another fry, completely oblivious to how this information is scrambling my brain.
My mind spins with the revelation. Colt and Beau, who can barely stand to breathe the same air, once shared a woman. Loved her together. The intimacy that requires… the trust…
"What happened?" The question slips out rougher than I intended.
"One day, out of nowhere, Beau just... ended it. Cold as a Montana winter." Emma's voice loses its playful edge.
"No explanation, no fight, nothing. Just told them both it was over, and that was that. Sophia was gone by the end of the week, and Colt..." She shakes her head. "... well, Colt fell apart. Blamed Beau for everything. They haven't had a civil conversation since."
Heat spirals through me as my imagination runs wild. What would it feel like to be wanted like that? Cherished by two men who'd rather share you than lose you? Different hands worshipping every inch, different voices whispering promises, being the center of a world built around—
"Oh my God, we need to document this historic girls' night!" Emma suddenly declares, reaching across the table for my phone before I can stop her. "First selfie in the Lucy-Montana-era!"
"Emma, wait—"
But she's already angling the phone toward us, leaning in close with her biggest smile. "Come on, don't look like you're about to bolt. This is supposed to be fun!"
I manage a genuine laugh just as she snaps the photo, both of us looking flushed and happy in the dim bar lighting. Emma's examining the result when my phone buzzes in her hands.
