“God, I can’t remember.” Mandy had been our other best friend all though high school. At some point, people had called us the three musketeers because we’d done almost everything together after meeting in eighth grade, but as happened when people graduated from high school, we lost touch. I’d left for college in New York. Mandy had gone to North Carolina and Char had gone to a college in the Pacific Northwest only to return to Missoula a few years before.
Char and I had reconnected because I’d literally run into her at a shop in Missoula while Christmas shopping. The two of us had tried to keep in touch, although I sucked at long distance relationships. “Why?”
“She moved back to town a few years ago.”
“Really? I had no idea. Why didn’t you invite her out with us?” When she suddenly couldn’t look me in the eye again, this time staring at one of many televisions wrapping around the ceiling of the bar, I pulled her drink away.
“Hey!”
I placed my hand over the rim, giving her a stern look. “Spill it. When you act cagey, you’re hiding something. Since I know it involves Mandy, you are going to tell me.”
“You really didn’t talk with your family. Did you?”
“You know why. Talk or you’re cut off for the night.”
“Oh, hell, no.” She tugged the drink from me, even motioning for the bartender. “Don’t worry. Mandy didn’t let me know she was moving back and I did send her a few emails like I did with you.” Her smile faded. “She was offered a nursing job and took it.”
“Okay. Is she still living here?”
“No. She’s been gone for over a year now. Another job offer, although I don’t think that’s what it was.” She cocked her head, even narrowing her eyes. “This is all hearsay.”
“But?”
“She and Wade started dating. Nothing too serious, evidently. At least not from her point of view.”
“My Wade?” No, my brother wasn’t the kind of guy to share any details of his love life. He’d never been and neither had I. “Wow. I would never have put Mandy with Wade.”
“I didn’t spend but so much time with her, but she’s very different than she used to be. Long and short of it was thatevidently Wade thought they were more serious than they were. Mandy didn’t.”
“And?”
When she made a funny face, I gave her one of mine. “What?”
“From what she told me, she started dating Stephen. Now, if you ask me, I think she sought him out and not the other way around. Plus, I don’t think he was really interested in her. At all. I mean?—”
“Stop, Char. I wasn’t dating Axe. I didn’t maintain any connection with him. He had every right to date whoever he wanted.”
There was no reason for me to be jealous. None. Other than that Mandy knew exactly how I felt about Axe. She’d been the first to hear about my crush way back in eighth grade when he’d been a senior. “But I am curious if either Wade or Axe had any idea they were in a love triangle.”
“That I can’t tell you, but I can say the rumor mill has it that they had a knockdown drag-out fight here in this bar.”
A knot had instantly formed in my stomach. “Wow. So, you’re telling me Mandy is with Axe?” A rush of guilt and a huge jolt of jealousy was driven into my system.
“Oh, God, no. From what I could tell, Axe saw through her pretty quickly. I think she fell in love with some visiting rock climber and they moved to Arizona or Texas or something. I think she made up the job after being rejected. However, that’s why I think there’s bad blood between the boys. I didn’t know it was as bad as what you said.” When I didn’t say anything right away, she groaned. “I’m sorry. I really shouldn’t have said anything.”
I lifted my glass to signal the bartender for another. “You don’t need to apologize. Axe saved my life. We bickered. We made up. We were adults. We moved on. We have nothing between us. He can date whoever he wants. I doubt I’ll ever see him again. I’m going to tell my father I can’t do it.”
“Uh-oh. Speak of the devil.”
“What does that mean?”
She nodded toward the television. I glanced at the screen, and instantly butterflies attacked my stomach. Seconds later, anxiety replaced jealousy from seeing the banner drifting across the bottom.
Two Smokejumpers Injured.
The reporter was animated, pictures of a burning mountain and smoke being shown, mostly aerial views.
“What?” I was already on my feet.
