The mems.I guess I’d be a fool to pass up a memory.
“Which one should I get? You pick,” I tell her, knowing I’ll treasure this hat more than I should. It’ll be my most coveted souvenir.
She contemplates the full wall of options before setting her sights on one directly at the center. Collie hands me a Cattleman hat in a creamy bone color. Light brown stitching follows the outer lining. It’s unique yet has a rugged and lived-in feel. Made from a premium, handcrafted beaver blend.
It’s incredible and exactly what I would have picked for myself.
“This’ll work,” I stammer, attempting to play off how much I actually appreciate the gesture.
“I have an idea!” Collie exclaims. “Why don’t we design each other’s?”
My hesitant response must tell her I think that’s a terrible idea. “Uh, colorblind. Remember? Pretty sure you’d be justified to ask for a refund after I’m finished with yours.”
She waves me off before dragging me by the arm to the shaping station. “Come on. It’ll be fun. I promise I’ll love it. Live a little with me, Easton.”
Her smile is every reason to say yes. I’m positive Collie could rob me of everything I own, and I’d thank her for it. “Okay. But remember, you asked for it.” I point to her before examining the table of options in front of us.
A branding and engraving table sits to the side, where a worker currently brands a moose on the side of a man’s white hat. Brown feathers line his brim. Colored leather threads from turquoise to black to yellow provide options. Feathers,silk ribbon, multicolored beads, and western pins give endless choices, and I don’t know where to start.
Collie must see my distress because she whispers something into my ear. Something I wasn’t expecting, but might just be the thing that lights a fire under my ass. “What are we playing for, Ranger?”
I smirk, feeling less anxious already. “Is everything a game to you?” I’ve never met someone who can make something out of nothing.
Something exhilarating like Collie can.
It’s riveting.Intoxicating.
“Just go along with it.” She shoves my shoulder playfully, and I oblige.
“Person with the best hat design buys the first drink. Preferably shots.”
Collie’s smile lights up the whole damn room. “We feelin’ risky tonight, Ranger?”
Every second with you, yes.
I just stare at her, lost in her beautiful madness, until she answers for me. “Well, challenge accepted,” she shouts, tapping the table in front of us. “Just to note in advance—I’ll take a pickleback shot. Heavy on the Jameson.”
Always so confident she’ll win.
But predictable, seeing as howI’mconfident I already lost.
I know without a shadow of a doubt I’ll love hers the most.
Not because of the design, but the maker behind it.
21
EASTON
“Shots. Shots. Shots. Shots,”Collie chants over the loud jukebox, opposite the bar top she stands on.
Yeah, I said that right. Collie’s on top of the bar, dancing her perky little ass off while I’m parked against the nearest wood pillar, grinning ear to ear like a lovesick fool.
I’m not lovesick. She just makes me feel like I’m twenty again.
I am, however, still feeling a bit speechless over the design Collie chose for my hat. The symbolism left me without words from her thoughtfulness. It feels as if we’ve known each other our entire lives. Collie kept my hat true to its timeless look but added an engraving on the side.
A compass with the letter B at the center, and a lightning bolt as the detail beside the direction symbols.
