“Josie dropped me off. Willa was asleep in the back seat. She passed out somewhere around the fifth shot.”
Rhett nods. He scrubs a hand over his face, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “I heard the party was a success.”
“It was,” I say. I walk over to the fireplace mantel and lean against it. I need the support. “It was amazing. We raised... we raised so much money.”
He looks at me, his eyes taking in my flushed face, my rumpled clothes. “Where are the others? Did they already leave?”
“Boone and Knox?” I shake my head. “No, they were... they were around when I left. I think they were playing pool.”
“They probably went back to the cabins,” he says. “They were talking about heading out earlier.”
I nod. “And you? Why are you sleeping on the couch? I thought the power was back.”
“It is,” he says. “For the main house. But the line to the cabins isn’t hooked up yet. The electrician said he’ll finish it in the morning. So... I hope you don’t mind me crashing here.”
“I don’t mind,” I say. I look at the sofa. It looks comfortable. It looks warm. “The world is spinning, Rhett.”
He stands up. He moves toward me, his movements slow and careful. “Are you drunk?”
I shake my head. The motion makes the room spin faster. “No. Just... tipsy. Willa and Dot gave everyone shots. Tequila. And then there was whiskey. And then Carrie made these things called picklebacks.”
He laughs. “I can imagine.”
I reach into the pocket of my jeans and pull out a thick envelope. It’s stuffed with cash and checks.
“Here,” I say, shoving it at his chest. “Take it.”
He takes it, frowning. He opens the flap and looks inside. His eyes widen.
“Saramaria...”
“Count it,” I say. “Twenty-four thousand, five hundred dollars. Plus the checks that haven’t cleared yet. The ranch is saved, Rhett. We can pay the fines. We can buy the lumber. We can fix the barns.”
I smile. It feels like a goofy, drunk smile, but I don’t care. “We did it. We actually did it.”
Rhett stares at the money. Then he looks up at me. He sets the envelope down on the mantel.
“That’s... that’s incredible,” he says. “I didn’t think we’d raise that much in one night.”
“People are generous,” I say. “Or they really like barbecue. I don’t know. I’m just glad it’s over.”
I look around the room. My eyes land on the empty space in the center of the rug. The frustration from earlier bubbles up.
“Where the fuck is my bed?” I ask. I turn to look at him. “Why is the floor bare? Did you guys decide to throw out my mattress?”
Rhett chuckles. He crosses his arms over his chest. “What?”
“My bed!” I gesture to the empty space. “I left it right there. Where the fuck is it?”
“You have a mouth on you tonight,” he says, amused. “I didn’t realize you were such a sailor when you’re intoxicated.”
“I am not a sailor,” I say, swaying slightly. “I’m a lawyer. A lawyer who wants her bed. Where is it?”
“We moved it,” he says.
“You moved it?”
“We moved it back to your room,” he says. “We wanted things back to normal. Or as normal as they can be. We figured you didn’t want to be sleeping in the middle of the living room forever.”
