And I mean it.
This summer hasn’t turned out anything like I expected. But I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Cabe squeezes my shoulder. “I’ll try to make more time before you leave.”
I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it. There will be other summers.”
Then he smiles. “Yeah?”
“There will.”
Something unreadable passes through his eyes.
“I don’t know. It just feels like everything is changing so fast. I just don’t want to lose us, you know?”
I bump his shoulder with mine. “No matter what changes or where our lives lead us, you won’t lose me. You’re stuck with me forever, Cabe Trust.”
His smile widens. “Promise?”
“Pinkie promise.”
Bryce and Porter return with arms full of greasy goodness just as the concert starts winding down.
The lead singer of Wildhaven Junction steps up to the microphone. “Wildhaven!”
The crowd cheers.
“We’ve had one hell of a night!”
The cheers get louder.
“I know some of you guys have kiddos to get home, but if anybody wants to keep this party going, we’ll be heading over to The Soused Cow after this song.”
Several people start gathering their things.
Harleigh sits straight up. “Oh, we’re absolutely going to the Cow.”
Porter groans. “I have to be at the hotel early tomorrow.”
Her eyes go to him. “That’s fine. Cabe can drop us by there on the way back to the ranch, and we’ll stay in your office.”
“In his office?” I say.
“Yeah, he has a suite attached,” she says.
She points at him. “I’ll do that thing you like.”
Porter’s eyes darken. “Fine.”
Charli laughs. “You walked right into that.”
Bryce checks his watch. “We should probably head home.”
Harleigh gasps. “Nope,” she says, then looks at her sister. “Isn’t there a thing you do that he likes?”
“Oh, he likes all the things she does, but he’s got an early flight.”
“Boooo. You’re turning into boring old people, like Caison and Matty and Waylon and Shelby.”
