Harleigh is curled up in Porter’s lap.
Matty sits between Caison’s knees while he absentmindedly plays with her hair.
And then there’s Jovie. She’s sitting beside Cabe, holding a mason jar that contains exactly one sip of apple pie moonshine.
Dad makes that less potent variety for my mother.
It’s the same sip she’s been swirling around for almost thirty minutes.
The woman is used to drinking those girlie wine cocktails she likes so much. I have half a mind to go open a bottle from my cousins’ stash and find some soda to put her out of her misery.
Cabe stands and announces to the crowd that he’s gotta take a leak.
“Bring me back a beer,” Micah calls after him as he walks toward the house.
“Are you actually drinking that, Doc? Or just keeping it company?”
Jovie looks up, and the firelight dances across her face as her eyes meet mine. “What?”
I nod toward her glass.
“I’m drinking it. I’m just pacing myself.”
“You had two shots’ worth, and you’re still nursing it.”
“It’s a little … strong for me.”
I grin. “You think that syrupy liquor is strong?”
She looks down at the amber liquid with a cinnamon stick floating in it. “It tastes like apple-flavored gasoline.”
“It’s supposed to.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Then I don’t understand the appeal.”
I hold up my jar. “The appeal is what happens once the gasoline soaks in.”
Micah barks out a laugh. “That’s probably the worst sales pitch I’ve ever heard.”
Jovie cuts her eyes to him. “Thank you.”
I chuckle. “You don’t have to choke it down,” I say. “You want me to ask Charli to open a bottle of wine? I’m sure we have some soda water around here you can flavor it with.”
Her lips curl into a subtle smile. “At least I don’t drink things that could strip paint.”
Micah raises his hand. “I’m with Axle on this one. Those wine sprinkle things you drink are weak.”
Jovie gasps. “It’s a spritz and … whatever. We can’t all be professional lushes.”
Cabe chuckles as he settles back beside her, passing Micah a can and tossing his arm over her shoulders. “Leave Jojo alone.” The nickname slips from his mouth naturally.
Jovie bumps her shoulder against his.
The movement is innocent. Completely innocent. Yet something unpleasant twists inside my chest.
I take a drink and try to ignore it.
Then Cabe reaches over and takes the jar from her hand and swallows the last of the moonshine.
