Page 31 of Love, Lies, and Whiskey

“Don’t think just because you said all that shit, we’re buddies now.”

“Understood. Think you can get your ornery ass up that hill?”

Lucas glowered at him. “There’s nothing I can’t do.”

You are a chip off the old block.

As they climbed up the hill, Lucas said, “How’d you find me, anyway?”

“Your mom said she forbade you from coming here. If I was your age and in your shoes, it’s the first place I’d go.” When they got to the top of the hill, he said, “But the next time you want to disobey your mother, you’d better think long and hard about it.”

“Or what?” Lucas challenged.

Doc shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”

Chapter Eleven

RELIEF SWEPT THROUGH Juliette anew as she read Lucas’s text. I’m alive. She stopped pacing her living room and sat down on the couch, trying to calm her racing heart.

“Is everything okay, honey? Was that Doc again?” Wynnie asked.

She shook her head. “It was Lucas.” She showed Wynnie the text. “I’m guessing Seeley told him to text me.”

“Probably so.”

Juliette set her phone on the coffee table. “I wish I knew what Lucas said to him, but I guess I’ll find out soon enough. I don’t know how you survived five teenagers.”

“When we were in the thick of it, there were days I wasn’t sure I would. As the oldest, Doc paved the way for the others. He was a cocky jokester back then. When he was Lucas’s age, he told us he was going to a friend’s house, and he did go see his buddy. But then he told that friend he was going home and went to see a girl. She snuck out, and they fell asleep in her backyard. Tiny had all the guys out looking for him, much like Doc did tonight with Lucas.”

“Seeley told me about that when we were teenagers.” They’d shared so many of their secrets, and he was still the only person who knew hers.

“I expect he did. He tried us good back then. He was the first to come home drunk at sixteen. He stumbled into Birdie’s room thinking it was his and promptly puked all over her floor.”

“Gross. Poor Birdie.”

Wynnie laughed softly. “Tiny made him clean it up, which made Doc sicker, but it taught him a lesson. Then there was the time he and his friends thought sneaking out to have their own bull-riding contest was a good idea.”

“Ohmygosh. I don’t remember hearing about that. Did they get hurt?”

“No. Thankfully, Buck Waller caught them before they had a chance.”

Buck had been Seeley’s riding coach the summer they were together. Juliette would never forget going to the Waller ranch and watching Seeley ride bulls, rope cows, and barrel race. “Buck is Lucas’s riding coach, too.”

“Then Lucas is in good hands. Sometimes I wonder what kind of trouble Doc would’ve gotten into if what happened between the two of you had never gone down.”

“What do you mean?”

“He took a turn to the dark side after that. He was so very heartbroken, he became angry and secretive. It took years before he came back into his own, and he’s never been quite the same since.”

Juliette felt a wave of guilt. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. None of it was your fault, and all kids go through tough times. Each of ours tried us in different ways. If I’ve learned one thing about life, it’s that nothing has the power to toughen you up or break you down like a child does. But you know that better than any of us, honey.”

Juliette swallowed hard.

“I am so sorry that we didn’t know what your father was doing back then and that you’ve had to deal with everything alone for so long. I know you had Josh at first, and I’m sorry that you lost him. I wish we could have been there to help you and Lucas get through that, and all the years since.” She covered Juliette’s hand with her own, squeezing it reassuringly. “I hope you know we’re here for both of you, and you can lean on us anytime.”

The front door opened, and they both stood as Tiny walked in. “The last of the guys just left. Have you heard anything more from Doc?”