Page 160 of Property of Whiskey

I’m not convinced it’s an improvement. Becki joins us a minute later carrying bottled water. She puts one in front of me.

“No bourbon?” I ask.

“Boys drank enough for everybody before noon.”

Sophie takes a drink from her mug. “You okay?”

Everybody keeps asking me that.

Maybe I look worse than I think.

“I’m fine.”

“Bullshit,” Becki says.

I look at her.

She shrugs. “I’ve been kidnapped by one of them too.”

My eyebrows rise. It takes a second before I realize she’s not talking about Whiskey kidnapping me.

Royal shouts, “Context!”

Becki raises her voice. “There ain’t enough context!”

I laugh before I can help it.

Sophie does too.

Across the room, Royal looks deeply offended.

Whiskey looks amused.

Legend doesn’t.

He’s watching Sophie.

She knows. Doesn’t look back.

I lower my voice. “You two okay?”

Sophie knows exactly who I mean. Her finger traces the edge of her mug.

“We’re us.”

“That tells me exactly nothing.”

“It’s the one I’ve got.”

I glance at her bare left hand.

“Wedding’s still off?”

“Postponed,” she corrects quietly. “Indefinitely.”

Becki looks down at her water.

Sophie’s smile has no humor in it. “We love each other. Sometimes that ain’t the same as being ready to marry somebody.”