Sidecar Crush

We shifted in our seats and went back to our breakfasts. But no one seemed to feel like talking. I reckoned we all felt guilty that one of our own might have cost this man so much.

Gibson was the first to leave, just a minute or two after the judge went back to his seat. His plate was still half-full but he muttered something about having to work, tossed some cash on the table, and left. Bowie finished up his breakfast and excused himself to leave. Jonah and Devlin left to help Dev’s Granny Louisa with something at her place, which left me and Scarlett.

“You’re quiet this morning,” Scarlett said. “Course, I guess you’re always quiet.”

“I reckon.”

“Waffles not treating you so well?” she asked.

“They’re fine, I’m just not hungry.”

“Are you coming out for the Fourth?” she asked. “You didn’t say anything when we were talking about it before.”

I shrugged. She was probably about to talk me into it, but right now, I didn’t much want to. “Maybe. Do you need a solid answer, or can I just show up if it works out?”

She trailed a finger through the syrup on her plate and licked it. “I guess you can just show up if you want to. But I kinda think you’ll want to.”

My Scarlett-alarm went off, but I could sense it was already too late. She was up to something. There was nothing else for it but to play her game. “And why do you think that?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” she said, her voice light. “I invited Leah Mae Larkin and she said she’d come.”

My eyebrows drew in and I gave her the side-eye. “Leah Mae left town.”

Scarlett’s mouth turned up in a devilish little grin. “You’re certain about that?”

“Well, yeah,” I said. “It’s not like I drove over there to see or anything. But today was her flight. I do know that.”

“Seems she had a change of heart,” she said. “Called me yesterday to see if she could extend her stay. Her cabin was booked, but I had a last-minute cancellation on another one, so I set her up there yesterday afternoon.”

I had no idea what Scarlett could see in my face. I was trying very hard to keep everything I was feeling from showing, but there was so much. So many emotions racing through me, quick as a lightning strike. Relief, mixed with worry, topped off with something that was awfully close to elation.

I cleared my throat. “Sounds like it worked out for both of you.”

“Sure did,” she said. “And since she’ll be all alone for the holiday, I told her she really ought to come out and celebrate with everyone.”

All alone. Did that mean her fiancé had left? I wanted to know, but I didn’t want to ask. Wasn’t sure if I should ask. I picked at what was left of my waffles.

Scarlett groaned. “Why don’t you just ask me?”

“Ask you what?”

“You are such a pain in the ass,” she said. “Ask me about Kevin, or whatever his name was. The guy she was with.”

“Why would I ask you about him?”

She rolled her eyes. “So that’s how we’re playin’ it? Fine. Because you’re my brother and I love you even though you’re stupid, I’ll tell you. He’s gone. He left yesterday. And you best be in town tomorrow for the Fourth of July, or I will come over and haul your ass out of that damn workshop. And if you get really stubborn, I’ll sic Gibs on you.”

“All right, all right. I’ll be there.”

“Good,” Scarlett said with a self-satisfied grin and licked the last of the syrup off her finger. “Then my work here is done.”

10

JAMESON

Downtown Bootleg was awash in red, white, and blue. The decorating had started days ago, and now the entire town was decked out for Independence Day. Lake Street was closed to vehicular traffic and it had been transformed into a veritable carnival. Booths sold food and drink, and games were set up all up and down the street. Crepe paper and helium balloons—all red, white, and blue—were everywhere. More booths sold little flags, buttons, pins, and other novelties, and a fireworks stand down by the lake had a line that was already at least twenty deep.