“Tomorrow.”
“Is your résumé polished?”
She nodded. “Mary made me do it. But I didn’t have the balls to send it.”
“Well, tomorrow you’re growing a pair, because you’re turning in that application. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Miranda laughed but Jeremiah thought he saw tears glistening in her eyes. Miranda, so strong, so full of life, and yet she still needed someone to believe in her. Jeremiah was happy to be that person. It was the least he could do.
“Russ—” he gestured to the bartender “—two more over here, buddy.”
He realized one drink was not nearly enough to dull the growing ache in his heart. In fact, there probably wasn’t enough alcohol in the world.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
JEREMIAH HAD HAD one too many beers and Miranda had decided it was time to put him to bed when Otter stopped them at the tavern door. Apparently Otter had also had too much to drink and suddenly felt it was time to get some things off his chest.
“My, isn’t this cute?” Otter’s voice was slurred as he lurched forward, gesturing to them. “Not even bothering to hide anymore. I guess no more sneaking around is required. Seems there are no rules around here anymore.”
Miranda frowned at Otter, irritated at his sudden odd behavior and anxious to get out of The Rusty Anchor before someone realized how much Jeremiah had been drinking. She didn’t want anyone to have cause to make another call to Stuart that might come back and hurt Jeremiah. “What are you talking about, Otter? You’re drunk. Do you need a ride home? Do I need to call Mary?”
“I’m fine,” Otter said with a sneer. “But what do you care? I’m just the friend who’s always there for you and available to help whenever you need it. But that’s not good enough for you, is it? You have to have somebody who you’re not supposed to have. But then, that’s always the case with you, isn’t it? But I never thought you’d want to sleep with your boss. That’s low, Miranda. Even for you.”
“Go home, Otter.” Jeremiah stared, his gaze hard as flint. “Don’t be saying things you can’t take back.”
“You shut up. And don’t call me Otter. That’s only for my friends. I gave you a place to live and this is how you repay me? You move in on my girl?”
“I’m not your girl,” Miranda cut in, shocked and growing beyond pissed, but as drunk as Otter was there was no getting through to him, no matter how Miranda protested. Otter suddenly jabbed a finger at Jeremiah, and Miranda had to hold Jeremiah back from punching out the drunk.
“If I didn’t need the money I’d kick your ass out on the street. Well, and if I wasn’t legally required to give you thirty days,” Otter amended with a small hiccup. “I would totally evict your scheming, backstabbing ass. It’s bad enough that you still have your job after what you’ve done.”
Miranda did a double take and narrowed her stare at Otter. “What are you talking about?” Otter pressed his lips together, his bleary stare rebellious, and Miranda realized it was Otter who had made the call. “You were the one, weren’t you? You ratted me out to Stuart, didn’t you?”
“Not you, just him,” Otter said plaintively, sounding like a child who’d been wrongly accused. “He’s the one who overstepped his authority. It’s all his fault!”
Oh, that’s enough of that. People were beginning to take an undue interest in the scene and Miranda was ready to put the whole situation behind her. Otter was a grown man acting like a spoiled brat. If she’d ever had any inkling that they might be able to make something work, Otter’s drunken display had just killed it.
“Your nickname ought to be weasel or rat,” Jeremiah shot back, and Miranda stepped forward and put a restraining hand on Jeremiah while she dealt with Otter before he got his ass kicked.
“Otter, I can forgive what you’re saying right now because you are drunk out of your mind. I’m also going to try to forget that you’re the one who tried to make trouble for me and Jeremiah when it was none of your damn business.” Otter blinked back mulish tears but she didn’t feel sorry for him one bit. He’d brought this on himself and he was going to have to listen up and finally lose the dream that they were going to someday ride off into the sunset together. “Yes, you are my friend. I’ve never pretended to be anything other than that. But in case you haven’t noticed, to be my friend is something I consider very special because I don’t have many. But I can very easily remove you from that spot in my life. Is that what you want?”