Chapter 3
THREE
KATHERINE
I came to The Lost Cowboy to clear my head and here I am, under a damn mistletoe with the last man I’d expect to be here.
Lance King.
I haven’t seen him around town the last few months, and honestly, I thought that he packed his bags and left. A part of me wanted to go with him, if that were the case.
There’s more hollering in the bar and it’s making me feel anxious. My hands clench into fists and I need a shot or three.
Lance’s green eyes are boring into mine and his jaw ticks. His eyes are swarming with thoughts that I can’t read. Does he want to…?
“It’ll shut them up,” he says, finally breaking the silence.
I glance quickly at the bar where Lainey is waving liquor bottles in her hands before clinking them. I shake my head at her.
“No? Of course, sorry for even saying that,” Lance continues.
“What?” I say, turning back to him. Oh, he thought I was shaking my head at him .
“Hurry up before you owe us all shots!” someone yells. That’s when Lance and I look at the wall next to us and there’s a sign that looks brand new.
No mistletoe kiss, drinks are on you
“Fuck, let’s get this over with.” I finally concede.
Lance nods before twisting his ball cap so it’s backward. I’m watching him in slow motion and it’s mesmerizing for some reason. I’ve never really paid any mind to Lance King, but now I am .
I get on my tiptoes to reach up, my hand going to his shoulder. One of his hands goes to my hip and another under my chin. I close my eyes, hoping he doesn’t hear my racing heart.
“I’m gonna kill Lainey.” He breathes before I feel his lips on mine. I stiffen at how soft they are. We continue to kiss and there’s noise behind us, but I drown it all out. His grip tightens on my hip and his thumb caresses my cheek for a moment.
There’s tightness in my stomach and I’m not sure if I’m nauseous or it’s butterflies.
Or both.
We finally pull back and it’s like the world has been put back on play because no one is focusing on us anymore. Except Lainey. She’s still screaming like a maniac.
If she thinks this mistletoe idea will go very far, I’ve got news for her.
“I’ll see you,” Lance quickly says before adjusting his hat back to normal. I open my mouth to say something, but I’m still in shock.
I lift my fingers to my lips before I see him walk out of the bar and continue to the parking lot. His white truck is like a beacon in the night and I watch him for a good moment as he gets in, pulls out, then drives off.
There are more people piling into the bar and I move to make room for them, still mentally frozen from what just happened.
I kissed Lance King. I honestly can’t remember the last time I kissed someone like this.
And I enjoyed it. Which scares the living shit out of me to admit.
Lainey is closing out all the tabs before she’s pushing a water in my direction. I thank her before sipping it. It’s around two in the morning, and I barely left this seat except to go change the music at the jukebox in the corner.
Almost everyone’s gone and I feel like an old man just waiting to be kicked out for outstaying my welcome.
“You’re moping and I need you to chug that,” Lainey states from the other side of the bar, a rag in her hand ready to start on closing work.
I look at her for a moment before nodding and chugging. The water is much needed, I can already feel the hangover that’s brewing for tomorrow. Thankfully, I don’t have any lessons until the afternoon.
“Not moping, by the way,” I tell her. She laughs before wiping the counter and making her way to me. The other workers are cleaning tables, flipping chairs, and making a ruckus behind me. Despite the noise, it’s like Lainey and I are in a bubble right now and she’s all that I’m focused on.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
“What?” I sigh.
She purses her lips before leaning over the counter. She grabs my free hand and holds it tightly, I let her. “Something is going on and I’m here if you need to talk about it.”
My throat feels tight all of a sudden and I hate it. “This is very disturbing to realize.”
Her bright blue eyes are locked on mine. “Disturbing? How so?”
I nod toward the bar behind her, and then look up at the ceiling. “That I’m finding solace with my bartender. I should be in therapy, not here.”
She laughs before releasing my hand and grabbing my empty glass before refilling it. I thank her before drinking it.
“I’m not just your bartender, Katherine. I’d like to think we’re acquaintances. Maybe one day…friends?”
Friends .
Growing up in a small town and dating Bennett toward the end of my high school years made it hard to keep female friendships. We were so madly in love that we forgot about everyone; we were in a Katherine and Bennett bubble that it felt like I lost touch with so many people unintentionally. We were too young–at an age where it felt like it was all or nothing when we found each other. Then the isolation period of when he left for his deployments didn’t help. I was a scared little 20 something year old who didn’t know how to really make friends.
I get jealous, I will admit, seeing girl groups walking around town. Birdy and Camilla have of course invited me to many hangouts the last few months, but it felt mandatory. Or at least it did for me.
I’m not sure if I’m capable of making new friends at this age. Thirty-seven years old and I’m here contemplating the woes of life with a bartender. Wow .
“Do you think that’s possible?” I ask, honestly. A hiccup follows and I cover my mouth quickly. Lainey smiles and a laugh slips out of my lips. “Sorry.”
“No need to apologize. Don’t ever apologize for something you didn’t do wrong.” I look at her for a moment, and she continues. “I think it’s very feasible. You’re never too far in life to not make new friends. We can go easy, too.”
“Easy?” I almost laugh, but her face is serious.
“Come to my show tomorrow night. It’s an hour set, but I promise that I’ll make it worth it for my new friend.”
The Lost Cowboy does live shows every Friday and Saturday night, at least that’s what I read on their huge marquee out front when I arrived. I missed today since I came so late…and then the whole mistletoe mishap happened with Lance.
The man that I haven’t seemed to get out of my mind the last few hours. It’s like he’s infiltrated my thoughts, and it’s new to me. Very new to me.
“Deal. But please don’t sing Wagon Wheel . It’s way overplayed,” I say.
She smiles and shakes her head. “I was thinking more of Dolly Parton or Megan Moroney.”
“And an original, I hope?”
She grabs the rag that she abandoned and nods before she starts to clean again. “A few, I think, are ready to be heard. I’m a little nervous, though, so I’ll see if I want to sing them all.”
I’ve yet to hear her sing, so I can’t say any encouraging words at this moment. I just nod and smile, hoping that’s sufficient.
“Can’t wait. Do you need me to bring flowers or something? Tell you to break a leg?”
“God, no!” Lainey laughs. “Just show up and try not to kiss that same cowboy under the mistletoe…or do. Y’all were cute, I can’t lie.”
My cheeks burn and I cover them up with my hands. God, this is embarrassing. I need to go home right now.
“Lance is just someone I know.”
Lainey looks at me like I just told her pigs fly. She knows I’m lying. Damn, maybe she will be a good friend to have in my life. Call me out on my bullshit.
“Sure, he is. Maybe he’ll just happen to be here again. He thinks I’ll make it big in Nashville one day.”
This piqued my interest. She knows him?
“Oh, really?”
Her eyes sparkle and she nods. “That’s my big dream, Katherine. I want all of it. The glitz, the glamor, and the sold-out arenas. It’ll take some years of performing, but I know deep in my soul it’s for me.”
Her enthusiasm—and optimism—is contagious and gets me thinking about my own life. Do I have this kind of dream like she does?
I’ve always wanted to open up a ballet studio and here I am owning a very successful one. But is there more for me?
“I’ll be there tomorrow. And I’m going to order an Uber,” I tell her, getting up so I’m not holding up the staff from closing. I drove here, but driving after a few drinks is the last thing I need to worry about. I can just grab my car in the morning.
She holds up a finger for me to wait, runs to the end of the bar, and returns with an ice-cold water bottle.
I thank her before waving goodbye and pulling my phone out to call an Uber as I head outside. The cold December air bites my skin, but I like how it feels. It makes me feel alive and I look up at the dark sky.
Alpine Ridge has the prettiest skies at night. So many stars to count and dream on. I close my eyes and for a moment, I think of a wish.
I make it.
My phone pings and I open my eyes, looking down. My Uber is arriving soon.
Let’s just hope my wish will too.