Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
The Bar
“Wade!” Salem hollered across the Copper Mule. “Another order of fried pickles!”
Hadley buried her head in her hand and laughed.
“We’re not the only ones in this place,” I said to Salem.
Salem shrugged.
“Fried pickles?” a customer said from the next table over. “That sounds amazing. Wade! An order for us too!”
Wade saluted and then went to the computer to punch in the orders.
“You see, Poet, my loudness sold another order of pickles,” Salem said as she reached for her mocktail. “I’m doing the Lord’s work.”
“You mean Wade’s work,” Hadley said with a grin.
My pint of beer was halfway gone, and it had done nothing to clear out the clutter in my mind.
“You okay?” Salem asked me.
“My brain is goo,” I admitted. “You know when you have so many ideas and you’re trying to hold them all in your head, but it’s just crammed full?”
“Uh, no, Salem doesn’t have that problem,” Hadley joked.
Salem rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know exactly how that feels.”
While the banana bread baked, Salem and Hadley had helped me with a business plan. The plan was now three quarters of the way finished, but it was still little more than an overview.
I desperately wanted to drill down into the semantics and intimate details that would make my bookstore special and unique.
“Any ideas yet on what you want to call it?” Salem asked.
“The Shop Around the Corner is taken,” I said, referencing the 1940s movie with Jimmy Stewart.
“But that was a gift shop,” Hadley said.
“But it was also the name of the bookstore in You’ve Got Mail,” I said. “I want something like that. Something cute, without being annoying.”
“Something poetic, perhaps?” Salem quipped.
“Peabody, Paperbacks, and . . .” Hadley trailed off when it was clear she couldn’t think of another word.”
“Pens,” Salem supplied. “Pretty things.”
“Meh.” I shrugged. “It’ll come to me. Probably at three a.m. I’d like to go to the bank when I have a name though.”
Wade delivered the fried pickles to the table. Hadley’s high-school boyfriend smirked as he cleared away the other two empty baskets. “You guys still pretending to hold out on ordering barbecue?”
Salem glanced at her cell phone that rested on the table. “What if we put in the order? So it comes out by the time they show up.”
Hadley sighed. “Fine. I’ll enable you. Yeah, we’ll put in an order for the ribs and meat combo platter.”
“All the sides,” Salem added, placing a hand on her belly. “For the kid.”
Wade shook his head and grinned. “Tell yourself whatever you need to.”
“Extra potato salad,” Salem said. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing this right.”
“Got it. Another beer, Poet?” he asked.
Nodding, I reached for my half-empty pint and took three huge swallows of the brew, nearly finishing it off.
“Good girl,” Salem said with a wide smile.
“That doesn’t sound nearly as good coming from you as it does from Brooks,” I murmured.
My friends—and Wade—stilled.
Hadley’s smile was slow.
“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” I asked. “Sorry, it’s the beer.”
“Damn right it’s the beer. It’s 8 percent alcohol,” Wade said with a laugh. He turned and left the table, leaving me alone with two of my best friends.
“Finally,” Salem said. “We’re getting to the good stuff!”
“Oh no, we are not talking about it,” I said.
“Why not?” Salem demanded.
“We’re in public, for one,” I replied. “And two, you two don’t talk about your men in that regard. So why should I talk about mine?”
Hadley pointed to her belly. “You really think I need to say anything?”
“Ditto.” Salem rubbed her stomach. “But you, sweet little angel, are different.”
“Because I was a virgin a few days ago and now I’m not?” I sassed.
The table behind us went quiet.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered.
“Yeah, maybe we shelf this for another time,” Hadley said. “Like the baby shower when Wyn is here. Besides, she’ll be so upset if she misses this.”
“Make a note to spike Poet’s drink,” Salem said. “She’s always loose-lipped when she drinks.”
I slid out of the booth.
“Where are you going?” Hadley asked.
“Changing the music.”
I was standing in front of the vintage jukebox, perusing through albums when I felt arms wrap around me from behind. I stiffened for a moment before recognizing Brooks’ scent and breadth. I melted into his embrace.
He rested his chin on my shoulder. “You smell like vanilla extract.”
I turned my head and met his mouth with mine. “I was baking earlier. You didn’t see the banana bread cooling on the stove?”
“I smelled it when I walked into the apartment, but I hopped immediately into the shower.” He gestured with his chin toward the jukebox. “You haven’t picked a song.”
I let out a soft laugh when I saw Brooks & Dunn, The Greatest Hits Collection. I pushed a button and a moment later, ‘You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone’ started to play.
Brooks took my hand and led me back to the table where Cas and Declan had joined Hadley and Salem.
“Good tune,” Declan said.
“Killer,” Cas agreed.
“The perfect song to dance to,” Declan said as he slid out of the booth and held out his hand to Hadley.
She beamed up at him and took his hand. He led her to the makeshift dance floor which was really just the center of the bar where there were no tables and chairs.
“How about it?” Cas asked Salem.
“Hell yes,” she said eagerly.
The two couples moved toward the dance floor, leaving me alone with Brooks. Before he could even think to ask me if I wanted to dance, I snuggled into his side and pressed my cheek to his chest. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me closer.
“Is that just a coincidence?” I asked.
“What?”
“Your name and the name of this band?”
He paused for a moment and then finally said, “No coincidence. My mother loved this band.”
Loved.
Past tense.
“Is she—”
“Later,” he said pressing a kiss to my forehead. “We’ll talk about it later.”
A stone of emotion settled in my belly.
While the couples were dancing, Wade brought the meat and ribs combo and a bunch of share plates. “Hey, man,” he greeted Brooks. “You want something to drink?”
“Water’s good, thanks,” Brooks said.
“Be right back with that for ya,” Wade said. “Enjoy the food.”
“We will,” I said with a smile. “Might as well put in another order of the exact same. This won’t last long.”
“You got it,” Wade said, knocking on the table and leaving.
The song ended and the couples returned to the table.
“I already ordered a second platter,” I said as they sat.
The table was quiet as we all devoured the meal. When there was a break in the feeding frenzy, Salem raised her mocktail and said, “To Poet. Who’s going to open her bookstore and be a great success.”
“Here, here,” Hadley said with a huge smile.
“Lucy gave you her blessing, huh?” Declan asked after he set his pint of beer down.
I nodded. “Yes. She didn’t even make me work for it. I wanted to prepare a presentation, but it was completely unnecessary. Unlike the bank, though. They’ll want to see something.”
“When are you going to the bank?” Cas asked.
“Not sure yet,” I murmured. “There are some things I need to do first. Like get a new ID and establish residency.”
“Road trip to the DMV tomorrow?” Salem asked. “Oh damn, I just remembered I can’t go. I’ve got back-to-back phone meetings tomorrow morning.”
“Hadley?” I asked her.
She shook her head. “I can’t. Too much going on with the house build.”
“I really need a car,” I muttered. I looked at Brooks. “Any idea when the rental will be fixed?”
“The part they ordered just shipped. So still a little while, at least. I can take you to the DMV.”
“How?” I asked. “You have to work.”
“As foreman of Elk Ridge, I’m giving you the day off,” Declan said to Brooks. “There. Problem solved.”
“Works for me,” Brooks said.
“Me too.” I bit my lip. “I have to go shopping.”
“For?” he asked.
“An outfit. I didn’t pack anything appropriate for a bank meeting,” I said.
“You won’t find the clothes you need in Coeur D’Alene,” Salem said.
“Spokane, then,” Brooks said. “I’ll brave the city.”
“Spokane doesn’t have what you need either.” Hadley smirked and looked at Salem. “Frazer.”
“Frazer!” Salem said. “Why didn’t I think of her?”
“Who’s Frazer?” I asked in confusion.
“She was in our graduating class,” Hadley said. “And she’s now the theater director at the town high school.”
“Okay? Still not following,” I said.
“Last year, they did Romeo and Juliet, but set it in the forties,” Hadley said with a laugh. “She’s got everything you need.”
Declan frowned. “Why does she need forties costumes?”
I let out a laugh when I finally understood. “Because of Bing Crosby, of course.”
“Well, I’m officially lost,” Cas said as he reached for the last rib on the shared platter.
“Me too,” Brooks said.
Wade approached with our second meat and ribs combo platter. “Round two.”