Page 27 of Ethan

“So,” Serena said.

“Nope.”

“I was just going to ask if you wanted another drink.”

Naomi looked at her glass. It was empty. “Yes. Please.”

Serena flagged down the bartender, and Johnny leaned around her with raised eyebrows. Naomi pointed at him before he could say a word.

“Don’t you either.”

He held up both hands, grinning, and turned back to his drink.

Naomi looked back across the room. Ethan was listening to something Cole was saying, his jaw tight, his expression the carefully composed one she was starting to recognize as him working to keep something off his face.

She knew the feeling.

The bartender slid a fresh drink in front of her, she picked it up and turned back to the dance floor where Seth and Ryan were making their way through the crowd, stopping to hug people, laughing, completely wrapped up in each other and the night.

She wanted that someday. She hadn’t let herself want it in a long time.

She took a sip of her drink and didn’t look across the room again.

The band played another hour, working through a mix of fast numbers and slow ones, and Naomi danced twice more, once with Johnny, who turned out to be surprisingly light on his feet, and once with an older man named Walt who spun her around like he’d been dancing since before she was born.

She laughed more than she had in a long time.

At some point a woman appeared beside her at the bar, a striking redhead with warm eyes and an easy confidence about her, wiping her hands on a towel.

“You must be Naomi. I’m Scarlett. This is my place.” She nodded toward the bar where a man who was built like a barn door was pulling drafts without breaking a sweat. “That’s my husband Noah.”

Noah looked up and lifted his chin in greeting.

“It’s a wonderful place,” Naomi said. “Thank you for hosting.”

“We wouldn’t have it any other way.” Scarlett smiled. “Seth and Ryan are good people. This town takes care of its own.” She looked at Naomi warmly. “And you’re one of us now, so don’t be a stranger.”

Naomi felt something settle in her chest. “I won’t. Thank you, Scarlett.”

Scarlett disappeared back into the crowd and Ryan found her not long after, hugging her like they’d been friends for years.

“I’m so glad you came,” Ryan said.

“Thank you for inviting me.” Naomi meant it completely. “This place is wonderful and your dress is absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you.” Ryan glanced across the room at Seth with a look so soft it made Naomi’s chest ache in the best possible way. “I still can’t believe this is my life sometimes.”

“Believe it.” Naomi squeezed her hand. “Congratulations, Ryan. Really.”

Ryan hugged her again and disappeared back into the crowd.

Naomi was up before six Sunday, which wasn’t unusual, but this morning she lay there for a few minutes staring at the ceiling before she got up.

She could still feel his hand at her waist.

She sat up, pushed her hair back, and told herself to get it together. They’d danced. They’d talked. They’d agreed to take it slow, which meant nothing had actually changed. She still had a job to do, he was still her boss, and the sun was coming up over the Montana mountains the same as it did every morning regardless of what happened at Dewey’s the night before.

She got up, made coffee, and went to check on Jewel.