Page 14 of Always You (A Lilac Bay Novel)

“Who knows,” I said. “Maybe I’ll meet a cute guy.”

For some reason he seemed to find that absolutely hysterical. He was still chuckling as we made our way outside a few minutes later—once I was sure Gordie’s bowl was safely empty.

Cora’s pub is one of the few eating establishments on the island that remains open all year long. Located two blocks from the Town Square, it feels slightly removed from the heavily traveled sidewalks of Main Street. For those reasons, the pub is a favorite amongst full-time islanders. The fact that it serves some of the best burgers in Northern Michigan makes it worth seeking out for the tourists as well. In the spring and summer months the place is almost always packed.

Andrew and I entered to find the dining room full, as was typical for Friday nights any time of the year. A quick glance around the room told me that I recognized about seventy-five percent of the faces. Most of the players from our team had ended up here after the game, as well as many of those who had watched in the stands. We said hello to a good dozen people before spotting Edward and Zane. Or, rather, Posey, who was sitting with Edward and Zane, and was now standing and waving her arms around.

“Hey! Riley! Andrew, we’re over here!”

I grinned at Andrew, who rolled his eyes. I had known his cousin—only a year younger than us—my entire life. To say Posey Conley was enthusiastic would be an understatement.

Andrew and I made our way across the room to their table, which I could now see was crowded with several more people. “Hey!” Posey said, sliding down so I could take a seat. “Great game!”

“I didn't see you in the stands,” Andrew said, sitting next to me.

“I did the announcing, moron,” Posey said, glaring at her cousin. “Are you seriously going to tell me you didn’t notice me there?”

Andrew grinned and grabbed a fry from his cousin’s plate. “Nope. I just like to mess with you.”

Posey slapped his hand. “You’re the worst. Next time I announce I’m totally going to mess up your name.”

“They’re as bad as little kids, aren’t they?” Iris asked me from the other side of the table. I smiled at her, telling myself not to feel shy.

There was something about Andrew’s other cousin that had intimidated me from the time she had first moved to Lilac Bay last summer. Maybe it was the fact that she had lived in Chicago for most of her life while I had been stuck here on this island in the middle of nowhere. Or maybe it was the flashy job she used to have, developing big name properties in the city. Or that she had arrived on this island and promptly landed David Jenkins, who had steadfastly refused to get involved with any of the island girls for years. Or maybe it was just the fact that she always looked like she’d just stepped out of a fashion magazine. Whatever the reason, she and I hadn’t quite hit it off yet, despite the fact that she was related to my best friend.

“Hey, Ri!” Jenny called from the other end of the table, where she was sandwiched between Edward and David, both of whom had several inches and dozens of pounds on her—I would have completely missed her if she hadn’t called out.

I waved at her, then nudged Andrew. “Go switch with Jenny,” I muttered in his ear. “She’s stuck down there between the guys.”

“So? They won’t hurt her.”

“Yeah, but Eddie is all wrapped up in Zane and you know how lovey-dovey Iris and David get after a few drinks. She’ll have no one to talk to.”

“So I have to go be the third wheel?” he grumbled, but he stood anyway and made his way through the crowd around us to the other end of the table. A moment later, Jenny sank into the seat next to me, grinning from ear to ear. “Isn’t this fun? Andrew said I should come and sit with you. There are so many people here!”

I made a mental note to invite Jenny out more. When we'd lived together, she’d had a tendency to be kind of a homebody, which she always assured me she preferred. But maybe staying in hadn’t been as much of her choice as she had insisted, judging from the slightly wide-eyed way she looked around the bar.

“Hey, Posey,” she said, leaning across the table. “Where’s Paul tonight?”

My eyes automatically flicked down the table. Sure enough, Andrew, Edward and Zane all rolled their eyes at the name of their cousin’s fiancé.

“He’s on call tonight,” she said, apparently missing the way her cousins were looking at each other. Even Iris was joining in.

“He must be pretty busy, huh?” Jenny asked. “Being a doctor and all.”

“He is,” Posey said. “I miss him when he’s working so much.”

“But it’s probably so worth it,” Jenny said, a little dreamily. “Knowing he’s out there saving lives.”

At the other end of the table, Edward mimed throwing up behind Zane’s back. I stifled my grin. Posey’s fiancé wasn’t exactly the most popular person in the Holder-Powell-Conley clan. Which was only partly to do with the fact that he seemed to always be on call. The guy was never around. And when he was—well, let’s just say that the family would have liked him even less if he'd actually spent some time with them.

“What about you, Jenny?” Posey asked. “Are you seeing anyone nice?”

Jenny blushed bright red, the way she always did when the subject of her dating—or lack thereof—came up. “Oh, no. I’m not seeing anyone.”

“She keeping you company in the spinster department, huh, Riley?” Edward asked, and I flipped him off while he laughed.

“I can’t believe you’re not dating,” Posey said, turning to me. “Riley, you’re so pretty! And fun and great at sports and all of that stuff. How do you not have a boyfriend?”