I dropped my arms, releasing Paul from our awkward embrace, and he adjusted his glasses self-consciously.
“Oh, don’t be shy on our account,” Alana said with a mischievous smile. “But you might wanna wait to get frisky until after the drinks start flowing.” She held the door open for us and then for Mal and Ava. “I’m so excited that the gang’s all here! Tonight’s going to be the most fun ever.”
I forced a smile. Suddenly the prospect of being close to Mal, the hottest creature in the universe, while having to pretend I wasn’t aware of his presence, was no longer appealing. “Yay,” I deadpanned, soft enough that only Paul, Mal, and Ava heard it.
“Here’s how this is gonna work,” Paul said, low and urgent. “Mal and Brooks, you need to take Ava’s drinks. Alternate. And remember Ava’s reputation is on the line.”
Delightful. So I’d be drunk, horny, and cock-blocked. Better and better.
“You’re getting bossier as our romance progresses, My Little Paul. What, pray tell, will you be doing?”
“Someone needs to be designated driver and to take care of Ava. Ideally someone who doesn’t think fried eggs and bacon are a cure for morning sickness.”
“Hey! In my defense, it works on hangovers,” Mal argued.
“Fine, then,” I agreed with a sigh. “Fine. You drive. Mal and I will take shots for the team.”
Alana led us to the back of the bar, where a bunch of familiar faces were standing around a cluster of high-tops. The tables were already cluttered with dozens and dozens of shot glasses filled to the brim, showing the party had been ready to start without us.
“Look who I found!” she yelled. “Y’all know Brooks and Ava, and this here’s Paul and this is Malachi—”
“Mal,” Mal interrupted firmly.
“Right.” She darted him a surprised glance. “Mal. Okay, so going around the table, that’s Sonny Parvis on your left, that’s Skeets and Lorna Miller, Latonya and Maureen Henson from the grocery store, Len Dixon, Penelope Kelley, Sonny Vasquez—he’s one of our local doctors who works with Doc Yates. That’s Ollie and Kendra Nutter—you know Ollie’s cousin Frank, Brooks? He’s the sheriff now and sort of my boyfriend—”
“You’ve been dating for a million years, Alana, and he’s been sheriff for a million and one. Not sure that’s news,” Ethan piped up.
“It is to them.” Alana glared. “Frank’s coming later on. Anyway, you know that is Ethan Howe. Then Sonny Burnett, Nora Hernandez, and um… this is Diesel Church. He’s new in town. Runs the junkyard.”
“Right. We met the other day,” I confirmed. “Didn’t realize you were new around here.”
“Only been here three years.” Diesel shrugged. “Means I’m still a suspicious character.”
“Nah, man! Folks think you’re suspicious because of all your tattoos and weird piercings, and the way you look perpetually pissed off,” Ethan said earnestly. “Not ’cause you’re new. But it’s cool. I like you anyway.”
Pen Kelley face-palmed, and a couple other people shook their heads, but Diesel’s mouth twitched like he was fighting a grin before he rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Thanks, Ethan.”
“Alana, I thought you’d invented some trivia game,” Maureen said. “Let’s play it while I can still stand. Pregnancy and breastfeeding have killed my tolerance.” She winked and nudged the trio of empty shot glasses in front of her with one finger.
Alana lifted her eyes to the exposed beams. “Alrighty, then! Ava, you come stand by me and Kendra! We have so much to dish about!”
“No!” Ava said, clutching my arm suddenly. “I, um… I really want to catch up with Brooks also. Since he’s, um… leaving Sunday.” She arranged us around one end of the table so Paul was next to Sonny, then Ava, then me, then Mal… then Diesel.
Mal gave Diesel a shy smile, and Diesel replied with a “Hey, Mal. Good to see you, man.”
Clearly, I was not fucking consulted about this placement, but given the way Ava was clutching my arm, I couldn’t figure out how to fix it without calling more attention to us.
“Okay,” Alana said, unlocking her phone. “You ready? We’re playing Never Have I Ever: Fighting Bovines Edition. For those who didn’t go to school here… substitute your own high school experiences.” She winked at Mal. “If you’ve done the deed, you take the shot. Ready?”
“Born ready,” Maureen said. She passed around a tray of shots as Latonya laughed.
“Okay, never have I ever… gotten straight A’s every semester, all four years.”
Ten billion pairs of eyes turned in my direction, and I groaned. “Unfair,” I said, but I tilted the clear liquid into my mouth and let it light my esophagus on fire. “Oh, motherfucker. Moonshine?” I demanded, eyes watering.
“Welcome back to Bovine country, Johnson!” Penelope said, and the entire table moooed in chorus.
“Not a word,” I warned the sexy man at my side. “Not a single—”
“Moo,” Mal said, and I had to fight my smile as Ethan came around the table to high-five him.