Neve patted her arm. “We’ll be fine. I know Reece wouldn’t want to hold up his brother’s plans, and neither do I. It’s only for a few more weeks anyway.”And I plan to get my fill of Reece Hunnicutt for as long as I can.
“And you’re okay—I mean, emotionally—in the midst of all the upheaval?”
Neve’s answer came a little too quickly, a little too glibly. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Hailey’s brow dipped skeptically. “We’ll talk later.” She gave Neve a squeeze before sliding behind the bar to help Noah. Meanwhile, Reece was busy accepting congratulations and slaps on the back—whether they were for getting married, gettingunmarried, or moving to Vermont, Neve wasn’t sure. Nor did she care to know.
Catching her eye, he lifted his chin. “Why don’t you take a seat? I’ll buy you a margarita.”
She plopped onto a barstool, hunching her shoulders, hoping to disappear. When he finally broke free, she said, “Never mind the frills. Tequila. Straight.”
With a nod, he stepped behind the bar, reached for a bottle of Don Julio 1942, and turned to Noah. “I’ll add these to the POS. I’m paying for them.”
“No, you’re not,” Noah shot back.
Reece poured, and Neve threw back a shot, letting the smooth burn settle into her stomach while the brothers talked and townies came up to greet her. They appeared unsure what to say. As she stumbled through stifled conversations, she arranged and rearranged her empty shot glass on her cocktail napkin until it was perfectly centered, her eyes tracking Reece, who finally melted into the crowd and disappeared from her sight. Noah deposited another shot and a fresh napkin in front of her.
When Amy appeared by her side, Neve’s shoulders dropped with relief. They chatted about everyday goings-on, and Neve felt herself unwind inch by inch—until she heard Germaine’s hyena laugh and looked up. Practically spilling out of her too-tight top, the bimbo was hugging Reece’s arm possessively to her ampleassets. He smiled that polite smile of his and extracted his arm, but he didn’t move away. The skank probably knew thisthingbetween Reece and Neve wasn’t permanent, and she was staking her claim.
Neve corralled an urge to yank Germaine’s red hair and instead fumed silently.
“Neve? Everything all right?” Amy prodded.
“Oh, sorry. Yeah, I lost my train of thought for a sec. What were you saying?”
Amy turned her head. “Ah, no wonder. The town ho is on the move.” She looked back at Neve and smiled a syrupy smile. “Want me to poke her eyes out?”
Neve couldn’t contain her laughter. Amy was the kindest, sweetest person in town, and the offer was so ridiculous it tickled Neve’s funny bone.
Amy tapped the side of her mouth. “Or I could put something nasty in her coffee next time she’s in.”
“No,” Neve giggled, “she’s not worth risking a knock against your business.”
They chatted a few minutes more. Amy turned to hunt down Micky, and Leo Cantrell stepped into her spot with a broad smile. “How’s married life treating you?”
“It’s … I’m …” Neve paused, sucked in a breath, and recovered from the shock of seeing him. “Hi, Leo. I’m surprised you’re here, but I’m glad to see you.”
He shrugged. “Everything’s back on track at the resort, so I thought I’d take a break and come celebrate the sudden wedding outbreak.” His blue eyes sparkled, with what, she wasn’t sure, but she winced inside nonetheless.
They fell into easy conversation about the repairs he’d completed at the resort and the latest news on the railroad spur and train depot. How nice it was to focus on Fall River and the exciting changes coming to her hometown instead of her own messy life.
Leo flicked a finger at hersecondempty shot glass and asked if he could buy her a refill, but a laser gaze on the side of her head snagged her attention. In her peripheral vision, she spied Reece frowning as he watched Leo with hawk-eyed intensity. The obvious possessiveness both pleased and annoyed her. So they were married, but it was coming to an end. So they were sleeping together, but she wasn’t one to play two men at the same time—like Chelsea. And finally, Reece wasleaving. He hadn’t given any hint he might reconsider his move, nor had he asked if she might wantto come to Vermont with him. Would she, though, if he asked? She didn’t have an answer at the ready, but a girl liked to be asked nonetheless.
Before she could accept Leo’s offer to buy her a drink, Shane imposed himself between them. “Hey, Cantrell. I need to talk to Neve about a few things.”
Leo smiled at him, though there was no warmth behind it. “Sure.” To Neve, he said, “Another time for that drink. Maybe after you get things squared away, we can do some catching up.”
Shane’s eyebrows hit his hairline, though Leo didn’t see because he’d already turned his back.
“Huh,” Shane huffed. “Guy’s got some big ones, I’ll give him that.”
Neve narrowed her eyes. “What did you need to talk to me about?” The thought occurred that Reece had sent Shane to check on her. Well, she was calling the deputy’s bluff.
Turned out he wasn’t bluffing. “Sorry to interrupt, but I wasn’t sure when else I’d get a chance to talk to you. Can we maybe step into the back, where it’s more private?”
“Sure.” She followed him into the dimly lit hallway that led to the bathrooms. Neither was occupied, and they had the space to themselves. Crossing her arms over her chest, she leaned against the wall. “What’s up?”
“I put out some feelers and finally got some solid information back. I can confirm that neither Lauren nor Culbertson was in town when your clinic got trashed. They didn’t have anything to do with it.”
