Tonight that illusion was coming to a stop. She was over it. Overhim. Unrequited love sucked. From now on when she looked at him, she would see only the guy who regularly scaled mountains to save people, not the green-eyed hunk who made her heart gallop like a stallion.
Hailey delivered Neve’s shot with a grin. “Cutting right to the chase tonight, huh?”
“Yeah, why bother with margarita mix when you have the full-strength ingredients at your fingertips?”
Hailey looked around, then dropped her head and her voice. “So? Did you try it on?”
“I’m so sorry, but I haven’t had time.”
Hailey straightened, and her disappointment pulsed like a beacon on her pretty face. “Oh, of course. I should have realized … I know how busy you are with the clinic.”
Neve’s mind wandered to the bridesmaid dress currently hanging in her office closet. It was the same inky blue as the night sky and would probably look terrific with her blond hair and blue eyes, but she couldn’t muster the excitement. Was she a bad person because she felt a twinge of self-pity over having to wear yetanotherbridesmaid dress? Practically every girl she’d grown up with had married—at least once—and her closet was full of space-sucking fluff that taunted her every time she opened it. They seemed to reproduce on a regular basis, but she didn’t dare donate them. Those brides might shop in the local thrift store and see their tulle-and-chiffon numbers sagging from a hanger, and then she’d be outed as a crappy friend.
Then again, maybe people would stop asking her to be in their weddings.
Not that she minded Hailey and Noah’s nuptials. These two were made for each other, and Neve was thrilled that despite the hurdles they’d placed in their own way, they had finally let themselves fall. Hailey’s happy bubbles were infectious, like champagne overflowing a flute. Noah’s goofy lovestruck smiles whenever he looked at Hailey gave Neve hope someone was out there who would look atherthe same way one day.
She placed her hand over Hailey’s. “As soon as I finish this drink, I’m heading back to the clinic. I must pick up Pearl, and I’ve got a sick kitty to check on, so I’ll try it on then and send you a selfie, okay?”
“Okay.” Hailey beamed her a warm smile and pivoted to fill a drink order.
“How are the preparations coming?”
“Moving right along.” Hailey made a sailing motion with her hand. “I can’t believe their other event fell through and we were able to snag a slot at Silver Summit.”
Silver Summit was a luxury resort ten miles south of Fall River. Uber fancy in an idyllic mountain setting. They were lucky indeed, though Neve suspected the mighty Hunnicutt pull had something to do with that “slot” becoming available.
“It’s going to be gorgeous.”
“I know!” Hailey clapped her hands before heading toward the other end of the bar.
Neve sprinkled salt on the webbing between her thumb and index finger, licked it off, tossed back the shot glass’s contents, and bit into a lime wedge as the liquid burned its way to her stomach.
The alcohol sent waves of warmth down to her legs, to her toes, and she closed her eyes, relishing the sensation.
“Refill?”
She blinked, and her gaze met Reece’s piercing moss-green one. A different sensation raced along her limbs, one that was both familiar and unwelcome. She was cutting herself off from her Reece Hunnicutt addiction, she reminded herself, and this dopamine surge wasn’t working in her favor.
Straightening her sweater, she shook her head. “Nope. I’m good. What are the damages?”
He planted his splayed hand, palm down, on the bar top. “You just got here.”
“And I got my bracer. Now I’m ready to head back into the cold, so I’d like to close out my tab.”
“It’s covered.”
“Who’s covering it?”
“I am.”
“What? Why?”
He waved her off.
“I’m serious, Reece. I don’t want you paying for my drink.”
One dark eyebrow lifted. “Rock, paper, scissors?”
