That earns me a snort of laughter, and some of the tension in her shoulders eases.
Eli appears from behind the bar, all grins and enthusiasm. "Well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Miss Mia Harper, as I live and breathe."
"Hi, Eli." Mia's smile is genuine for the first time all day. "How's the hip?"
"Oh, you know. Creaks like an old ship, but it gets me where I need to go." He gestures toward an empty high-top table near the back. "You two want somewhere quiet? I can threaten the rowdy table with my best baseball bat if they get too loud."
"That won't be necessary," I say, though the offer is tempting. "We'll just—"
"MIA!" Lucy's voice cuts across the tavern like a battle cry. "Get your ass over here!"
Mia looks at me with raised eyebrows, but before we can make our escape, the girls are descending on us like well-dressed vultures. Sophia reaches us first, her sharp business suit somehow looking perfectly at home in the rustic tavern.
"Mia! Thank God you're here. I've been meaning to stop by the shelter. Blake keeps threatening to adopt a dog, and I need to see what we're working with before he brings home something the size of a small horse."
"We have several lovely pit mixes that would be perfect for you," Mia says, and I can hear the professional warmth creepinginto her voice. This is her element… talking about the animals she loves. "They're great with kids if you're planning—"
"Oh God, no kids yet," Sophia laughs nervously. "I can barely handle Blake."
Natalie joins us, looking slightly flushed as she swirls in the straw in a way over-the-top cocktail that's a mess of bright colors.
"Mia, you look exhausted. Are you sleeping?" Natalie gives Mia the once over and sips on the straw.
"I sleep," Mia protests, but even I can see the dark circles under her eyes.
"Uh-huh." Lucy appears at Natalie's shoulder, looking skeptical. "When? Between the three a.m. feedings and the five a.m. kennel cleanings?"
"Lucy! How do you even know about—" Mia starts, then stops. "Never mind. Small town. Of course you know."
"We know because we care," Natalie says gently. "And because Emma's been worried about you."
As if summoned by her name, Emma appears from the direction of the bathrooms, looking slightly disheveled. Her lipstick is suspiciously absent, and there are finger-shaped wrinkles in her blouse.
She's followed closely by Logan, who's doing that thing where he pretends he doesn't see us while clearly trying to fix his hair and adjust his belt back in place.
"Oh." Emma spots our little gathering and goes pink in the cheeks. "Hi. We were just... checking on the... bathroom situation. For cleanliness. Very important in food service establishments."
Logan grunts something that might be agreement, his ears red.
"Sure you were," Lucy grins. "Is that why you've got Logan's mouth all over your—"
"ANYWAY," Emma cuts her off loudly. "Isn't this nice? Everyone together!"
The awkward silence that follows is broken by Blake's booming laugh from across the room.
"You know what?" I say, making an executive decision. "Why don't we all just sit together? Strength in numbers and all that."
Mia shoots me a look that could melt steel, but she doesn't protest as we migrate toward the big table. Soon we're all squeezed around the oversized wooden monstrosity, with me somehow managing to snag the seat next to Mia.
Small victories.
Soon, Eli appears with a tray of drinks. He's got beer for the guys, wine for the girls, and what looks like a very strong whiskey for Emma, who's still making suggestive eye contact with Logan.
"On the house," Eli announces before returning behind the bar.
The conversation flows around us, hockey talk mixing with gossip and good-natured ribbing. Connor's telling some ridiculous story about a puck bunny who once followed him to three different cities, complete with dramatic reenactments that have Lucy in stitches.
Blake and Sophia are having what looks like a very intense discussion about marketing strategies, which somehow turns into not-so-subtle flirting right before our eyes.
