Page 42 of Gabriel & Skye

I can’t help but laugh. “Wow, that’s unbelievable. What happened after that?”

“Celeste tells this part way better,” Georgia says as she gestures for Celeste to continue and she starts the coffee and then goes to pour my tea. “Is English breakfast okay, Skye?”

“Perfect.” I smile.

She brings my tea over as Celeste continues. “So Callan grabs the fire extinguisher and douses out the dress, looking at us all like we’re completely crazy. Then he stops, still holding the extinguisher and says, ‘is that what I think it is?’ And we’re all like, ‘yeah you party pooper. We’re not burning the place down, we’re trying to disintegrate my wedding dress once and for all’.”

“Oh, my god.” Just watching the two of them giggle is amusement enough.

“Oh, it gets better,” Georgia adds as she brings over the coffee to the table in the center.

“Yes, it does,” Celeste agrees. “He realizes his mistake, and that we’re not trying to light the distillery on fire, so he reaches back into the fire pit and lights my dress back on fire.”

The girls fall about laughing and I have to admit it’s a pretty wild but funny story.

“Oh wow, I love it,” I say, wiping my eyes. “I bet he’s glad he took matters into his own hands now.”

“Well, it was the first time I’d seen him in years, so it was quite the welcome home,” Celeste laughs at the memory.

That is kinda sweet. I guess Southern hospitality isn’t dead after all.

“Well, he sounds like a complete sweetheart,” I say. “So, good for you. It all came full circle in the end.”

“It did.” She smiles. “I’m very lucky. It was certainly worth the wait. That’s what I keep telling Georgia here. She’s still single and not doing much mingling.”

Georgia rolls her eyes as she stirs the teaspoon in her coffee. “My time will come. And anyway, there are no decent guys here to mingle with,” she says, shaking her head.

“That’s a pity. I did hear the ratio in this town was three to one, against women. Those odds aren’t great.” It’s always hard in a small town, especially when you’ve grown up with most of the people since diapers. And a lot move away, like we did.

Celeste almost splutters her coffee. “She won’t admit she’s had a major jones for Hudson — Gray’s best friend — for years.”

“I do not!” Georgia swipes her friend playfully on the arm. “Just because you’re all smug and engaged.”

“Ever since she was little. Isn’t that sweet?” Celeste goes on.

She rolls her eyes at me. “I can’t stand him half the time. We always argue and Hudson always has to be right. But I will admit that he’s big, tall and kinda cute. But he’s the broody, lonely cowboy type.”

“She likes a good mountain man,” Celeste giggles.

I laugh too. “I haven’t had the honor of meeting Hudson yet.”

“When he’s not hauled up on the cotton farm, he runs with his dad,” Georgia explains. “He’s in his cabin in the mountains, licking his wounds.”

“Why is he licking his wounds?” I’m intrigued now.

“He used to be a bull rider, back in his heyday, but he had an injury and had to retire early.”

“That’s intense,” I agree.

“Yes. Tell me about it. He shows up here a lot, being that their property backs onto ours. He’s helped with the crops before at harvest, and if Callan needs a hand hauling.”

“More like he always finds an excuse to show up here.” Celeste waggles her eyebrows.

Georgia snorts. “Hudson wouldn’t know I existed if I bit him on the ass… not that I want him to,” she chuckles. “I’m not that weird.”

Celeste and I both laugh. “He’s a nice guy underneath, and he’s gone through that sowing his wild oats thing a while back,” Celeste continues.

“Why do you think he hasn’t settled down?” I ask.

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