Page 7 of Five Mountain Daddies

I bite my lip. “James?”

“The one and only. I hope it’s okay that I got yournumber.”

“Uh, yeah, it’s fine,” I say. “How’d you get it,though?”

“I have my ways,” he says, and laughs softly. That’s pretty vague, but he’s already moving on. “Listen, I called for areason.”

“What’sthat?”

“We’re having a party, and I want you tocome.”

“Party?” I raise an eyebrow. I haven’t been to a party since school ended, unless you count that thing at my parents’ house, which I definitelydon’t.

“Are you unfamiliar with the concept?” he asks, teasingme.

“No, I just, I’m surprised isall.”

“What do you say? Lots of people, good music, the works. Bring a friend if youwant.”

I hesitate a second. I barely know this James guy, and he somehow mysteriously found my phone number… and yet I really want to see him again. I keep thinking about that moment we had, and how I want to see what happensnext.

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll come. But if it’s boring, I won’t staylong.”

He laughs at that. “Good. I just have to make sure you’re notbored.”

I grin a little bit. “I bet you can handleit.”

“Maybe,” he says. “But there are four other guys that can help out if Ican’t.”

I’m taken aback by that comment but he’s already telling me where and when, so I have to pay attention. It’s not until later, after I hang up the phone, that I really think about what hesaid.

Doesn’t matter though. I’m grinning to myself as I stand up from the little break room table and head out to find Maggie. We have a party to go to tonight, and I suspect she’s going to want to be a part ofit.

* * *

“How doyou even know these guys?” Maggie asks me, her big blue eyes wide. She’s a little taller than me, straight bangs, hair to her shoulders, tan skin, super thin. She doesn’t look like the kind of girl that works outside on ATVs all day, but Maggie can surprise yousometimes.

“I met James at my parents’ party,” I say. “Rememberthat?”

She laughs a little. “Oh yeah. We used to try and steal vodka and getdrunk.”

“If I remember right, you totally succeeded onetime.”

She grins. “More than once. I’m great at gettingdrunk.”

“Speaking of getting drunk.” I steer her over toward the bar, and we both get a glass ofwine.

The party’s in the machine shop of their steel fabrication company. Most of the machines are still in their places, though a large central part of the room has been cleared out and replaced by a dance floor, a DJ playing decent music, a little bar off to one side, and a bunch of empty cocktail tables. There are a surprising amount of people here, and although it’s only a little past nine, the place is already getting wild. Which is funny and dangerous, considering we’re in the middle of a steel fabricationshop.

Nobody seems to mind that, though. I’ve never seen half these people before. Rich, attractive people by the looks of them, not at all your normal citizens ofLeadwood.

“Whoever this James guy is, I can’t complain,” Maggie says, sipping her drink. “He throws a goodparty.”

“He really does,” I say, looking around. I haven’t spotted him yet, unfortunately, and I feel like I might break my neck tryingto.

Maggie doesn’t seem to notice. She’s bobbing her head along to the music, sipping her drink. We stop at an empty cocktail table and watch the crowd moving around us, and I wonder how many drinks it’ll take before we’re both dancing with the rest of theparty.

Probably more than I want to drink. I’m getting antsy, although I don’t know why. I guess I want to see James again, even though he’s probably busy with his party. He doesn’t have time to come babysit someone like me. I’m probably way below hisradar.

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