Page 3 of Sultry Nights

She smiled and entered his information into the computer. A printer behind her began whining, and a paper slid out of the bottom.

She reached back and pulled it off the base, looked it over, laid it on the counter, and pushed it toward him. "Congratulations. You've completed the order for alimony. Enjoy."

He glanced over the receipt and nodded to the clerk. "I intend to. Thank you."

He turned and saw two women shooting scathing looks at him. Likely men in this room were not a welcome sight. He didn't care. He'd done nothing to any of these women. And they didn't know what he'd endured during his marriage. It was likely true that any divorced person felt as though they'd been through the wringer. He sure did.

As he exited the courthouse and inhaled the warm fresh air, he sauntered to his truck, feeling lighter than he'd felt in years. It felt good. It felt great. The sun was still high in the sky, though it would be descending soon.

He turned his truck out of the parking lot and toward Sarge's Sandbar. He wanted to celebrate with his friend, Jace. And he'd text their friend Sid, as soon as he got there. They'd celebrate quietly tonight, but next month, right around the time he would be shelling out ninety-five hundred dollars, he'd be hosting a party to celebrate publicly.

Parking in the area alongside the Sandbar, he hopped out of his truck with a new spring in his step. He smiled and nodded to everyone he met as he navigated the sandy beach area in front of the bar. Stepping inside, the lights dimmed, and he waited a beat for his eyes to adjust. He sat on a stool near the end of the bar and waited for Jace to appear.

It didn't take long for Jace to step from the kitchen area, laughing as he usually did. He'd found his own little niche here in Blossom Springs, and he loved his life. The bar business agreed with him, too. He was smart and businesslike, while also being fun and a man people wanted to work for. The wait staff made good money. The bar was growing and full most of the time, and Jace reveled in it.

"Hey, there. Are you all finished?" Jace grinned.

"I'm finished."

"Yes!" Jace raised a hand and they high-fived before Jace turned and pulled his favorite beer from the cooler. "This one's on me. Congratulations!"

"Thank you." Quinn swallowed a fair amount of the cold brew and enjoyed the feeling as it slid down his throat. He pulled his phone out and texted Sid, then picked up his bottle again.

Jace came back to stand in front of him. "Now what?"

"I want to plan a party. Right here. I'm going to see if Hart & the Hurricanes are in town and ask them to come and play for it. I want it to be a celebration."

Jace nodded and grinned. "That sounds like a plan. You having food and drinks?"

"Yes."

"That'll cost you more than the forty-five hundred a month you were paying."

"Worth it."

Jace laughed. "Yeah." He grabbed a notepad from the backbar and a pen and began writing some things down. The door opened and their friend Sid, and his fiancé Grace, sauntered toward him, hand in hand. They were cute together. And they looked happy.

Sid held his arms out and Quinn laughed as he embraced his friend. He leaned forward and hugged Grace, then sat on his stool. "Jace, get my friends a drink on me."

Jace laughed and pulled a couple of drinks from the cooler without asking what they wanted. He had a memory like no one he'd ever known.

Sid and Grace held their drinks in the air toward him. Sid laughed, "Congratulations, Quinn. Here's to a better tomorrow!"

They tapped their glasses, Jace added a drink for himself, and they had their drink. The bar was mostly empty. Everyone usually sat outside on the beach when the weather permitted, which was most of the time. It allowed them some peace and quiet, except for the noises coming from the kitchen: dishes tapping and pans dropping hard on the counter. But it was peaceful despite that. His group of friends were at his side. The only other people in the world who knew most of what he'd been through during this nightmare of a divorce.

Grace smiled sweetly. "What will you do now without having to pay alimony and the never-ending threat of going back to court?"

Quinn thought. He'd lived the past several years waiting for this day. His ex had made it difficult these past many years. The arguing seemed to never end. She could pick a fight with a fence post. He grinned slightly and took another swig of his beer.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I'm happy to find out." What would he spend his brain power on in the quiet of the night? He'd worry about all of that tomorrow.

3

Hanna watched Frank move the vanity from the trailer behind Tisha's truck. Using the dolly, he moved it to her dad’s truck. She helped him load it up, and Frank tied it with rope to make sure it didn't slide out.

"Are you going to be able to get it into your house when you get home?"

She smiled at the kind man. "My neighbor will help me. He's been such a godsend."

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