Page 9 of Never Say Never

I heave a sigh of relief at the change of topic. “We have a ways to go, but yes, I’ll make sure of it,” I answer, hoping that I soundconvincing. He hired Hazel to take my place while I’m away but so far, she has spent more time fawning over Scott than she has actually working. The girl has a serious crush.

“I know you will,” he says with a nod. He steps aside, motioning toward the examination room door. “See you tomorrow, Daisy. Go ahead. I’ll lock up.”

I say goodnight and head out, thankful to have the conversation over with. I’m looking forward to a date with my couch and some leftover Thai food. Maybe a warm bath or a walk along the beach if I can find the energy. At the apartment, I find Briar in our kitchen wearing a tight jean skirt, a black tube top, and black ankle boots. Her platinum hair is in waves around her face and her lips are painted with a shiny, pale pink gloss.

“Wow,” I say, looking her up and down as I drop my purse and keys on the counter. “It’s Monday night. Where areyougoing?”

“Weare going out,” she corrects me. “You have 20 minutes, and I am not taking no for an answer, so don’t even bother trying. I’m starving, and I have no interest in cooking. Besides, it’s Marg Monday at Cocina Caliente.”

I cast a wistful glance at the couch as Briar ushers me to my bedroom, where she plucks out a selection of short dresses from my closet, tossing them on the bed. I sigh in defeat. When Briar is determined, I know I don’t stand a chance.

“You can wear this,” she announces, shoving a spaghetti strap dress toward me. It’s not overly dressy but also does not give off the I-put-zero-effort-into-getting-dressed vibe. “And wear your Jimmy Choo wedges. They make your legs look nine feet long.”

The shoes are one of my best-ever thrift store finds, right up there with my treasured pair of perfectly fitting vintage Levi’s. Briar and I go thrifting pretty regularly. It’s like a treasure hunt—nothing beats the straight up euphoria I feel when I findsomething I truly love tucked into the racks. But I’m not in the mood for Jimmy Choos tonight.

“What’s wrong with jean shorts and a T-shirt?” I ask, flopping down onto my bed.

Briar levels me with a look that lets me know she is exhausted with my excuses. When she crosses her arms over her chest, I know I’m wearing the damn dress.

“Come on, Daisy. Let’s have some fun. It’s just dinner. We’ll eat tacos, drink two-dollar margaritas and if we’re lucky, meet our future husbands.”

“Fine. I’ll go,” I groan. It will probably be good for me to unwind a little after my uncomfortable chat with Scott.

“Good.” She smiles as if she knew all along that I would cave. “I’ll drive. Holler when you’re ready. I’m going to send a quick text to my brother and check in on my mom while you’re getting dressed.”

“Say hi to him for me,” I say before she winks and turns for the door.

I’ve known Briar since college; we met at a party in the second semester of freshman year and immediately hit it off. I admired her confidence, her over-the-top fashion, and boisterous personality. With Briar, it’s guaranteed to be a good time. She’s turned out to be an incredible friend too. In our sophomore year, we shared a dorm together and then after graduation, we decided to rent an apartment close to the beach.

Sadly, Briar’s stepdad passed away six months ago from a heart attack and her mom has been really struggling. She lives just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia so Briar relies on phone calls and text messages to keep in contact. I know she’s toyed with the idea of moving closer to her mom, but for now her brother living nearby is given Briar the peace of mind she needs.

Twenty minutes later, I join Briar in the kitchen, wearing the little black dress with the wedges, my hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of my neck.

“You clean up good,” Briar says with an approving nod. She grabs her keys, and we head out. The drive to the restaurant takes six minutes—one of the perks of living in a small town. But when we push open the big, wooden door to the colorful hot spot we’re told it will be a 10-minute wait.

Once we’ve been seated, it’s another several minutes before our server arrives. “Sorry for the delay, ladies,” she says apologetically as she hands us our menus and slides a basket of taco chips with salsa and guacamole into the center of the table. “It’s always like this on game night. Take your time with the menu. I’ll be right back.”

My gaze flicks over to the bar and the giant TV playing the Rangers’ game. That explains it.

“Oh good, we can watch the game,” Briar says, rubbing her hands together.

“Since when do you like hockey?”

“I’ve always loved it.”

“The game or the hot guys on skates?”

“What game?” she shrugs her shoulders reaching for a taco chip.

“Puck Bunny.”

Briar’s lips tip up in a mischievous smile as she pops the chip into her mouth. She shrugs, not bothering to argue the nickname. Just then her eyes land on something over my shoulder and she leans toward me conspiratorially. “Check out the table in front of the bar,” she tells me, eyebrows raised. I take a quick glance in that direction and the smile falls from my face when I spot Holden, Jake Matthews, and Grayson Ford. My gaze nervously moves around the table looking for Tucker, and I exhale in relief when I can’t find him.

Grayson and Jake are close friends with Tucker and Holden. While Tuck and Holden are notoriously single, the other guys have settled down. Grayson is married to Sierra, Jake’s sister, who owns a bakery here in town. Jake is married to a woman named Everly and last I heard they have a baby on the way. I don’t know either of them very well, but they seem like nice guys, although Jake has this serious intensity to him that always makes me feel a little off balance.

All of them are handsome, but Holden is probably the prettiest, with his perfectly styled dark hair and sea-green eyes. He’s also the one that gets the most attention from the opposite sex, but I think he is officially off the market since meeting his girlfriend Aubrey last year. Holden was single for a long time—ever since his high school girlfriend broke up with him after graduation. They had been pretty serious, so that messed him up for a long time. Eventually, though, the carousel of girls vying for his attention got him out of his funk. He and Tucker are roommates and I can only imagine what has happened in their little beach house on Haven Harbor over the years. Scratch that. I don’t want to imagine it. Now that Holden is with Aubrey, that leaves the title of Reed Point’s most notorious bachelor to Tucker.

“Where’s Tucker?” Briar asks as if reading my mind, nodding in the direction of the boys’ table.

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