Page 20 of Kiss and Tell

“What did you guys decide to do?” Theo asked.

“We’re still waiting for Lucy to hit us with our choices,” Miles said as the three Storms left the porch and joined them in the yard.

“Well,” Lucy started. “We could go bowling. And before you say no,” she added, despite the fact neither he nor Miles rejected the idea, “the bowling alley also has an old-school arcade. It’s got pinball, Donkey Kong, Galaga, PacMan, and one of those old-fashioned shooting galleries, where things move or squirt water if you hit the targets.”

Remi rolled her eyes. “You are ridiculously enthralled by that stupid shooting gallery.”

Then Remi quickly added to the list, clearly not down for bowling or arcade games. “Another cool thing we could do is go to the drive-in. Not sure what’s playing tonight, but it’s always a double feature. If we opt for that, we could throw a bunch of camp chairs and blankets into the bed of one of the trucks and bundle up to watch.”

Theo groaned at that suggestion. “Youareaware the temperature is supposed to drop significantly tonight. We’d freeze our asses off.” He turned to Miles and Joey. “The last option is Whiskey Abbey. It’s a local bar that plays country music. They have ax throwing and a dance floor—and it’s warm.”

“You could always take a flask of bourbon to the movies,” Remi said. “That’ll keep you warm enough.”

Theo shoulder-bumped Remi. “Or I can have my bourbon in a glass with ice at the bar.”

Joey glanced at Miles. “I’m leaning toward the bar. You?”

Miles nodded, looking relieved they were thinking along the same lines. Joey wasn’t a bad bowler, but after three fairly long days, the idea of just chilling with beers and fun people sounded a hell of a lot easier.

“Perfect,” Lucy said. “Theo, can we take your car? It’s the biggest.”

Theo agreed and they all piled into his RAV4.

This was the first time Joey and Miles had left the mountain since their steep climb up three days earlier. The journey down was just as daunting, the near-vertical decline full of twists and turns.

“We’ve made improvements to the road leading to the farm over the years,” Theo told Joey, who had claimed the passenger seat and was resting his hands on the dashboard as they descended. “Used to be nothing but one hairpin turn after another. When we decided to open the brewery and winery to the public, we knew we’d need a better road. We couldn’t get rid of all the turns, but at least they’re less harrowing.”

Joey chuckled. “Good to know you think this is less harrowing.”

Then he glanced over his shoulder. He’d intended to climb into the backseat with Lucy and Miles, but Remi had gotten there first, insisting he take the front seat, since he was taller. He tried not to be jealous of the fact that Miles and Lucy were smooshed up next to each other, thanks to Theo making a sharp left turn.

Joey half expected Miles to be uncomfortable with the seating arrangement, since he’d been so hell-bent on keeping his distance from Lucy. So he was surprised when he spotted the two of them grinning at each other when she was tilted into him by centrifugal force, his body pressed against the door. Remi, not to be left out, leaned heavier than she needed to into her sister, so the three of them looked like they were on an amusement park ride together.

When Theo turned to the right, they laughed as they shifted in unison, pushing Remi against the opposite door.

Conversation never waned during the drive off the mountain and along Main Street, especially with Remi, Theo, and Lucy taking turns discussing various points of interests they passed. Joey had never found the idea of living in a small town appealing, but as he listened to their stories, he almost envied the Storms getting to grow up in a place where everyone knew everyone else.

“It’s a shame you weren’t here two weeks earlier,” Remi said. “You guys just missed the Fall Harvest festival. It’s always the second weekend in October, and we have a parade and a carnival, pie baking contests, and an eighties dance. They even close schools on that Friday. It’s a blast every year.”

“Sounds great. We’ll have to put it on our schedule for next year,” Joey said, serious about adding the event on his calendar. He’d grab hold of any reason to make return trips to Gracemont.

“Well, here we are.” Theo pulled into the crowded parking lot of Whiskey Abbey. “Wednesdays are ladies’ night, so Abbey—the owner—always pulls in a good midweek crowd.”

Joey wrapped his arm around Lucy’s shoulders in a friendly way as they walked into the bar. The dance floor was filled with countless people doing a line dance to the old country hit “Watermelon Crawl.” Remi didn’t miss a beat, racing to the floor to hop in.

Theo shook his head, amused, then pointed to an available table off to the right. “Y’all wanna claim the table? I’ll grab us a couple pitchers from the bar. Rain or Shine, okay?”

Joey grinned and nodded. “What do you think?”

“Need a hand?” Miles offered.

“Sure.”

Joey and Lucy sat at the table, watching Remi on the dance floor. The woman had some awesome moves.

“Your sister really seems to like to dance.”

Lucy smiled. “She loves it, and she’s so good at it. Meanwhile, I have two left feet.”

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