Page 58 of Taken By Storm

Remi lifted the bottle of wine in her hand. “Damn. Maybe I should have stolen two bottles from the winery.”

Kasi grinned. “Is it really stealing if you own the winery?”

Remi smirked. “The way Nora evil-eyes me every time I help myself sure makes it feel that way.” She started to hand her the bottle, but Kasi shook her head.

“No. You know what? Wine isn’t going to cut it tonight. Nothing short of shots is going to save the day.”

Remi’s eyes widened in excitement. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

Kasi nodded. “It is Wednesday, isn’t it?”

Remi cheered, pumping one fist in the air. “Hell yeah. Ladies’ night!” Then she looked down at her outfit. “I dressed for wine in your kitchen,” Remi said, as she grabbed Kasi, dragging her toward the stairs. “You’re going to have to loan me a shirt that’s a lot sluttier than this one.”

Kasi laughed, letting herself be pulled along in Remi’s wake.

Remi was just what the doctor ordered.

An hour later,Kasi found herself perched on a tall stool at Whiskey Abbey—Gracemont’s only bar—waiting for Remi to return with their drinks.

She smiled widely when Remi placed four shot glasses on the table between them. “Lemon drops.”

Kasi knew without a doubt she would pay dearly for tonight, but she couldn’t find it in herself to give a shit. She’d hit her limit on crappy days, so for this one night, she was shutting it all out, drinking shots, dancing her ass off, and just fucking letting go. It had been way too long.

She picked up one of the glasses, tapped it against Remi’s, then on the table before tossing back the alcohol. The vodka burned until she popped the sugar-covered lemon slice into her mouth. “Mmm. Mother’s milk,” she joked, feeling the tension in her shoulders loosen for the first time in ages.

“It’s been forever since we’ve been out like this,” Remi said.

Since before Kasi’s mother died.

But that didn’t need to be said. She and her best friend exchanged a sad look, then Remi did what she did best. She found a way to make Kasi forget.

Picking up the second round of shots, she handed one to Kasi. “One more, and then you’re going to tell me what the hell is going on between you and my cousin Levi.”

Kasi giggled. She’d been dying to talk to Remi about the entire Levi situation, but she hadn’t found the time between working her ass off on the farm and in the stand, and making out every night with said cousin.

They did their glass-and table-tapping routine in unison before slamming down the second shots, sucking on the lemons to kill the taste.

“Damn, I needed those,” Kasi said, leaning back in the stool.

Remi waved her hand, calling the waitress over to order two more shots each.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” Kasi said, after the waitress headed for the bar.

“Sure, Kass. Because if there’s one thing I’m known for, it’s my good ideas,” Remi joked, her comment accurate. What Remi was famous for—and why Kasi adored her so—was her ability to always take things to the most extreme level of fun.

“So,” Remi said, snapping her fingers in Kasi’s face. “Levi deets. Now.”

“A couple of weeks ago, Levi came to pick up his pie. Just like he always does,” Kasi began. “And I passed out.”

Remi frowned. “I thought you passed out in the barn.”

It really had been too long since she’d talked to her best friend. “I passed out twice. The barn was the second time.”

The concern in Remi’s eyes touched her. “Are you okay?”

Kasi nodded. “I’ve been burning the candle at both ends the past few months.” More like eight, but she didn’t say that. “It caught up to me. And then Levi caught me. Literally. I was goingdown and when I came to, I was on the ground, my head in his lap.”

“I’m glad he was there. You could have been seriously hurt.” Remi’s eyes slid to Kasi’s stitched forehead.

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