Page 104 of Sully

“Go ahead and sleep for now, though,” Gracie encouraged, reaching out to smooth some hair out of my face.

The weight on my eyes got heavier, making them slide closed, but I didn’t go to sleep; I just stayed there in that space between sleep and wakefulness.

The girls, though, thought I was out cold.

“I love her,” Gracie declared. “But you’ve got to stop corrupting her.”

“She’s dating Sully, and you thinkI’mthe bad influence?” Layna asked, offended.

“Sully is a puppy,” Gracie insisted.

“That used to hump everything that walked,” Layna said.

“Used to being the operative words there. He’s with Bonnie now. Chris said he was completely smitten with her.”

“Smitten?” Willa asked, dubious.

“Just because you’ve given up on love doesn’t mean we all have,” Gracie said, voice not unkind.

“I have simply gone over all the arguments for and against it,” Willa said. “And concluded that it makes more sense for me to make my future decisions based solely on myself. At least I always know I can be relied upon.”

“I get doing whatever the hell you want,” Layna said. “Really, I don’t think anyone should bewaitingfor a man to start their lives. But I just… hate to think you would turn away love if it was right there in your face.”

“Well, unless it literally waltzes into my living room over the next year or so, that’s not going to happen. But can we not talk about me? When do you think Sully will be back to get her?”

“I don’t know,” Layna said. “Chris said the mission is local. But no one knows how complicated it might be. You know, with all the explosives.”

“We can all go home once he comes,” Willa said. “As much as I love all of you, and Hailstorm, I miss my bed. And my thread count.”

“And your soaking tub and fancy ice cream maker and your—“ Layna started to list.

“We all know Willa’s fun gadgets.”

“You certainly have enough money to have all the same ones,” Willa said. “You know, if you would get your stubborn ass a place of your own.”

“Speaking of coach surfers,” Gracie piped in. “Has anyone heard from Vi?”

“Yeah, I got a cryptic text this morning,” Layna said.

“Saying what?”

“That she has a lot to tell us when she gets back. And that we can’t make fun of her sunburn.”

“Sunburn?” Willa asked. “It’s winter.”

“Not where she’s been, apparently,” Layna said.

“I thought bounty hunters could only operate on US soil, though,” Gracie said.

“When has Violet ever followed the rules?” Layna shot back.

Fair.

I could listen to these women talk all night.

I’d always ached for close female friendships, for the kind of friend group that got together and could all finish one another’s sentences.

And, it seemed, I’d finally, finally found that.

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