Page 73 of Cold Foot Cash

“You like me as more than a friend.”

“Harley.”

“You li-hi-hi-hi-iiike me,” she sang, vibrato included on the last note.

When Cash got to the door, she asked him, “Why did you bring me to this place, of all places. I don’t mean to be a party-pooper, but Lance proposed to me here.”

“I know. Tammy told me.”

“Tammy. Tammy the bartender? When did you talk to her about that?”

“When I was planning to bring you here.”

Harley just stared at him dumbfounded.

He arched up an eyebrow and pushed the door open for her. “Tonight, we’re going to take this bar back, and make new memories.”

Inside, there was a crowd of people standing right near the entrance, and as she scanned their faces, she realized she knew every single one of them.

Raynah was holding Breah, and Garret was standing next to her. Katrina, Sasha, and Timber were in a cluster, all wearing matching smiles. Kade was here, and Reed, and so was Garret’s brother, Dylan. Wreck was here, and King, and to her utterbafflement, so was Abigail and her husband. Abigail had tears in her eyes.

“What are you all doing here?” she asked as she made her way slowly inside.

“Umm, we’re here to throw you a divorce party,” Katrina said. “Raynah got you a cake and everything.”

The entire bar was decorated with black and hot pink balloons, and a banner had been hung behind the bar that said, “Happy Day One.”

Tammy waved from behind the bar, and lifted up a six-pack of canned margaritas. “Look what I got for you!”

But…wait…was she allowed to do this? Was she allowed the celebrate the next step of her life? Was she allowed to celebrate shutting the door on her old life? On her old hopes, her old dreams? Was she allowed to be happy that it was all over?

Abigail was nodding to her, tears in her eyes.

Next to her, Cash hugged her close to his side, and said, “It’s okay to enjoy the moment. Who is going to stop you now?”

No one. Her family would hold onto their disappointment for a little while, but that was okay. They had a right to their feelings, but she also had a right to hers.

And right now? She was so damn relieved and happy.

An anchor had been cut from her life. Lance could move on with the person he’d chosen, and she could finally, finally move on as well.

She’d put her hands over her mouth in shock, but now she took them away and let her friends see her grateful smile.

Raynah reached her first, and gave her a hug, baby Breah snuggled tightly in the crook of her arm. Katrina, Sasha, and Timber collapsed in on her and she was laughing now. God, this feeling of belonging…

These people weren’t disappointed in her failure in a relationship. They were just happy for her. They cared. They didn’t judge.

Abigail hugged her up, and Tammy brought her a canned margarita. “Girl, I don’t even know you but you are awesome,” she told her over the noise of the crowd. “You should hear the way these people talk about you. It’s been so fun setting up with them.”

And the crazy part was, Harley had only just met them last week, and they had taken her in like this? Like she was one of them, and in a moment when she needed the support the most.

Everything happened for a reason, and this crazy journey had started with a good intention. Harley had wanted to save her sister from someone taking advantage of her, and tracked down Cash just so she would know…just so she would understand…

And now look.

Now look.

Tammy stepped aside, and Carolina stood there, looking uncertain.

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