Page 61 of High Note

A woman in a flannel jacket with a basset hound plopped down, right in the way.

“Hey. Lars. Lumberjack. Lookee-loos piss me off.”

“Hi.” She watched Kiley’s dog… Sadie? Bounce and say hi, so they maybe knew each other. “Me too. Skyla.” She held out a hand to shake.

Lars shook firmly. “You’re with Kirsten, right?”

“I am. We’re making music together.” She chuckled at her own double entendre.

“Perfect. My girl runs an event planning business, and we own the Christmas tree farm together. I’ve been playing poker with Kirsten for years. She’s a bit of a shark, but she always brings the pizza.”

“She’s a terrible backgammon shark too.” She and Kirsten had played for kisses one night. Thank God she liked kissing Kirsten all over, because she’d lost her ass that night.

“She won’t play poker with me.”

“We’ve all seen that YouTube, lady.” Lars waggled her eyebrows.

Skyla snorted. “Yeah. I did good that night.” She’d won a celebrity poker tournament last year in Vegas. Man, that Child Stone guy had been super pissed when she pulled his last chips in at the end of the first round.

“Well, I hope you two work out. Kirsten’s a hoot, and she mourned her lover a long time.” Lars nodded, and sighed softly. “I’m glad she’s taking a chance again.”

And that was what she needed to remember, wasn’t it?

Kirsten was taking a chance with this, just as much as she was. Kirsten was gambling with her heart.

“Hey, Lars.” Kirsten came out with three plates balanced in hand. “Kiley is bringing the drinks. Did you need something else, hon?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Lars grinned. “I was just warding off the lookies.” She shrugged. “I promised my girl I’d bring her a latte.”

“Ah. Well, sit with us a minute, huh?” Kirsten plonked down the pastries. “Let me go get three pup cups.”

Skyla laughed. “Spoiling my dog.”

Reba woofed like she was agreeing.

“You know it, sweet puppy.” Kirsten spoke to Reba as if she loved her. “Be right back.”

“She’s so amazing,” Skyla told Lars.

“She is.” Lars grinned. “I’m glad you see it.”

Kiley came out with the coffee, and the basset sat up and made a woo-ooo noise.

“She’s coming, Goob. Don’t stress it.” Kiley grinned at Lars. “Hey, lumberjack.”

“Hey you. How goes?”

“Good. Good. I met Kirsten and Skyla outside and we agreed it was a fine dog day.”

“Goober agreed.”

Goober. That had to be the best hound name ever.

“Dogs are big around here, hmm?” she asked.

Kiley snorted. “Pets are big around here. Lars here? Is a dogsled racer.”

“Really? Oh, my God. Are you the one who does the dogsled rides?”

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