Page 2 of Just (Fake) Married
Ethan was two grades above me, and was…well, he was basically the hottest guy in school. Probably Wyoming. Somepeople said Seth, who was Sunshine’s age, was cuter, but they were wrong.
“Oh, my gosh, it’s Tag,” Sunshine said, clutching my hand and burying her face against my back. “He’s with them.”
Tag Durham joined Seth and Ethan with three more cups of beer. Tag’s dad worked for the McGraws and Tag had grown up on their ranch. Tag and the McGraw boys were inseparable. A gang of hotness.
“Of course he’s with them. Ethan and Tag are, like, best friends.” I looked at my sister’s tomato red face over my shoulder. “Wait, do you have a crush on Tag?”
“Noooo. Do you have a crush on Ethan?” she accused me back.
“Noooo.” I said with equal conviction. “I just think…he’s…he’s…”amazing.
“I’m going home.” Sunshine announced. “This isn’t any fun.”
“Because you won’t let yourself have fun,” I said, trying to get her to stay, but when Sunshine made up her formidable mind about something, there was no changing it. “Fine. Suit yourself. I’m staying.”
She looked horrified that I would stay here alone, but I hadn’t gotten dressed up just to head home at the first sight of the McGraws.
Bravely, I pushed through the throng gathered in the kitchen and got in line for the keg.
“I’m telling you, I’m leaving. As soon as I graduate, I am gone. I don’t give a fuck what Dad says,” Ethan was telling Seth.
I wasn’t eavesdropping on their conversation. I just happened to be standing close enough to hear what they were saying and the beer line was moving slowly.
Seth laughed. “Right. Sure. You don’t care. Trust me, Dad is not going to let that happen. You’re going to UW, or if you’re lucky, Montana State.”
“I’m going to UCLA. Pre-med,” he said. “I will be the exact opposite of a cowboy.”
“Don’t knock cowboy life, my friend,” Tag said. “It’s honest work.”
“It’s not going to be my work,” Ethan said. “I need another beer.”
“What about the one in your hand?” Tag pointed out.
Ethan chugged the whole cup and then he stepped back into the beer line.
“You can cut,” I practically shouted, getting his attention.
He noticed my hair first. Everyone noticed my hair first. I had my mom’s red hair, but mine curled wildly around my head, and because there was no taming it, I just let it happen.
“You’re a Calloway,” he said.
“You’re a McGraw,” I said.
“You gonna poison me?”
“You gonna shoot me?”
Look at us, making feud jokes. Maybe he thought it was as stupid as I did. Maybe he thought what we all needed was to put this feud to bed and move on.
He chuckled and I felt my whole face flush. I made Ethan McGraw laugh.
“Harmony, right?” he said, and I could have died right there. He knew my name.
“Yep. And you’re Ethan.”
“You old enough to drink?” he asked me.
“Are you?” I shot back. We were both underage at this party.
