Page 41 of Perfect Someday

I told Leah all about what was going on when I saw her this morning, but I haven’t been able to talk to Ellie really at all.

I grab my purse and motion toward outside. “I’ll fill you in on the car ride over.”

Telling her everything that’s going on just makes it even more real. When I told Leah this morning, it was still kind of the unknown. Now that I’ve seen it for myself, I know just how serious everything is.

Before we get out of the car, Ellie leans over to hug me again. “I’m so sorry she’s going through this. It makes more sense now that we never saw her at the store. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw her anywhere in town.”

I take a shaky inhale, trying not to cry for the tenth time today.

Susie explained that Mom was pretty set in her ways of doing the exact same thing every day. Now, we understand that it is part of the disease. This little bit of knowledge brings me comfort knowing at least she had that normalcy when everything else around her wasn’t making sense.

“I think I need a drink,” I say as I gather myself.

“Yes, indeed, I think you do,” Ellie says as she exits the car, and I follow behind her up to Pony Up.

I love that nothing in this town has changed a bit. When I performed here, during business hours, I had to go through the back door since I wasn’t twenty-one. Being able to walk freely through the front door is kind of a trip in itself.

Leah has already arrived and has a booth for us ready to go with three shots and a huge sign, saying,Welcome Home!

I grin at Ellie, and she pats my back as I head to Leah to give her a hug.

“Thank you for the warm welcome back. It really does feel good to be here again. I don’t think I realized just how much I missed it until now.”

“How could you miss all of this when you were in big ole Nashville, singing in bars ten times this size?” Leah says.

I glance around the room, realizing now just how small it really is, and nod my head in agreement. “Yeah, you’re actually right about that,” I say with a laugh.

Leah picks up a shot glass and hands it to me before she picks up her own. Once Ellie has hers in her hand, we all hold them up as Leah says, “To Mason Creek!”

“To Mason Creek,” Ellie and I both respond.

As I set down my glass, someone catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. When I turn to see who it is, my eyes lock with Matthew, and my stomach flips for more reasons than the shot I just downed.

CHAPTERNINETEEN

Matthew

I should have known she’d be here.

I close my eyes and take a breath in.

Who am I kidding?

I know I came here, hoping she’d be here, no matter how much I don’t want to admit it to myself. If only Tony could be more subtle about it when he slaps my arm and literally points at her.

“Yep, saw that, dickhead. I didn’t need you making it so obvious though.”

“Whatever. Let’s get you liquored up before we head over there.” He moves toward the bar, and I follow.

Tony and I went to college together, moved back to Mason Creek together, and have started our lives back here. Only difference is, Tony is engaged to Leah. Yes, in some cruel twist of fate, my best friend ended up hooking up with Hannah’s best friend.

I thought it was casual between the two of them until about a year ago when, slowly, I wasn’t seeing him as much. That’s when I was putting all the work into opening up the hitting facility, so I didn’t think much of it until he asked for my opinion on a ring. Shocked doesn’t explain how I felt, but I’m happy for them.

“Two shots of tequila and two Modelos, please,” Tony says, holding up two fingers.

The bartender nods and gets busy on our shots, sliding them across the bar before he leaves to get our beers.

Tony hands me the shot. “To going down memory lane and hoping it doesn’t fuck you up royally.”

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