Page 132 of Best Served Cold

“Some people need the truth presented to them on a silver platter. Others need to be tied into a chair. We’ll see what kind this young man is.”

“Damn, Dottie,” Rob says with a chuckle as he wraps his arm around my waist, his grip firm.

“Now, after I present you wonderful young people, I’m going to join my man to listen to the story. Afterward, I look forward to a long, joyous celebration.”

“How’d you convince Jonah to come, anyway?” Briar asks. “He must know Rob and his friends are playing tonight.”

What he wouldn’t know is that we’re going to tell our story. We even brought a slideshow, and at Rob’s insistence, the band is going to softly play the melody to ABBA’s “I Have a Dream” in the background.

We’ve practiced a couple of times after hours at The Missing Beat. It made me cry both times, so I don’t have high hopes for staying tear-free tonight.

“Well, dear, I told the truth,” Dottie says pointedly, glancing at the three of us in turn. “I paid a little visit to Nora and explained what her young man had done. It became clear to me that she didn’t know the truth about him. He’d woven a tapestry of lies, but every tapestry of lies has a loose thread. I spoke with her about you three girls and told her about everything I’d witnessed with my own two eyes.”

“She’s the one who brought him here?” I ask in disbelief. I figured GingerBeerBabe was lost for sure. She ignored my texts and obviously forgave Jonah for whatever bullshit he’d pulled that had gotten him temporarily banned from The Ginger Station.

Then again, I almost married him, and he’d been lying to me steadily for months. Lies can be subtle, convincing despite feeling wrong in a way you can’t put your finger on.

“Indeed,” Dottie says. “And there’s more good news. She says The Ginger Station may be interested in carrying some of our nonalcoholic drink blends once we have them canned and start distributing them. Of course, we’ll need to find a new distributor, but I don’t imagine that will be a problem. It seems they’ll hire just about anyone to do that job.”

“What?” I squawk. “We’re canning them?”

“Oh, goodness,” Dottie says, raising a hand to her dyed hair. “My memory isn’t what it once was. I’ve been meaning to talkto you about that. We have to set up a meeting with my dear Buchanans to discuss a financial offer and terms, but I’m certain they’ll love the idea. I’m not sure if you know this, but my dear Beau, the lovely man who started Buchanan Brewery, originally sold soda. So it’s perfect, you see. A return to their roots.”

I gape at her. “They’re…I’m going to get paid for that?”

She gives me an admonishing look. “Of course you are, dear girl. Do you honestly think we wouldn’t compensate you for your hard work?”

“Yes?”

She laughs as if it’s a merry joke, and Rob tightens his hold on me. “Know your worth, Soph,” he whispers. “Tonight we’re gonna show them all that you do.”

I glance up at him, feeling a surge of love so strong it nearly buckles my knees.

“Are you sure I should do this?” I ask, glancing toward the stage, imagining what it’ll feel like to have all those eyes on me.

“Yeah, baby. I think you should. I think you should own yourself. All of you.”

I hear Hannah and Briar speaking. Dottie too. But right this moment, my whole world is Rob.

“What if they hate me for it?” I ask.

“Then we’ll move to Canada and take up ice fishing. But I really hope it doesn’t come to that. I’m a terrible fisherman.”

He leans down and kisses me, then slips something into the pocket of my dress.

I reach in and feel the soft, sleek stone Dottie gave him.

“Stroke it well,” he says with a wink, then dips down and kisses me again.

Dottie grins at us, blows me a kiss, and heads out to the stage to make her opening remarks.

“Are you ready?” Briar asks, holding her hand out to me. Hannah reaches for me too.

I take both of their hands. “No. But let’s do it anyway.”

Dottie’s speech passes in a blur…special storytelling…not to be missed…just like that Moth place in New York…my dear, brave neighbor…the girlfriend of the lead singer of the band!

And then I’m on stage, and it’s me and the crowd and the microphone, and I can see him.

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