Page 7 of Best Friends, Tennessee

“That jukebox is ancient, too,” I said.

“But the random song was an old blues song thatmentioned a bookstore,” Max said.

Danielle leaned back, squinting at Max. “So that one line means that there’s a ghost trying to tell you… what, exactly?”

“The ghost misses when this place was a bookstore,” Max said,duhwritten all over his face. “Everyone loved that store. The ghost did too.”

“I miss it, sometimes,” I said. “But Kane’s made a good home of this place, too.”

“Cheers to that,” Dani said, and we clinked our glasses together.

It was true. It still had some of the bookstore charm from the built-in shelves, but Kane had transformed the place into something of his own. The Hard Spot had saloon style fordays. Kane had added a set of swinging half-doors toward the back kitchen, old Western style photos all over the walls, and plenty of classic circular wood tables, perfect for poker nights.

“The ghost can haunt me as much as it wants, as long as I can keep coming here,” I said. “I could use a little excitement in my life anyway.”

“The ghost definitely doesn’t seem evil or angry,” Max said. “Maybe it’s a cat.”

Max walked off toward the back. Kane brushed past him as he walked out, carrying a wide case full of beer bottles, eyeingme and Danielle. “Shut up about ghosts, Max,” he said. “Evenin’, Finn. Nice to see you, Danielle.”

If the Hard Spot Saloon was haunted, the ghosts must have been doing something right.

And it was everything Ori hated.

I pictured him back at home—atmyhouse—probably happy as a clam making some sort of spinach smoothie or listening to godawful experimental music that sounded like dental drills over an electronic beat.

I wished I could press rewind on the whole day.

There was so much I should have said when he got back.

And some things that I may never tell him, anyway.

“Okay,” Dani said, bringing me back to reality. “So you’re doing the coupons after Sunday’s riding lesson?”

“Got a big stack of Red Fox Diner coupons ready to go in the front seat of my truck,” I told her. “Get ready for a swarm of about kids and parents coming in to get 50% off.”

I promised Dani I’d hand out coupons for her parents’ diner after Sunday’s horse riding lesson. Mason always needed an extra hand on the ranch, and I’d volunteered to help with lessons this weekend.

Dani pulled in a breath, nodding. “Guess I’ll be selling a whole lot of chicken tenders and grilled cheese that day. I hope it’s enough.”

“The diner will be fine, Dani,” I said. “The time coming out of winter is always a little bit of a slump, isn’t it?”

She bit her lower lip. “Not always as bad as this year was. Mom and Dad just don’t like change.”

“Replacing tables is such a good change, though.”

“You’re telling me,” she said. “They also refuse to put asinglenew item on the menu. After six weeks they finally let Thomas put cinnamon rolls on it.”

“Do you guys still have liver and onions on the menu?”

She grimaced. “Sure do.”

I nodded. “Can’t imagine that sells very much.”

“There is one man who orders it,” Danielle said pointedly. “Once a month. And even he says it’s too salty.”

“It would be funny if it wasn’t sad,” I said. “I’ll try to talk to your parents again, too.”

Ori and Dani’s parents’ diner wasn’t in danger of closing yet, but it had been in need of some help over the past few years. I’d always felt more at home with Rob and Patty than I was with my own parents, and I wanted to help.

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