Page 74 of Single-Minded
“Is anyone up for turning this into an official girls’ night out?” Anna asked. “We could give them their table back here and move to the Barn Bar or the Fly.”
“I’d be up for that,” Maeve said. “I’ve got tomorrow off.”
“It sounds fun,” Magnolia said. “We should absolutely keep celebrating.”
“I’m open,” I said.
“You guys go,” Chloe said. “I need to get home to relieve Holden. He took Sutton to Mimi and Papa’s in Nashville all day. I promised I’d do bath time and bedtime.”
“Aww,” Maeve said. “You two really are cute.”
“And nauseating,” Olivia joked. “But I need to go home too. I have the early shift at the bakery tomorrow.”
“Ouch,” Anna said. “What about you, Rowan?”
She frowned. “I’d love to, but this girl is exhausted.”
“You’re going with the ‘brewing a baby is hard work’ excuse, huh?” Anna teased.
“Ab. So. Lutely,” Rowan said. “I’m sorry, but my bedtime is thundering toward us.”
“Will that be for sleep or for a roll in the hay with your handsome hubby?” Magnolia asked.
“There might be some debate if he wasn’t with his dads’ group,” Rowan said. “He said he wouldn’t be out very late, but it’s past booty call time for me.”
“You two old married ladies and one baker will miss a rocking good time,” Anna said. “But we understand.”
We finished our dessert and paid our bill. Once we were in the parking lot, Magnolia volunteered as designated driver, so the four of us single girls hugged the others, then piled into her old BMW.
My life might have taken a surprise turn a few weeks ago, but it felt like it was a positive one. Not only did I have my first adult girlfriend birthday dinner, but now I was going to girls’ night out with women who felt like they were becoming my close friends.
As we rode the short distance to the Fly with our windows down and music turned up, I leaned back in the seat, let the summer air blow over me, and savored the feeling of being carefree and unfettered by a job, a baby, or a boyfriend.
Chapter Twenty
Presley
When we walked into the Fly, several people in the half-full bar called out to Anna and Maeve as if they were town celebrities. A few came up to them for hugs before we could get to a table. Anna introduced me to everyone as Chloe’s Nashville friend who moved to town to open a coffee shop, and I wasn’t sure which was better: meeting people or the free publicity.
I noticed the reception for Magnolia was cooler, but she seemed to smile and ignore it. Then Kemp came toward us from the back half of the bar with no small amount of noise.
“Delfico is in the house,” he roared and gave Anna a big hug. “Hey, Maeve-y.”
“Someone’s been overserved,” Maeve said with a grin.
“Nah,” Kemp said. “It’s been a good baseball day. Hey, wedding date,” he said to me with a warm smile and a wink.
“Hey, wedding date,” I said back and bumped fists with him, deciding Maeve had nailed it. Kemp was less than sober.
“Mags,” he said. “I was just wondering where you were. There’re a couple wankers from out of town who want to play doubles. I need my pool shark partner. You up for it?”
Magnolia looked at us girls. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” Anna said. “Go save Kemp’s ass.”
“Hey,” Kemp said jovially, “my ass doesn’t need saving. We’re a team.” He pulled Magnolia into his side. “Tell her, Mags.”
“Some nights I carry us,” Magnolia said, grinning, eliciting a shocked expression from Kemp, “and some nights he does. Partners.”
