Page 104 of Heartstrings & Horizons
After the exhibit, we all head out to The Ridge to celebrate. Anticipating that it would be a slow day, given that most of the town would be attending my showcase, Cade closed the bar for most of the day. When we walk in, Shannon — Cade’s new hire — waves at us from behind the bar. She must sense something in Cade’s demeanor because she gives him a curt nod then says, “Everything’s under control, boss.”
“I like her,” I say, standing up on my tiptoes to give Cade a peck on the cheek. Having extra staff has given us a lot more time together.
“Me too. Let’s go claim our table before the crowd swarms the place.” He leads me over to a set of high tops that have been pushed together. There’s a bouquet of wildflowers in the middle with a little card attached.
Paige,
You are a light in every storm. I’m so proud to call you my wife.
Yours forever,
Cade
I suck in a sharp breath, willing the tears not to fall as I turn to face my husband. I wrap my arms around his waist, soaking in the familiar comfort of his embrace. “I love you so fucking much. Thank you for believing in me.”
He kisses my forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment. “Always. Now, what do you say we get this party started?”
As if summoned by his words, a raucous crowd bursts through the doors. Our entire crew has arrived with Nana in tow, and I wince at the thought of her being here with us. We can get pretty rowdy and downright inappropriate at times. Though I have to admit, I got some of my sass from Nana, so I know she can hold her own.
Cade takes our orders, and he leads me over to the bar, helping me onto a stool — my legs are short, what can I say? He pushes his sleeves up to his elbows, switching into sexy bartender mode. Watching him behind the bar does something to me. I get lost in the delicious lines of his forearms as he meticulously crafts our drinks, and I might actually be drooling now. Before long, there are two trays loaded down with beverages and a huge plate of poutine for yours truly. I help him carry everything over to our table, slapping Miles on the hand as he tries to steal some of my fries. “I don’t think so, mister. Get your own Canadian delicacy.” I joke.
“But not mine,” Cade says with a wink as he slaps me on the ass.
“Ok, who’s ready for trivia night?” Liam’s voice booms over the crowd from his spot on the small stage at the back of the bar. A responding chorus of hoots and hollers comes from every corner of the space. His commanding presence is the perfect antidote to the rambunctious bunch of townies in here tonight. I’ve been in Oak Ridge long enough to recognize almost every face. This place and these people have become my sanctuary, and I can’t imagine going back to a life before this.
“Alright. Alright. settle down. I want everyone to split off into teams of 4, then take the paper in front of you and give your team a name. ”
“I’m claiming my bestie since I missed the last game night,” Mags says.
“I get the feeling that Miss Ivy here knows a little about a lot of things, so I’m going to stick with her.” Nana says.
“Obviously, Paige and Cade need to be together, so they’ll need one more teammate. Dean and I want to stick together too. So how about this… Miles, you join Paige, Cade, and Maggie? Ivy and Nana can be on our team.” Cara’s logic checks out, so Maggie reluctantly moves over one spot to make room for Miles and I don’t miss her dramatic eye roll.
“Ok team, we need a name!” I say, attempting to ease some of the tension.
“Sherlock Homies,” Maggie suggests.
“The Fellowship of the Quiz,” Cade responds.
“The O’Trivia Bensons,” I say, referencing one of my favorite badass female characters of all time.
Miles cuts in with a “Dun Dun,” and we all burst into unrestrained laughter. “We have a winner,” he says.
Nana suggests ‘The Quizzard of Oz’ for their team, and then the fun begins. Liam’s voice cuts in above the noise of the crowd.
“Ok. Here’s the drill. I’ll be asking y’all questions relating to the early 2000s. You’ll write your answer on the paper. The first team to return to the stage with the correct answer will getthe points. At the end of the game, the team with the most points will win $400. There are three rules — do not shout out any answers, no cell phones, and no collaborating with other teams.
The game starts out pretty simple, guessing the most popular songs, tv shows, and movies of the early aughts. The O’Trivia Bensons are neck and neck with The Brain Farts, but the pace is picking up and Nana’s team isn’t too far behind.
“In 2012, who did the University of Kentucky Wildcats beat in the final round to take home the championship title in men’s basketball?”
Nobody at our table moves but Cade, who quickly picks up the pen to scribble down his answer before darting across the bar, racing several other people in the crowd, clinching the point for our team.
“Liam knew exactly what he was doing with that one,” Dean says. “No way was Cade going to miss a question about UK.”
The game continues, our team missing several historical questions despite my almost 4 years at UofT majoring in history. “What can I say, I dropped out for a reason,” I shrug.
Cade’s eyes crinkle as he brings his lips to my forehead. “You were always meant to find your way here.”
