Page 11 of Ember Meadow
“I’m so sorry, Kate. That’s crazy. What are you going to do?” she asks.
“Honestly, nothing. It’s not my problem. I bought the land, there’s nothing he can do about it. I’ll be cordial to him, and nothing more. Hopefully I won’t have to see him much anyway,” I say.
“Well, that sounds fine to me. His loss, you’re an awesome person to be around,” she says.
I laugh and take another sip of the coffee I brought home with me. It’s starting to get cold, but I’m desperate for the caffeine. “Thanks. The Autry’s invited me to stay at their small guest cabin on the ranch since it’s close to my cabin during renovations, so I have tonight in the hotel then I’m packing up and heading out there. It’ll be convenient to be so close.”
“Oh that’s nice of them,” she says, “You know, you should go out since it’s your last night in town. Take advantage of the bars in walking distance. It’d probably do wonders for your stress levels.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” I say. I have no problem going out by myself, I do it all the time back home when Hazel and Wade are busy. “I’ll see where I get on the renovation prep.”
“Stop it,” she reprimands suddenly.
“Stop what?”
“Stop working. You’ve worked enough I’m sure. I don’t have to be there to know that. Get out of your hotel room and have some fun.”
I sigh and look out towards the street. It’s twilight now, the glow of lights illuminating the row of buildings. I can hear voices and laughter below, visitors stepping out for the night. Jackson Hole does have some famous western bars. Hazel is right, if I’m going to check them out, tonight is the night.
“Okay fine, I’m going,” I say, standing from my chair.
“I’ll leave you with some advice you’ve always given me in situations like this: wear something slutty!” She yells.
“Yeah, yeah. Talk to you later,” I hang up the phone and head inside. Might as well have some fun here while I can.
I can’t help but smile as I step past the wooden saloon swinging doors and walk into Alpine Rose, the bar right across the street from my hotel. The big neon rose glowing in the dark starry sky pulled me in, and now that I’m here, I never want to leave. It’s a pretty big bar with rows of pool tables, bar stools made of real saddles, every type of alcohol known to man in elegant wooden shelving behind the bar, and it’s already hopping in here.
All kinds of people, at all levels of tipsy, and almost everyone is wearing cowboy boots and hats. This is my new favorite place.
My boots click against the hardwood floors as I walk over to the bar, find an open stool, and order a whiskey sour. They’ve been my favorite since I first had one with Miles all those years ago, and I’m not about to give them up now just because he’s a jerk. He can’t take whiskey from me.
“What can I get you?” A polite voice says from behind the bar. I glance over to a woman about my age shaking a cocktail. The name tag on her black shirt says “Codie” in big, swoopy letters. Raven hair falls out of her braid, framing her face.
I smile back, leaning in a bit so she can hear me over the loud music playing. “Whiskey sour, please.”
“A woman after my own heart,” she laughs. “Coming right up.”
She pours the drink from her mixer into a glass, sliding it over to a guy at the end of the bar. When she comes back over to where I’m sitting, she has a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand.
“So, are you new here or just passing through?” She asks, measuring her whiskey pour.
“I’m here for the summer. For work. I live in Idaho.”
“Welcome to Jackson then,” she smiles. “I’m Codie.”
“Katie,” I reply. “Is that the new Willa Gray book?” I nod towards her apron, where the corner of a book is popping out just slightly.
“It sure is. You read romance?”
“Who doesn’t?” I joke.
“No one sane, that’s for sure,” she laughs.
“I love her books,” I gush. “I read them all in, like, a week last year. I’ve been waiting for that one to come out, but I totally forgot it’s already May.”
Codie grabs the book from her apron pocket, handing it to me. I turn it over and read the back, even though I’ve already read the teaser a few times online.
“No one can write a perfect book boyfriend as well as Willa,” I shake my head.
