Page 130 of Smoky Mountain Dreams

Jesse glared at her before turning back to picking apart thepaper coaster the waitress had placed under his bourbon and coke. That had beenafter he’d done two shots. He wasn’t fooling around tonight.

He knew Amanda was certain Christopher was the perfect manfor Jesse, and she’d suggested more than once that Jesse propose for Christmas.The suggestion had seemed laughable when it was only because it was too fast.Now it seemed like a horrible joke to taunt Jesse with visions of a future he’dprobably blown.

“I need you to text Nova. Tell her she’s got to keep thekids tonight,” Jesse said.

“Because you’re going to his place to beg forgiveness andhave makeup sex?”

“No, because I’m going to drink at least three more ofthese, and you’ll have to drive me home and put me to bed.”

Amanda sighed, pulled out her phone, and tapped in amessage. She waited, nodded, and said, “Nova said okay, but you know they’llwant to know why tomorrow. She sent a worried-face emoji. I think Will taughther how to use those.”

“It’s none of their business.”

“Oh, yes, of course. ‘Do me a favor, in-laws, and keep mykids.’ ‘Sure, but why, Jesse?’ ‘It’s none of your business.’ Of course. That’stotally how that works.”

Jesse rolled his eyes and took a long swallow, the shots andbourbon rolling through him, hot like his anger. “He fucking went to see her.”

“Went to see who?”

Jesse gave her a long look.

“Ohhh. He went to see Marcy.” She frowned. “How did he getin? He’s not on the list.”

“He posed as a volunteer singer filling in for a friend ofhis who couldn’t make it for the carol sing-a-long.”

Amanda’s frown deepened. “Posed? Or he actuallywasa volunteer singer filling in for his friend?”

Jesse groaned and wiped a hand across his sweaty forehead.He felt like crying, but he took another swallow of his drink. “Actually was, Iguess.”

“I see,” Amanda said primly. She lifted her hand and snappedtoward the bar, trying to get the waitress’s attention. “Let’s get drunk then,shall we? Really good and drunk since you’ve clearlyblownitwith the best guy you’ve ever dated. The guy who’s made you thehappiest you’d beenin years—all because he washelping out a friend. That’s awesome. I think we need to toast to that.”

“Fuck you, Amanda.”

“Thisiswhy you texted me, didn’tyou? I mean, surely you weren’t expecting sympathy?”

“No…I knew what you’d say.”

“Then you must’ve wanted to hear it.”

The waitress stopped by the table and Amanda placed an orderfor a Negroni before calling her husband. “Yes, I’ll call if I need you to comepick us up, darling,” she said. “I won’t drive drunk. Scout’s honor.” She hungup and sipped the newly delivered cocktail. “You’ve got Paul worried that I’mgoing to get rip-roaring drunk and slam into a mountain.” She narrowed her eyesat Jesse. “And yes, I can say hideous, callous things like that as your sister.We’ll just have another drink to cover the pain of it.”

Jesse sighed and rubbed his hands into his hair. “He had nobusiness being there.”

“Well, it sounded like he was doing a favor for a friend.”

“Then what was he doing in her room?”

“You know as well as I do that all the banjo pickers, bookreaders, and even damn tap dancers get sent around to all the rooms after themain performance. But even if there was some other reason he was in her room—evenif he was there solely to see her—can you reallyblame him?”

“Hell yeah, I can blame him. She’s not his concern. She’snothing to him.”

“Oh please, big dumb brother of mine. She’s the woman hisboyfriend is married to! She’s the mother of the kids he’s undoubtedly fallingin love with, because of course he is! My niece and nephew are nothing if notlovable.”

Jesse shook his head. He wasn’t going to go into the kids.Not right now. And yes, the entertainment volunteers went around to the all therooms, but… He stubbornly took another drink. This was different.

“In other words, Jesse, Marcy is totally his concern! If thelaws of this state changed and the possibility that the two of you couldlegally marry came up, she’s the reason that wouldn’t happen. She’s the womanyou still love, even if you weren’tinlove anymore.She’s the reason you go to Sevierville on Thursdays, and the reason you mightenter into another court fight—which, if you did, your boyfriend woulddefinitely be impacted by! She’s the woman in the pictures in your hallway, thewoman who drives so much of who you are and what you do! The mystery of hermust plague him, don’t you think? Wouldn’t you be curious, Jesse? If it wasreversed, wouldn’t you want to see her? Wouldn’t you want to know?”

Yes. I’m a total dick, aren’t I?Still,he shrugged a shoulder. “He could have asked me.”