Page 5 of Unyielding (Poplar Springs #3)

FIVE

SHANNON

“ I can’t believe you talked me into this,” I told my sister and Zoe as we walked across the parking lot to the entrance to the Squeaky Wheel.

“Come on, Shan, when was the last time you stepped out just for fun?” Zoe chided me.

Long before Belle got pregnant, but I wasn’t going to fess up to that. And I certainly wasn’t interested in going out after that damn ultimatum Josh gave me. When I didn’t immediately answer, my best friend elbowed me lightly.

“See? Your brain needs a break and what better way to do that than kicking back at your favorite bar?” Zoe said.

“But you hate coming here. Maybe we should go someplace else. Or we could go back to the ranch.” I was whining and I knew it, but between Belle getting ready to burst, Josh breathing down my neck, and Declan back in town, I couldn’t focus with my thoughts in such turmoil. Fun? What’s that?

“I don’t hate it-hate it…. exactly,” Zoe said. “At least, not anymore.”

“Besides, I haven’t been here since…” Fiona’s voice trailed off as she tried to remember. “Gosh, I think we came here to celebrate after I graduated from college.”

They each hooked an arm through one of mine and practically frog marched me up to the door.

“Listen up, Shannon Cafferty, I didn’t get all dressed up just to hang out with you at home watching Netflix and listening to you mope,” Zoe chided me.

“So, we’re going inside, we’re going to order some of those drinks you were tipping back when you brought me here, and we’re going to have a good time? Got it?”

My lips twitched and I started to grin. “Dammit, when did you become so bossy? I thought that was Fiona’s job.”

“I’m letting our future sister try her hand at being bossy. God knows she needs the practice if she’s going to marry our brother,” Fiona teased as I gave in and let them drag me inside.

It was early on a Friday night but the place was already hopping. The band was playing “Copperhead Road” and dancers were working their way around the parquet floor while those sitting around the dance floor were stomping their feet and singing along.

“There’s an open bar top near the mechanical bull. Let’s grab it and then order drinks,” Fiona said, pointing to the right.

We wove our way around the tables and reached the bar top just as the waitress finished wiping it off.

When she turned around, she blinked at us in surprise.

“Caffertys,” she shrieked, leaning in to hug Fiona and me at the same time.

When she stepped back, she looked at Zoe.

“And future Cafferty, right?” When Zoe nodded, she leaned in to hug her too.

“Kayla?” I stared at my old school friend in shock. “When did you start working here?” Last I’d heard, she was dating one of the hands at a ranch out in Half Moon and they were talking about getting married. Why was she still in town?

Kayla cringed. “Yeah, well, remember that guy I was dating? Daryl Thomas?” I nodded.

“Turns out, that wasn’t his real name and that job he supposedly had out at the Lucky Stars Ranch was one big fat lie.

The asshole charged up my credit cards and emptied out my bank account before he took off for who knows where.

Started working here about a month ago so I could pay down my bills. ”

All three of us gasped. “Oh my God, Kayla. I can’t believe that happened to you. Did you file a police report?” I asked her and she nodded, frowning.

“I sure did. Got a ten minute lecture from deputy Alvarez while she was typing up the report and then when Sheriff Thorne walked in and heard what happened, they ganged up on me, lecturing me about scammers. I mean, sure, I’m not going to click on links in text messages or emails, but this guy picked me up at a bar and we were actually dating for months.

How could I have known he was some sort of… grifter?” she finished.

“You couldn’t,” Zoe said and reached out to squeeze her arm. “At least, not the way he played it.”

“And if you do find out where he is, keep in mind, we’re all ranchers—we know how to bury a body where no one will find it,” Fiona chimed in. We looked at her in shock.

“Fi!”

She shrugged. “What? It’s true. Don’t mess with country girls. Everyone knows that,” Fiona said making the rest of us laugh.

“All right, girls, enough of hearing about my damn woes. What’ll be? Cosmos like usual?” Kayla asked.

“For me, definitely.” I turned to look at Zoe. “You usually drink cider. Are you up for trying something different?”

Zoe had her phone out and was looking at something. “That’s what you guys were drinking? I thought it was martinis.” I figured out she was looking up the recipe.

“Eww, no. Not a gin and olives fan,” I told her. “Interested?” Zoe was rapidly nodding her head and I looked over at my sister to confirm if that was okay and she agreed. “Great, three Cosmos and a table order of loaded potato skins, please.”

Kayla tapped the order into her tablet. “There’s a couple tables ahead of you, but I’ll bring everything out as quick as I can. I just labeled you VIPs, so that might speed up the kitchen.” With a wave, she left to go to another table.

“I can’t believe a scam like that would happen here in Poplar Springs. It’s wild to think someone would do that,” Zoe said.

“Right? Like Kayla said, she had no reason to think he wasn’t legit.

She actually met and dated this guy,” Fiona added.

I couldn’t believe it and hearing about it made me glad that I hadn’t tried dating anyone new.

“I have to admit that I’m glad I’m with Eli.

If I were to start over dating, I’d probably have to run background checks on every guy who might look my way. ”

“No kidding. I’m glad I have Josh.” Zoe froze and the two of them turned to look at me.

“What?”

Zoe lowered her voice. “Well, Fi and I both have partners and?—”

“Before you even think of dating anyone new, you better tell us about him first, so we can make sure he’s not a scam artist,” Fiona finished. Zoe nodded.

I grinned at their earnestness and loyalty. “And how exactly would you do that?” I asked my sister.

Fi appeared to ponder her answer. “Well, we could bring him out on the advanced trail and leave him staked out in the sun until he admits to any wrongdoing he has planned.”

“What?” I stared at my sister in shock. “Fiona!”

Zoe was shaking her finger back and forth. “Nope. I think you have that backward. We save that for when he does do something wrong.”

My sister opened her mouth to say something and then blew out a small breath. “Okay, yeah. That makes more sense.” She rubbed her hands together. “Either way, we’ve got your back.”

I was saved from saying anything more when Kayla returned with our drinks. “Food will be up in a jiffy,” she said before leaving.

We each grabbed the glass in front of us and took a sip. I watched Zoe’s eye light up and she took a second sip. “Like it?”

She nodded her head. “This is delicious. I can’t believe I thought you were drinking martinis. This is way better.”

“I want to make a toast,” Fiona informed us, holding up her glass. When we did the same, she looked first at me, then at Zoe. “Caffertys for life,” she declared.

“Caffertys for life,” Zoe and I repeated. It was something Josh, Fi, and I always said and it touched my heart that she was including Zoe. I turned to Zoe.

“I am so happy that you’re going to become our sister,” I told her blinking away the wetness starting to form in my eyes.

“Me too,” Fiona said, lifting her glass again.

Zoe blushed. “Thank you. Both of you. It’s going to be great having sisters and I couldn’t imagine anyone better than you two.”

“Awww, look at us being all emotional and shit,” Fiona said breaking the moment and making us laugh.

Kayla returned with our food and there was silence at the table as we dug in to the cheesy carbs.

I had to admit that I was having a good time.

I’d been so wrapped up in my head with everything going on that I needed this break.

And who better to spend it with than my sister and best friend?

My thoughts immediately shifted over to a certain vet who I was pretending not to crush on.

Josh was right. I needed to talk to Declan about options for changes in my breeding program, which meant pulling up my big girl pants and asking him.

The band finished their break. After tuning up their instruments, they began playing the “Watermelon Crawl” and the entire bar erupted in cheers. Fiona leaped up, almost toppling her chair over.

“I haven’t heard this song in ages. Come on, let’s join the line.”

“I don’t know, Fi, I’m a terrible dancer,” Zoe said.

“That’s just because you let your head rule your feet,” Fiona told her. “Come on.” She grabbed our hands and pulled us out to the dance floor.

“What does that even mean?” Zoe asked, laughing.

I shrugged. “No idea, but I’ve learned it’s best not to argue with her when she’s like this.”

She dragged us out to the dance floor and we stood on either side of Zoe so she could follow our steps. She wasn’t the only one fumbling a bit with the steps, but she was laughing and damn, Fiona was right. As soon as Zoe got out of her head, her steps were smoother and she was following the beat.

“Yeah! There you go!” Fiona shouted, raising her arm. “Caffertys for life,” she said, again.

“Caffertys for life,” I repeated.