They talk about sex, don’t they?”
Devon laughed. “I’m sure it depends on the girls.”
“Well, if you’re worried that it will be awkward talking about sex with Josh…” Allie thought about that. “Okay, it might be. At first. But we’ll work it out. Maybe we can refer to him as Ryan Reynolds and that will help.”
Devon snorted again. “It won’t hurt. And we’ll call Gavin Ryan Gosling.”
“Awesome,” Allie agreed. “Ryans all around.”
They laughed, then lay there staring up at the blue sky. Finally, Allie rolled and pushed herself up to sitting, instantly regretting it. “Oh, boy, we shouldn’t have made that last toast to Jimmy Buffet.”
“Yeah.” Devon also made her way into a sitting position. And groaned. “But you can’t really drink and sing without Jimmy Buffet, you know?”
“Good point.”
“Maybe we should’ve stopped toasting back when we were talking about my shoes.”
Allie looked at Devon’s shoes. “No, those are awesome. Toast-worthy. And I know girlfriends talk about shoes.”
She carefully pushed herself to standing. “But speaking of drinking and sex and singing…I want to call Gavin.”
Devon struggled to her feet as well. “He came back with you, right?”
Allie felt the pain of that jab her in the center of her chest and spread. “Yeah. But…”
Was he really going to stay? Was this just a visit, an attempt to show her what he was willing to do for her? But what about when things settled down again—as much as they ever did? He had a life in Alaska.
“But?” Devon asked.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Devon gave her a small smile before she stepped forward and hugged her. “I know that not knowing and not being in control are hard for you, but I think it’s a good thing.”
“Yeah?” Allie sniffed. “How?” She pulled back and wiped the tears.
“You’re willing to try it with him anyway. You’re outside your comfort zone for him. That’s good.”
Allie stared at her. She sure was. Gavin was outside his comfort zone for her too and it was good. “Do you think that just being there for someone can be enough? Like, not really doing anything or fixing anything but just being there?” she asked, thinking about Lydia’s words when Allie had felt so helpless to do something for Gavin.
Devon looked around the cemetery, “Well, what exactly am I doing right now except being here?”
Allie thought about that, then nodded slowly. “Okay. You’re good.”
Devon laughed. Then nudged Allie’s arm, “You could call him. Just tell him you need him.”
She wanted to. She really wanted to.
She reached into her pocket for her phone and realized she didn’t have it.
“Phone’s in the car.” She took a step forward and the ground wobbled. “Oh, boy.” She grabbed Devon’s arm. “I could not pass a sobriety test right now.”
Devon laughed. “That’s because you’re not sober.”
“Neither are you.”
Devon grabbed Allie’s arm as she tried to head for the car.
“In our defense, there’s a slight incline here.”
“Yep, I’m sure that’s the problem.”
They looked at each other and burst out laughing.
“’Kay, let’s try that again,” Allie said, still chuckling.
Holding on to one another they proceeded carefully down the—albeit very slight—hill toward the car.
Devon’s phone was ringing as they opened the door. She grabbed it from her purse. “Hi, Josh.”
Allie froze. How was Josh going to feel about her and Devon renewing their friendship? More, how was he going to feel about the Allie getting Devon drunk in the graveyard within an hour of that renewal?
“I’m fine,” Devon said, too loudly. “Just fine.”
Her eyes widened as she listened to Josh. Then she covered the mouthpiece with her hand and asked in a whisper—a loud whisper—“Am I slurring my words?”
She definitely slurred the word slurred.
“Yes. Pull it together,” Allie told her, pointing at her nose. “I don’t need him mad at me for something new.”
Devon frowned and asked Josh, “You’re not mad at Allie, are you?”
She listened, then smiled.
“He’s not mad at you,” she told Allie. Then she frowned again and said into the phone, “Yes, I’m with Allie.” She paused. “At the cemetery.”
Allie groaned. Josh was so coming to the cemetery. She knew him. He’d be concerned. He’d be here to check on them.
And there was no way they could hide that they were drunk.
Allie only half listened to Devon try to assure Josh they were both fine. It wouldn’t matter. He was still coming.
It wasn’t a horrible idea, of course. They could use a ride. Neither of them should be driving.
Devon hung up a moment later and Allie leaned back against the car.
“He’s on his