Party Foul - Abby Knox Page 0,72

stages of grief, or close to it. Turning to look at Levi, she saw the bob of his Adam’s apple. She herself was not much of a crier, never had been, but dammit if these incredible hulks were not about to make her cry too, and she’d only just met Mavis less than two months ago.

Mavis reached across the bar to grasp Billy’s and Holden’s hands. “It’s gonna be fine, boys. I’ll keep in touch. And heck, maybe I’ll have you all down for a visit. A little sunshine might do you guys some good. They got palm trees and everything.”

Billy snorted. “Palm trees suck. Not like they do anything. No shade. Drop coconuts on your head and shit,” he said, his voice watery.

Levi laughed. “You’ve never actually seen a palm tree in person, have you, Billy?”

Everyone appeared to be stifling a chuckle.

Billy was indignant. “Shut the fuck up. You guys are mean as hell. I’m grieving here!”

Mavis shook her head as if she was trying to forget that little nonsensical exchange.

“Honey, set us up a round. We need to do a toast.”

When Honey had set everyone up with a shot of whiskey, Levi raised his shot glass first.

“To Mavis.”

Everyone echoed and clinked their shot glasses together, some of the liquid spilling onto Fiona’s shoulder, which she didn’t mind so much.

When the whiskey shots were drunk, the tension and sadness abated just slightly as everyone listened to Mavis talk about her new place down south.

It seemed to Fiona that Holden had shifted his weepy mood quite drastically, in fact. To the point of distraction.

Fiona gently elbowed Levi in the ribs as she followed Holden’s gaze.

“Who is that? What’s going on?” Fiona whispered to Levi.

“Hell if I know.”

Honey had been mixing up a dirty martini and slid it over to the woman at the end of the bar, along with a napkin and extra olives. Fiona took notice of her high-end business suit, Birkin bag, Rolex watch, and Louboutin shoes.

Sudden recognition washed over her. That was Claire, or Katie, or something with a “K” sound, and she’d seen her at a number of functions related to state business. That was one of the most aggressive developers in Newcastle, if not the most.

Fiona thought she caught the woman’s eyes, and the two of them smiled at each other. Or so Fiona had thought. In fact, the woman’s clear blue eyes were trained on the person that stood over Fiona’s shoulder. Holden.

Fiona turned and saw Holden’s distracted face was completely entranced by this woman, who had to be 20 or more years his senior.

She turned away from Holden and whispered to Levi, “Do they know each other? Is something going on with those two?”

Levi muttered, “I have no idea. I’m pretty sure it’s nothing. Holden’s easily distracted.”

Fiona nodded in agreement, but she wasn’t so sure. The way the woman was eyeing Holden, it was more than flirting. She knew him. Knew things about him. Something about the way she blinked and smiled seductively as she sipped her drink, Fiona was sure there was a story there.

As for Fiona, she looked forward to the day when Holden would spill the beans.

Epilogue

One year later

* * *

Christmastime at YaYa’s house had always been Levi’s happy place.

How many times, while he’d been locked up behind bars, had he closed his eyes and pretended he was here, bathed in the aroma of baking gingerbread?

This year, YaYa had several more people to fuss over, feed, and harass about their inability or unwillingness to find a partner and settle down.

“And what about you, Kayla?”

Fiona and her best friend sat together cross-legged on YaYa’s avocado green living room rug, stringing popcorn for the tree and trying to keep Brioche the dog from eating it.

“Uhm…” Kaylee said, blushing. “I don’t know?”

Levi drank his cup of hot cran-apple spiced punch and watched the conversation from the kitchen, leaning against the harvest gold fridge that had been in this kitchen since before the time of the dinosaurs.

Kaylee and Fiona had made amends for real this time. Fiona looked delighted even as YaYa mispronounced the name, and Kaylee did not correct her.

YaYa reached for the end of the popcorn string, but Fiona stood and insisted on helping her swag it around the tree. The elderly woman had to give in; Fiona was at least an entire foot taller than YaYa and could reach the higher branches.

“You don’t know?” YaYa said to Kaylee. “Well, let me know if you want some help in that department. My