at her hand then lifts his gaze to me with an expression that suggests I would never make him do such a thing as drive all the way back to Lake Starlight with Ethel behind the wheel of his truck. But I know Grandma, and if she sees Stella here, all hell is gonna break loose. Rumors will spread, and if Stella’s been hiding out in Anchorage, she’s not ready to face what happened all those years ago.
I always felt close to Stella, what with her only being a few years younger than me. When the guys wanted to start a band, she’d hang around the garage, and she was my bleacher buddy during the baseball games.
“Just let her drive,” I plead.
“And your name is?” Dori asks Stella’s friend.
“Cami.”
“Well, Cami, this is Juno. She’s my granddaughter and a real matchmaker. It’s been in her mother’s blood for generations, so you should trust her with who you should be matched with tonight.”
“Grandma, it’s a speed dating thing.” I kiss Grandma Dori on the cheek with the hopes it gets her out of here.
Colton is still sipping his beer.
“You took another sip,” Ethel says like a sibling who wants to get their other sibling in trouble.
“Just let her drive?” I say to him, trying to pull him to the door.
“But my truck?” he says as if I’m crazy.
I probably am, but I really need to get Dori out of here and tell Stella to leave before Kingston shows up, otherwise, my entire blind speeding date thing is gonna be a bust and I’m never going to be able to pay my bills. “What harm can it do?”
“Are you seriously asking me that right now?” Colton says.
“I need Dori out,” I whisper.
She’s busy naming off my qualifications to Cami, Stella’s friend.
“I get it, but it’s my truck, Juno.”
Ethel watches like a hawk to see if Colton has another sip of beer. I know that the only way they’re leaving is if Colton gives her the keys. Eventually, Colton realizes it too.
“You so owe me for this, and I mean huge.” Colton stands, downs the rest of his beer, but right before Ethel is about to say something, he drops the keys in her hand. “Bigger than that time you accidentally kneed me in the nuts when we were wrestling.”
I giggle, remembering how his face turned blue. I felt so bad. I hope he can still have children. I rise up on my tiptoes and kiss his cheek. “I owe you big. Promise. Name it and I’ll deliver.”
He wraps his arm around my waist and turns his face to me. We’re millimeters apart and my heart pounds.
“No take-backs,” he says.
“No take-backs. I promise.”
Then he kisses my cheek and releases me. Now I’m not so sure I want him to go.
“Let’s go, Golden Girls,” Colton says. “We will be driving five over the speed limit.”
“I can’t lose my license, Colton Stone,” Ethel says.
He winks at me one more time before the three of them leave the room.
“It’s safe now,” I say to Stella, who peeks up over the partition.
“Thank you. I do not want to be in Buzz Wheel again.” Stella sips her drink that’s halfway gone now. “So are you and Colton finally together?”
I shake my head. “No, he’s actually getting married next week.”
Her eyes widen. “Really?” She looks at her friend. “They were, like, the best friends you always thought would get married.”
“You’re one to talk. What about my brother?”
Her friend sips her wine. “Do tell? Stella’s like a vault. I’ve yet to figure out the combination to get her to talk about her life.”
Stella sips her drink and her eyes plead for me not to say anything.
My head rears back when I remember who else is supposed to be here tonight. “I forgot! Kingston and his firefighter buddies are coming tonight.”
This time the drink does fall from Stella’s hands. There’s no time to react because I hear a gaggle of men walking down the hall. I’m guessing they’re firefighter because they’re loud and boisterous, razzing one another about something.
“Um. Just stay here,” I say.
This is not what I had planned when I came here.
Walking out the door of our private room, I shut it behind me and see one of Kingston’s buddies who’s been to the apartment a few times.
“Juno.” Lou hugs me so my feet lift off the floor. “Kingston said we had to come tonight. Plus, you know I like the ladies.” He sets me back down and winks. “This