She slipped off the bed and picked up the can I left on the dresser.
“Are you sure you packed everything you need?” I asked, eying the pink duffel bag in the doorway. Waylay was invited to Nina’s birthday sleepover. It was the first time she’d be spending the night with a non-family member, and I was feeling the nerves.
“I’m sure,” she said. Her tongue poked out between her teeth as she carefully brushed her hair over her forehead just so before hitting it with a shot of spray.
“I’m working the closing shift tonight, so if you decide you don’t want to spend the night you can just call Grandma and Grandpa or Liza or Knox, and one of them will come pick you up.”
She crossed her eyes at me in the mirror. “Why wouldn’t I want to spend the night? It’s a sleepover.” She was already dressed in pajamas, a request on the invitation. But she was wearing the pink sneakers Knox had given her with the ever-present heart charm.
“I just want you to know that no matter what, you can always call, and someone will be there,” I said. “Even when you’re older.”
I cleared my throat, and Waylay put down the hair spray.
“What?” she asked, turning around to face me.
“What what?” I hedged.
“You always clear your throat before you say something you think someone isn’t going to like.”
Damn astute kid. “Have you heard from your mom?”
She looked down at her feet. “No. Why?”
“Someone said she was in town not too long ago,” I said.
“She was?” Waylay frowned like the news was disturbing.
I nodded. “I didn’t talk to her.”
“Does this mean she’s going to take me back?” she asked.
I started to clear my throat then stopped. I didn’t know how to answer that. “Is that something you’d like?” I asked instead.
Waylay was staring hard at her shoes now. “I’m okay here with you,” she said finally.
I felt the tension release from my shoulders. “I like having you with me.”
“You do?”
“I do. Even if your hair tossing impression of me is terrible.”
She grinned then stopped. “She always comes back.”
It sounded different when she said it this time. It sounded more like a warning.
“We’ll figure that out when we have to,” I told her. “Let’s get you to your sleepover. Are you sure you packed your toothbrush?”
“Geez, Aunt Naomi! This isn’t my first sleepover!”
“Okay. Okay! What about underwear?”
Me: How’s Paris?
Stef: I drank too much champagne and danced with a man named Gaston. So pretty fucking great. But I still miss you and the fam.
Me: We miss you too.
Stef: Any drama happening that you “forgot” to tell me about?
Me: It’s so nice that you don’t hold a grudge. And no. No drama to report except Waylay is going to a sleepover.
Stef: Does that mean you’ll be having your own sleepover? If so, wear the teddy I sent you! It’ll melt Knox’s mind! Oops. Gotta go. Gaston is beckoning!
Honky Tonk on a Friday night was a rowdy time. The crowds were big, the music loud, and no one cared if they were hungover in the morning, so the drink orders were plentiful.
I swept my hair up off the back of my neck as I waited for Max to finish keying in an order.
“Where’s Knox tonight?” Silver called from behind the bar.
“Out with Lucian,” I yelled back over “Sweet Home Alabama.” The band was decent, but they were drowned out by the crowd singing over them. “He said he’d come by later.”
Max moved away from the POS and started throwing drinks on trays. “Tips are good tonight,” she said.
“Sounds like it could be a shots night,” I said with an eyebrow wiggle.
“There’s a new guy in your section,” Max said, pointing to the wall on the far side of the dance floor. “How’s the sleepover going?”
“Way messaged me to tell me to stop messaging her, and Gael sent me a picture of the girls doing mani-pedis and face masks,” I told her. “She looks like she’s having the time of her life.”
I dropped off two fresh beers at a table of equestrians and gave a quick hello to Hinkel McCord and Bud Nickelbee on my way across the bar.
I caught a glimpse of the new patron. He’d angled his chair against the wall, half in shadow. But I could still make out his red hair. The guy from the library. The one who had asked about tech support.