Our Now and Forever(87)

Drawn to her instantly, he asked her to dance and was rewarded with the prettiest smile he’d ever seen. Innocent and yet promising at the same time. She hadn’t gone willingly, claiming her inability to put two steps together would be the death of them both, but he’d pulled her into a slow dance, and something clicked into place. As if everything he’d always wanted was right there in her fragile frame and golden eyes.

Not two years had passed, yet Caleb couldn’t remember his life without Snow. Every day since meeting her had been a balancing act between happiness and madness. When she was with him, he couldn’t get enough. When she wasn’t, he couldn’t breathe.

Once he stepped inside the bar, Caleb gave his eyes a second to adjust to the dim lighting. Losers didn’t put much stock in illumination. The bar was sparse, as expected on a Friday afternoon when the whole world was out hunting for the bargain of the century. He took a seat two stools down from one with an Army jacket thrown over it and waved for the bartender.

“What’ll it be?” the slender man behind the bar asked.

“Bud, please.”

A pinup in a hula skirt flexed as the bartender popped the top. “Three fifty.”

Caleb pulled a ten from his wallet and said, “That’s for the first two.”

“A man with a plan. Got it.” He pushed a couple of buttons on the register, made change, and slid three dollars next to the bottle. “My name’s Watts. Let me know when you’re ready.”

After a quick nod of acknowledgment, Caleb took a long swig as he spun on the stool. The place looked the same. The tiny indoor stage by the front door. Poker machine at the end of the bar. Christmas lights strung along the top of the walls. Not the most glamorous spot in town, but the beer was cold, the music was good, and the service friendly. When Caleb was a single guy looking for a good time, Losers had served his purpose. It didn’t hurt that the place had been walking distance from his apartment.

“No freaking way,” said a voice from his left. “Caleb McGraw? Is that you?”

Tucker Holcomb, one of his regular running buddies back when he’d met Snow, stood outside the bathroom door staring as if Caleb were the second coming.

“Hey, Tuck. How you doing?” He wasn’t in the mood for reminiscing, but Caleb should have expected to run into someone he knew.

“I’m good, man.” The two shook hands and did the bro hug greeting, bumping shoulders accompanied by two pats on the back. “Haven’t seen you in forever. Not since you swiped Snow out from under us.”

Caleb stalled by taking a drink of his beer.

“Sorry that didn’t work out, buddy. I thought you two were going to make it.”

He came close to spewing Budweiser across his friend’s Slipknot shirt. “You know?” Caleb asked.

Tucker picked up the green jacket and settled onto the stool. “I saw Snow a couple months after y’all left for Vegas. She was staying over at Deb’s place.”

Deb had been Snow’s roommate when they’d met, and the first person Caleb had checked with in Nashville after she disappeared. The lanky brunette had claimed not to know where Snow was.

“And Snow told you what happened between us?” he asked, struggling to keep his voice conversational.

“No details,” Tucker said, holding out his hands. “She was pretty bummed. Deb and I tried to get her to come out for a drink, but she wouldn’t do it.”

Tapping the side of his bottle, Caleb stared at the red label. “Was she alone or did someone come back to town with her?”

Rubbing his blond goatee, Tucker looked to be searching his memory banks. “No one that I know of, man. You’re the only guy she ever gave the time of day. We all took a turn trying to catch that honey, but she turned the rest of us down.” He tapped Caleb on the knee. “That’s why I thought you guys were really gonna do it. Get that happy ending everybody’s always talking about.”

“Yeah, I thought so, too,” Caleb said.

So she’d been alone when she stayed at Deb’s. But was Snow bummed, as Tuck had put it, because she’d left her husband, or because whatever guy she ran off with had left her?

“You in town for a while?” Tucker asked. “Me and the boys are playing outside tonight. It’s gonna be cold as hell, but a party to be sure.”

Caleb hadn’t considered anything beyond the present since watching his wife and mother battle to see who could hurt him more.

“I’m just passing through,” he said. Even if he stayed the night at a local hotel, a late night at Losers held no appeal.

“Damn.” Tucker pulled cash from his pocket. “Next time, then. You need to come around more often, bro. You were our ringer for drawing the hotties. You gotta help your boys out.”