An hour later, we’re in the front bar, getting it ready to open. I put the beers Zeke just brought up from the cellar into the cooler while he pulls the chairs down from the tables. I’m keeping busy but I can’t stop thinking about what he said about fighting for me. What did it mean?
“Hi guys,” I hear Rayna’s voice, glance up from the cooler, and see her and Slate walking over to the bar.
“Hi,” I stand up, placing the empty case on the counter.
Slate looks around. “Looks like you guys don’t need any of our help, huh?”
“No.” Zeke sets the last chair down. “We got it covered.” He looks over at the door just as Emmie and Jax walk in. “Thought you two were heading to Texas City to go Kiteboarding?”
“Yeah, Emmie chickened out,” Jax says, sitting down on a stool.
Emmie smacks him in the arm. “I would have been fine if you hadn’t tried to scare me with all of those stories.”
“Oh-ho,” Zeke says, “you told her about the guy who got caught in some strong winds and was dragged into the highway where he got hit by a car, didn’t you?”
“Yes, he did,” Emmie squints at Jax, “along with a few other horror stories.”
Slate laughs. “Yeah know why he did that, don’t you?”
“No,” Emmie turns to him.
“Same reason he didn’t let me get a cycle when I was seventeen,” Slate says, “doesn’t want you to get hurt.”
Emmie’s eyes dart back to Jax. “Is that true?”
“Sorry, princess,” he shrugs with a smile.
“Owww,” she walks over and drops an arm around his broad shoulder, “what am I going to do with you?”
Jax looks up, holding his smile. “You’re going to marry me.” The room goes completely silent and Emmie’s eyes widen. “And you’re going to let me buy you a big house too.”
“I ... I ... am,” Emmie stutters.
“Yes,” Jax pulls her down onto his lap, “you are, and in return, I’m going to want some babies from you.”
“Babies!” Emmie tries to jump from the Jax’s lap, but he pulls her back down with a deep chuckle.
“Well that’s good,” Slate says, wrapping an arm around Rayna and pulling her against him, “it’ll give us a little more room in the apartment for when you move in.”
With dropped mouths, Emmie and I turn to Rayna. “Oh come on, don’t look at me like that!” She waves a hand at us. “Did you really think I was going back to Manhattan? You guys know I took that job in Santa Fe.”
Emmie jumps up from Jax’s lap and, this time, he allows it. No doubt, happy about the news, she runs over and throws her arms around Rayna. I walk over to a table and sit down in the chair. They’re both leaving me. I’m happy for them but...
“Well,” Zeke walks over and crouches down in front of me, “what do ya say, Picasso? Think maybe you want to show me your beautiful city?”
“What?” I shake my head, and look at him, confused and depressed about losing my friends to the Bayou.
“Manhattan,” he smiles. “If I come there would you want to be my tour guide?”
Is he saying what I think he’s saying?
“Of course, it’d wouldn’t have to be strictly platonic and I’d let you ride the lightning as many times as your little heart desires.”
“Zeke, you’d come to Manhattan?”
“Yeah, but I’d need somewhere to stay and I thought that I’d check out the colleges there, what do you think, sweetheart?”
“Yes.” I smile. “On one condition,” I say, my heart swelling so big in my chest that it’s difficult to breathe. “There’ll be no groping my ass in public places.” I smile.
“You can have as many conditions and rules that you want,” he leans in and kisses me, “but that doesn’t mean I won’t try to break them ...”
THE END