By the time the burgers arrived twenty minutes later, I wasn’t very hungry.  I nibbled on some fries and managed a few bites of my burger.  Before Jim could snag the Behemoth from my plate, Carlos took it and set it on his.  Jim grumbled, and took the remaining fries.

When the waitress came back around asking about refills, Carlos asked for a to-go box.  I glanced at him.

“You’ll be hungry later,” he said.

We left the restaurant and only managed to drive a few miles when the vehicles ahead of us pulled into a tavern.  We were the only cars in the gravel parking lot.

Carlos frowned but pulled in behind the rest.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Jim.  He needs the bathroom.”

Sure enough, the driver’s side door opened, and Jim jogged toward the building.  I watched him disappear inside, then turned to keep staring out the window.

After a few minutes, Carlos growled and turned off the car.

I glanced at him.  He didn’t look at me.  His tight hold on the steering wheel conveyed something.  But what?

“Are you impatient, annoyed, angry?”

“All of the above.”

“Why?”

“Jim’s been in there for five minutes.  Grey said he’s not answering the Elders.”

“So?”

“We don’t have time for his fooling around.”

“You sound like you know Jim.”

“I grew up with him.”

“Why doesn’t someone go in to check on him?”

“Because that’s most likely what he wants.”

I shook my head and opened the door.

“Isabelle, wait.”

I ignored Carlos and started toward the building.  When I was almost to the entrance, I heard Carlos open his door to follow.  I pushed my way into the tavern and spotted Jim at the bar.  He had a row of shots lined up.  When he saw me, he spread his arms wide.

“Time to let loose.  There’s no one in here.”

Except the bartender, but I didn’t point that out.  I reached Jim and glanced at the shots.

“Carlos is annoyed with you.”  No doubt, Luke would be too.  There were twenty little cups waiting.  I doubted Luke would keep Bethi from them all.

“Really?  That’s new.”

I couldn’t tell if Jim was being sarcastic or not.

“The rest are going to be annoyed with you, too.”

“Not if you stick up for me.”

“And why would I do that?” I asked, looking up at him.

“Because deep down, you want to let go for a little while.”  He grabbed a shot and held it out to me.

His sudden seriousness brought back the ache in my chest.  He was right.  I desperately wanted to let go of the pain and loneliness.  I took the shot and tossed it back just as the door opened.

“Jim,” Winifred said.  “Outside, now.”

The liquid burned a pleasant path to my stomach.  I set the glass aside, arched a brow at Jim, and turned around.

“Before you take him outside and beat him like he probably deserves—”

“Not helping,” he mumbled.

“I was wondering if we could take a break.  From our lives.  Just for an hour.  Before it all gets crazy again.”

Winifred’s gaze had shifted from Jim to me as I spoke.  Her expression softened, and a wisp of pity drifted to me.  She was still plenty angry, though.

I shrugged and gave my best innocent face.

“Nothing will be the same once...well, things will change even more than they already have.”

More of her anger faded.  She sighed and eyed Jim.

“You are not always right.”

“I understand,” he said, sounding contrite.

“I’ll tell everyone we’re staying.”  She walked back out.

“Quick.  Drink two before Carlos gets in here and rains on the festivities.”

Accepting the two shots, I lifted one to my mouth as the door opened again.

“We don’t have time for this,” Bethi said, stomping in.  I turned without drinking and held the extra shot up to her.

“Can you beat Luke this time?”

Gabby and Clay were just coming through the door.  I couldn’t see anyone behind them.

Bethi squealed and raced forward.  She snatched the shot from my hand and slammed it back.

“Like drinking much?” I said.

“Nah, I like annoying Luke.”  She grinned at me and stole the other shot from my hand.

“Bethi.”

Luke’s word of warning made her eyes pop.  She quickly tried to drink, but his hand closed over her mouth.  The shot spilled all over.  Luke shook his hand and gave me a dirty look.

“She’s seventeen.”

I glanced at Bethi.

“Wow, your dad looks really young.”

She snorted behind his hand then bit him.  I knew it was a bite because of his grunt and the immediate removal of his hand.

“We need music,” she said.  She took my hand, and we went over to the digital jukebox on the wall.  “Gabby!  Michelle!  Come help,” she called.

Our tastes in music led to an eclectic selection of pop, rock, and ballad.  When I wandered to the bar, Carlos stood near the shots.  Jim was talking to Thomas and Emmitt.  Charlene and Winifred were sipping glasses of wine.  The quiet conversation and relaxed atmosphere felt nice.  It wasn’t the usual bar vibe of lust, mistrust, and disgust.

I reached around Carlos, grabbed a shot, and held it out to him.

“Want one?”

“No.  If I drink, my guard slips.  People get hurt when my guard slips.”

I eyed him.  Was he mocking me?  Scolding me?  He met my gaze steadily, giving no hint why he’d just thrown my words back at me.  It annoyed me.

“Fine.”  I tossed another shot back and grimaced at the cloying sweetness.

“Ew.  What was that?”

Carlos took the shot from my hand, sniffed it, and shook his head.

“Jim said they’re all different.”

“Really?”  I eyed the shots again.  “That makes this kind of fun.”

I picked up another shot.  Before I could get it to my mouth, Bethi ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and poured the liquid into her mouth.

“Daddy’s going to put you in a time out,” I said, looking back at Luke.

“Just remember your promise,” Luke said.  “She’s sleeping with you tonight.”

Crap.  He was right.  But the sun was still up, and we had plenty of time before we needed to worry about that.

“No puking,” I said.

She laughed.  “Come dance.”

The shot I’d managed to drink had warmed me enough that I nodded.

I loved music.  I loved moving to music.  Granted, usually my moves involved kicks or jabs, but I knew how to dance.  What girl could work in Ethan’s bar and not pick up a move or two?

So for a while, I lost myself on the dance floor.  There was no pain or sorrow, just the moves and the moment.

Bethi and I had moves.  Gabby and Michelle...well, they tried.  Eventually, Emmitt joined Michelle, and Thomas and Charlene gave the floor a try.  It was fun.  A lot of fun.  Their laughter clogged the air as much as their happiness.  I soaked it up without meaning too.  They didn’t seem to notice.  They kept being happy.

I slipped from the group and went to the bar.  Carlos still guarded the shots.  I took two and downed one after the other.

The last one made my nose burn.

“Ugh!  Keep me away from exposed flames.”

He didn’t comment.  I turned to face the room and stood beside Carlos.  He had a view of everyone having fun.  Even Grey was to the side, joking with Jim.

“Why aren’t you out there?”

He turned his head and met my gaze.

“Are you inviting me?”

“Is that what it takes?  An invitation for you to have fun?”

He shrugged and went back to watching everyone.  I shook my head at him, reached back, and picked up a couple more shots.  I took a sip from each.

“These aren’t bad.  This one’s minty.  This one’s...” I took another sip.  “I think my taste buds are checking out for the day because it doesn’t taste like anything.”

I held the two shots up.  He glanced at them, looked up at me, then took both.  After he swallowed, he set the glasses to the side.

“Second one was water.”

“Hope Jim didn’t pay for that.”