Chapter 21

“Rounds first, please,” Mandy asked. “Say your hellos and thank yous and then you’re free to do what you choose.”

It took longer than he’d hoped to do that, but catching Duke glancing at him almost every time he looked over at Duke, made both of them smile. He got caught in a speech that he did his best with, and when he got dragged over to the buffet tables, he silently beseeched Duke via hand gestures and mouthed pleas to join him there. Duke waved off the suggestion and pointed at the bar. It either meant, “meet me here when you’re done,” or “there’s no place else I’d rather be.” Both sentiments were relatable.

It was almost nine when Bryson stepped up to the bar. He slid beside Duke, who stared at a phone like it had called his mother something nasty. “Well, howdy,” Bryson said, in his best-worst cowboy accent. “How’s about me buying a purty boy like you something nice and fruity?”