“I’VE STAYED OUT of trouble for six years,” Hannah Hastings said, shaking her head, resigned and not nearly tipsy enough. “And now you’re going to make me do this, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am.” Rachel grinned at her. “Get up there before someone beats you to the mic.”
“Gee, that would be a shame.” Sighing, Hannah pushed back in the old oak chair. “No pictures.”
“Yeah, right. Okay.”
“I mean it. Put your damn phone away. We’re not stupid college kids anymore.”
“No?” Rachel burst out laughing.
“I haven’t taken a vacation in four years,” Hannah muttered. “And I decide to come all the way to Montana to see you. I’m such an idiot.” She drained the last of her watered-down margarita, then got to her feet, glaring at the small makeshift stage next to the jukebox. “What’s wrong with you people? Who does karaoke night anymore?”
She glanced around at the good-sized crowd crammed into the rustic bar. The Watering Hole was supposed to be a nice, quiet place where they could talk, catch up with what had been happening to each other since their college days. Ha.
Tears from laughing filled Rachel’s eyes. Sitting next to her, Jamie, her sister-in-law, only had a vague idea of what was going on but it seemed that laughter really was contagious.
God help her. Hannah figured she might as well get it over with. She just wished this wasn’t her first night in Blackfoot Falls. She’d only be here a week. Not nearly long enough for these nice people to forgive and forget.
Now, the tall, dark-haired cowboy sitting at the bar? He was the one she really cared about. Since walking in five minutes ago he’d kept his head down and nursed his beer. Bad break-up was Hannah’s guess. Poor guy showed all the signs of love gone wrong. Something she might’ve been willing to help him forget for a while. But what were the odds he wouldn’t turn around to see who couldn’t carry a tune with both hands and a two-ton pickup truck?
Oh, and who had the nerve to get up in front of a roomful of strangers and completely humiliate herself. Sure, he’d be all over her. She wouldn’t be able to fight him off.
Five stupid minutes. Rachel couldn’t have called in her marker before then?
Hannah sat down again. “Is there an expiration date on that coupon? I bet there is.”
Rachel grinned. “Nope.”
“Let me see it.” Hannah stuck her hand out, wiggling her fingers. “Not that I don’t trust you.”
“I’m not giving you this piece of paper. You’ll probably swallow it.”
Hannah sighed. “Jamie, would you mind checking? And make sure it isn’t Rachel’s handwriting.”
“Wow, she really doesn’t trust you,” Jamie said, grinning, as she leaned over for a look. “Sorry. I think it’s legit. Says it was for her twenty-second birthday?”
“Okay, who holds on to something like that for six years? That’s just sick.” Most of the women in their sorority had been too broke to afford gifts, so they’d gotten creative with coupons. Everyone had cashed them in right away. No one would’ve thought to include an expiration date.
“Better get up there before I feel inclined to make an announcement,” Rachel said sweetly.
Hannah hesitated. She had an idea that just might work. “Rachel...listen, you know I’m always up for a challenge, but there’s a guy in here that I—”
“Who?” Rachel sat up straighter. “Where?”
With a pitying look, Jamie shook her head at Hannah. “Are you nuts?”
“She’s still that bad, huh?”
Jamie nodded and signaled for their waitress.
Apparently marriage hadn’t tempered Rachel’s annoying hobby of trying to fix up her single friends. If Hannah had stopped to think about it, she probably would’ve realized that the gold band on Rachel’s finger could never curb her enthusiasm, but only make it worse.
Lord, it was hard to believe Rachel was married. Doing her dad a favor had prevented Hannah from attending the wedding. She hated that she’d missed it. And for what? She was no closer to pleasing the old man than on the day she’d been born the wrong gender. It was a lost cause.
Ignoring them, Rachel surveyed the bar like a hawk circling its next meal. “Just tell me who he is and I might let you off the hook.”
“I’ll take my chances.” Hannah purposely didn’t look in his direction.
With that damn uncanny ability of hers, Rachel whipped her gaze around and hit a bull’s-eye. “Seth Landers?” she asked. “Because you’d like him. Nice guy. Has some issues. Nothing horrible. Just enough to make him interesting.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about. And just so we’re clear, I’m not doing a whole song.” Hannah took a couple of steps, and stopped. “Jamie, please tell the waitress to make my margarita full octane this time.”
“You got it,” Jamie said, and laughed when Hannah made it another foot and stopped again.
“It’s going to get bad, so if you want to step outside for a few minutes, you won’t hurt my feelings.”
“And miss everyone’s reaction?” Rachel said. “Not a chance.”
“I think I’m already missing something.” Jamie’s puzzled frown was aimed at Rachel. “You look positively evil right now.”
“Don’t worry about Hannah. She’s fearless. Just wait.”
Hannah tried not to look in Seth’s direction. Luckily, his mug of beer seemed to be the only thing that interested him.
A perky little blonde finished her rendition of Need You Now, curtsied to the hooting and applause and left the small stage.
Hannah decided she needed this to be over with and hurried to pick up the mic. The song she selected was an oldie. She’d given up karaoke nights right after college and didn’t know which tunes were the current faves. Although, in her case, it really didn’t matter.
She rubbed a sweaty palm down the front of her jeans.
Maybe she should just admit to Rachel that she wasn’t the same daring person she’d been in school. What good was pride if she ended up dying from embarrassment?
On the other hand, maybe this was just what she needed to loosen up. What the hell, she didn’t know anyone here. Except Rachel. And now Jamie. Ah, and Nikki, sister-in-law number two, who happened to be the bartender at the moment. She was talking to Seth. Sure would be swell if she kept him distracted until Hannah finished making a fool of herself.
The music started. Hannah knew all the words to the song but she kept her eyes on the small monitor and started singing her heart out. It felt pretty good, just like the old days. Before she’d discovered that getting through college was the easiest part of life.
The guys playing pool in the back room left their game to stare at her. Even the waitress, carrying a full tray of drinks, had stopped between tables. People sitting with their backs to her twisted around in their seats, probably afraid it was a disaster drill. Hannah used to get that one a lot.
She refused to look at Rachel, though, or the cowboy. Heaven forbid, she might get nervous