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“Come on, Erin!” Pippa called in the distance. “Time to go!”
A car door slammed, and an engine revved in a not-so-subtle hint.
“Roscoe! Time to come in.” Pippa whistled.
He whimpered once more, then shot off.
“Erin! Come on, already!” my sister yelled.
I stared at the spiral a minute longer, then stepped away.
“Coming,” I murmured, crunching over frosty ground on the way back home.
* * *
“One Bitterroot IPA, one Mile High Lite, and an iced tea.” The waiter winked, delivering drinks and nachos. “Let me know if you need anything else, ladies.”
Pippa held her glass up to him, flirting back. “We will.” Then she looked around the bar and muttered, “Well, that’s not encouraging.”
Her sigh of disappointment hinted at bad news. I looked around then and shut my eyes, reminding myself to keep thingsin perspective. As long asbaddidn’t involve vampires, demons, or my mother popping in for a surprise visit, I could cope.
“What?” Abby asked.
“Not one halfway attractive guy here to dance with tonight,” Pippa lamented.
I snorted. Not a priority. And anyway, we were treating ourselves to a night out for a totally different reason.
I raised my glass. “All right, already. Time to toast. Happy birthday, Mom.”
“Wherever you are.” Abby, my younger sister, sighed.
Pippa chuckled as we all touched glasses. “What do you think she’s up to right now?”
I preferred not to speculate, but Pippa loved letting her imagination rip.
“I bet she’s celebrating in a fancy condo in Tahoe.”
“With a view of the slopes,” I added.
“And a glass of wine that cost more than our three drinks combined,” Abby chimed in.
“In a hot tub,” Pippa added with a laugh.
“With a man,” I sighed.
Pippa clinked heartily. Abby and I, less so.
“Go, Mom,” Pippa cheered, gulped her drink, and scooped a huge portion of guacamole with a chip.
I took a smaller helping with a lot less gusto, then sighed.
“What’s wrong with her?” Pippa asked Abby as if I wasn’t right there.
Abby shrugged then looked at me. “Let me guess. You still didn’t get that hour you need.”
I jutted my jaw, silently shaking my head.
“One lousy flight,” Abby commiserated. “One little hour. That’s all she needs.”
