Page 2 of Live Love Lasso

When I get there, I keep it together until I get to my bed. Throwing myself in, I screech into a pillow—over and over again until my voice goes hoarse. Then I pick up a round disk next to my bed and toss it on the black coverlet.

“Call Shadow,” I direct miserably.

A gorgeous black-haired witch rises up from the disk in hologram form, her dark eyes wide. “Oh my gods, Lemon, what happened? You look awful!”

I let out an angry growl as I launch into the entire story. Shadow listens quietly until I’m through, then claps a hand over her mouth. “Pine Gulch? For real?”

Misery fills me then. I’m not a country girl. I live in New York City, for gods’ sake! I’ve never even been out of the hidden monster haven of Rainbow. It’s big enough to spend a lifetime in, and New York is absolutely glorious. I can’t relocate to the country. What’ll it even do to my hair? I lift a blonde wave despondently, considering how much time it took me this morning to straighten the strands, only for it to be waving again already.

“I can’t say no,” I finally manage. “I’m going to kill my brother.”

She blows a frustrated-sounding raspberry. “Hunter’s the worst. He probably did that shit on purpose.”

Discomfort curls through me. Surely…not? I don’t know how I’d even prove it if he did, but my screwing up a potion looks bad for our entire house. I don’t think Hunter would risk that, and to what end if he did?

I cast the thought aside. “I don’t think so. Not with Rookwood trying to force us to sell. He’s just careless because he can do no wrong. And realistically, I should have checked his work. I just didn’t because he gets so salty when I do, and I didn’t have the energy to deal with him. The potion took seventy-six hours to brew and you should have seen the bags under my eyes.”

Shadow’s sympathetic smile almost makes me feel worse. “Okay, but listen, maybe it’ll be fun, Lemon. The girls and I had a fab time in Pine Gulch for the Fall Ball. And I met Dain there. It’s got an adorable Wild West, we-do-what-we-want vibe, and maybe that’ll be a nice change. Plus, I assume you’ll be there on your own, right? So this could be a chance for a fresh start away from your dad and Hunter. You need this, girl. I’m manifesting good things for you. Maybe even a little romance…” She waggles her dark brows.

“Romance is not in the cards for me right now. I’m going to miss you and the girls so much,” I whisper. Shadow, Kingston and Amadala are my crew. We do everything together, and I don’t know what I’ll do without them.

“Look on the bright side, Lemon,” Shadow says with a soft laugh, “you can finally buy some cowboy boots. They’ve got a super cute outfitter right there on the main drag.”

“Not even dangling shopping in front of me is gonna cheer me up right now,” I mutter.

Shadow’s smile is clearly sympathetic.

I roll my eyes at the situation. Cowboy country?

That’s a big hells no for me.

The following morning, I step out of the green travel portal and into a distinctly western-looking portal station. Rough-hewn wood floors are marred with scuffs and dings, chips missing from the matte surface. A wall of windows opposite me shows tall, swaying golden grass as far as I can see. There’s not a single building or sign of civilization in sight.

Oh. Gods.

And it’s so quiet! Not a sign of traffic or monsters catcalling from across the street.

Gulping, I grip my rolling luggage handle and take in the rest of the room. Several rows of benches crowd the left side of the room. Minotaurs and gargoyles sit there, presumably waiting for rides. The righthand side features a ticket office and tall rows of storage lockers.

Striding across the dusty floor, I look outside. Much to my dismay, there’s no sign of downtown Pine Gulch. I’d have thought the portal station would be in town like any civilized haven…but I guess not.

I cross to the ticket counter and clear my throat. An elderly minotaur female with bright red eyes and a giant nose ring looks down at me over a pair of harshly angled spectacles. “You need a ticket?”

I shake my head and clear my throat. “No, thank you, I’ve just arrived, but I need to get to Glimmer Potions House.”

She looks down my frame, eyes landing on the ruffled pink dress I picked to travel in. I have no idea what monsters wear in the country, but ruffles seem like the vibe from all the human country music I’ve listened to. I don’t own cowboy boots, but Shadow mentioned a store where a girl can get appropriately gussied up.

“You got three options,” she states, pointing toward the exit. “Wait for Mabel the train, hitch a ride with one of the trucks outside, or rent a pickup. The guys out there’ll haul you into town if you’re not up for the wait.” She looks down my body again as if she’s dismissing my entire person, so I lift my chin.

“What’s faster, the train or getting a truck ride?”

I don’t want to mention how I don’t even have a driver’s license because I don’t need one in the city. I literally take public transportation everywhere. I’ve never even driven a car!

She curls her upper lip back. “Truck, most definitely. Mabel’s more of a sightseeing way around the Gulch. She comes through every quarter hour but sits in a time loop. It’s about an hour-long ride from here to downtown PG.”

“I…okay.” A time-traveling train? That’s…new. I definitely don’t want to delay getting to Glimmer any longer than absolutely necessary. My father’s contact is waiting for me there, and I absolutely must make a good first impression.

The minotaur cocks her head to the side. “You Lemon Denton?”