AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m sure I will, but please tell me you didn’t hire anyone to work that pole.”
“On the other hand, I’m back here praying she did,” Sally called from the seat closest to the bar.
“Amen!” Ryan cheered, the only man invited to their night of fun who wasn’t a groomsman. Even though he wasn’t an official member of the bridal party, he’d been a huge help with planning the wedding.
“That’s because you two are as painfully single as everyone else here except for Merry and Noel,” Tara piped in, wrapping her hand around the pole and twirling around. “Whew, this is going to be fun later.”
Noel and Delilah sat on the bench across from Sally and Ryan, and Merry and Holly went to join them.
“Why did you rent this big old bus for just us?” Merry asked.
“You never know who we’re going to meet on our travels.”
Merry groaned. “I do not like the sound of that.”
“Speak for yourself, Mer,” Tara said, dropping down next to Merry. “Are they hot? Half-naked? Sweaty?”
“Ew, why would you want sweaty?” Merry shivered.
“Depends on what he was doing to get that way and how he smelled,” Holly said.
“Mmm, sweaty Sam,” Sally quipped. “I wouldn’t kick that man out of my bed for eating crackers.”
“Pretty sure Sam has a thing for Holly,” Tara said loudly and Holly glared at her. “I’m just saying I’ve seen you guys together. He’s always hugging on you and seeking you out.”
Holly watched Sally’s smile dim and wanted to kick Tara for being a loudmouth gossip.
“I’ve heard from more than one person that they have a secret relationship they don’t want anyone to know about,” Ryan offered, shooting her a sly smile. “Of course, if I had a hunk of extreme sexiness like that on my arm, I’d shout it to the mountaintops.”
“Sam is a flirt. We are not secretly dating and he does not have a thing for me.”
And even if he did, my interests are engaged elsewhere.
Declan had brought some of his supplies home yesterday, and she’d found him in her empty dining room with a large plastic sheet on the floor, finishing a beautiful scene of her backyard covered in snow and a few birds hopping around on the ground. It was pure talent, and she told him so, although he brushed her praise aside. That seemed to be Declan’s way: Anytime she said anything kind, he’d change the subject. He liked to hide what a good guy he was and Holly had no idea why.
“I threatened Sam with bodily harm if he tries anything with Holly,” Merry said.
Tara patted Merry’s shoulder. “I don’t think that would scare a man like Sam away, pumpkin.”
A woman in a white t-shirt and black vest climbed onto the bus and headed straight back to the bar area, while a man in his fifties followed her wearing a silky black top and sporting a thick mustache. He stood in the center of the bus and in a great booming voice said, “Good evening, folks! Are you ready to have a good time?” They all whooped and hollered until he waved his hands to quiet down. “Excellent. I am Nathaniel, and that beautiful lady ready to make you something tasty to drink is my partner in crime, Mona. Unless you are procuring a beverage, please stay seated at all times while the bus is in motion, and if you must vomit, yank any of the orange cords and it will alert me to pull over. Emergency protocols are get the heck off either there, there, or back there. And away we go!”
“This is cool. I wonder what Sam planned for Clark and the guys,” Merry mused.
“Do you really want to know?” Holly asked, shooting Sam a text.
“I don’t need to know,” Merry said. “I’m not worried about Clark. I just want everyone to have a good time.”
“I’m going to grab us some drinks,” Tara said, hopping to her feet right as the bus took off, and she ended up in Holly’s lap. “Whoops.”
“Steady on your feet now, Missy,” Nathaniel called, looking in the rear view.
Tara pushed off and held onto the seat as she made her way to the bar, while Holly watched the streetlights zoom past.
Merry elbowed her in the side. “How are things going with Declan? Having fun playing house?”
“We aren’t playing house. He needed a better place to stay than a cot in the back of the hardware store while he figures out what he wants to do next.”
“But I thought you guys were having fun,” Merry teased.
