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“Something like that, yeah,” Gabe said.
I stood up, paced a little while I tried to wrap my head around all this shit. Nat had been so crazy about my having sex with Em, yet there she was having fucking sex with my two best friends!
“This is all so fucked!” I finally said. I sucked in a deep breath, while I gave flying back to Sweet Whiskey some serious consideration. Not a minute later, I said, “Count me fucking in. Let’s see if we can book a private plane and get the hell out of here early tomorrow morning.”
“That’s not soon enough. I say we get the fuck out of here tonight,” Dustin said and with that, I made some phone calls to the right people.
Now that I knew the truth, there was no stopping me. My sister was a real piece of work, and she would have to be dealt with, eventually. Right now, there was something much more urgent we needed to make right.
Not even thirty minutes later, we were boarding a private flight to take us to Napa. With the two-hour time difference, and the fact that we could fly right into Napa County Airport, which was only a twenty-minute drive to Aunt Tammy’s, we could be there by midnight, a perfectly respectable time to try to win back the one woman we all cared so much about that we were willing to risk it all.
WE HAD A car and driver waiting for us at the airport, and we made it to Aunt Tammy’s compound sooner than expected, passing Emily’s dark cabin before we swung over to my aunt and uncle’s place. We’d talked everything over during the flight about the affairs they’d had with Nat until I better understood why they’d kept it from me. In the end, I think we became even closer friends than we already were.
“Nobody’s home,” Gabe said, walking back to us after knocking on Tammy’s door. Dustin and I unloaded the car. Not that we took much stuff. Each of us only carried a small gym bag filled with essentials and maybe a change of clothes.
“They must all be at the dance hall,” Dustin said.
“Of course they are,” I said. “Why we didn’t think of that is just stupid.”
“Emily’s car isn’t here. For all we know, she might’ve driven back home to LA,” Gabe offered.
“I thought she said she was going to hang around for a week or so?” I asked.
“She could’ve changed her mind,” Dustin said. “Especially after how we treated her.”
I shook my head. “No. Jimmy would’ve told me. I say we load back up and drive over to the dance hall.”
“Yeah and pray she’s there,” Gabe said.
Bill helped stack the bags in the trunk, while we piled back into the car. “I never took you for a praying man, Gabe,” I said once we were seated, and Bill took off for Dirty Coyote.
“Depends on the situation. This is one of those times when prayers are necessary,” he answered.
“Amen, brother,” Dustin agreed.
We were silent after that. Praying maybe or at least hoping Em hadn’t returned to LA. Not that we wouldn’t go and find her, but it would take a lot more time. For one thing, we had no idea where she lived. I didn’t even want to think about contacting my sister for that information.
Ten minutes later, Bill pulled up to Dirty Coyote. The place was crazy busy with a line of folks waiting to get in. I loved the neon five-foot-high Dirty Coyote sign that hung out front, like something out of old Vegas.
We’d already made arrangements for Bill to take us around until we flew back to Nashville, whenever that was, and he’d agreed. It was good to know that whatever happened tonight, he’d be waiting for us.
The doorman knew who we were and let us right in. Once inside, we headed straight for the bar. It must’ve been between sets, because Never Say Never by Cole Swindell and Lainey Wilson energized the large room with its upbeat tempo.
We found a couple of free stools at the end of the bar, nearest the stage. I took one along with Dustin. Gabe headed off to the nearest restroom.
“Good to see you again,” Joe, the bartender, said, greeting us with a wide grin and a few bar napkins.
“Hey,” I told him. “Three dark pints.”
“Sure,” he said, then lined up the glasses around the four-tap beer tower. We were sitting right behind one of four on the bar.
“Tammy or Jimmy in tonight?” Dustin asked, as Joe tipped the glass in order to keep the head to a minimum.
“Sure are, but Tammy’s not behind the bar tonight. She’s up on stage,” he said.
The music just about drowned out his words. I thought I heard something about Aunt Tammy being on the stage, but that couldn’t be true.
“What was that? Hard to hear you over the music,” I said.
