Summer Nights (Fool's Gold #8)

FOUR HOURS LATER, ANNABELLE was feeling the champagne. It was a sneaky liquid, all bubbly and friendly. Going down so easily. Then it snuck up and bit you in the butt. Or in her case, the head. Because everything was just a little spinny.

It was her own fault. Because of all the work there’d been getting everything ready for the wedding, she hadn’t eaten and her trip to the buffet had come after the champagne. So the single glass she’d consumed had hit her hard. Good thing arrangements had already been made for rides back to town for the partygoers. May and Glen had rented the school buses. So driving wasn’t an issue, but she had a feeling she might be in for a rocky morning.

“A problem for another time,” she murmured, making her way back from the restroom. She walked, or maybe swayed, her way around the dance floor, searching for Shane. Clay stopped her instead.

“You’re drunk,” he said with a grin.

“Not drunk. You can’t say drunk,” she informed him. “Buzzed is a much better word. Seriously, I’ve had one glass, so how bad could it be?”

“You’re a pretty cheap date.”

She stared at him, trying to figure out what made him so attractive. A quirk of genetics. Appearance was all about math. She knew that. Symmetry and spacing. And…something else she couldn’t remember right now.

“You’re very handsome,” she told Clay. “I mean that in an objective way. I’m not the least bit interested in sleeping with you. Because the sex with Shane is amazing. Seriously.” She hiccupped slightly, then covered her mouth and leaned against him. “Sorry.”

Clay’s mouth twitched as he put his arms around her and held her upright. “You have it bad.”

She wasn’t sure if he meant the liquor or the man and decided it didn’t matter. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not so sure. Are you going to remember this conversation?”

“Of course. Probably. I’m not sure. Is it important?”

He laughed, moving his arm to her waist to keep her from swaying. “If you forget, I’ll tell you again. I talked to Mayor Marsha earlier. She mentioned the festival and dance you’re doing to raise money for the bookmobile. She said you’re still looking for a male sacrifice. I’ll do it if you want.”

It took Annabelle a second to process his words, then her eyes widened. “Really? You have to wear a loincloth and get your heart cut out. Not really. The heart bit. It’s pretend.”

“Sure. I’ve worn less than a loincloth.”

“You’ve been naked,” Annabelle said in a whisper. “I’ve seen your butt in the movies. It’s nice.”

“Thank you.”

She held up her hands, wanting to be clear. “I’m still not interested. You know, in you.”

“I got that. Because you’re into Shane.”

She nodded and motioned for him to come closer. “I’m still in love with him. I don’t think that’s ever going to change. He doesn’t know yet.”

Clay surprised her by hugging her. “I’m glad,” he said in a low voice, when he released her. “He deserves someone like you.”

“I think so, too.”

He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her. “Shane is watching us. He’s that way.”

“Okay. Thanks.”

She started walking. The music seemed really loud and suddenly her stomach wasn’t as happy as it had been. Her champagne buzz became a little more of a headache.

This couldn’t be good, she thought, wondering if her happy time was about to catch up with her. She turned, thinking maybe she should head to the house and lie down for a few minutes, then spun back, deciding she would find Shane first. As she moved, she ran into Nevada.

“Sorry,” she said quickly. “I wasn’t looking.”

Nevada laughed. “No, it’s me. I’m not paying attention.” Nevada squeezed her hand, practically beaming. “Wasn’t the wedding wonderful? Isn’t everything perfect?”

Annabelle studied her friend. “Are you okay? You seem, um, different tonight.” Because saying “too happy” was a little too blunt. While Nevada was a lot of fun, she was rarely giddy. “Or are you enjoying the champagne as much as I am?”

Nevada drew in a breath, then sighed. “It’s not champagne,” she admitted. “I haven’t had any.” She glanced around, then lowered her voice. “Tucker and I just found out I’m pregnant. It’s totally unexpected. We’ve been using protection. But we’re newlyweds and we’ve been busy, so I guess we beat the odds. The plan was to wait for a couple of years, but here we are.”

She smiled widely. “I’m so happy.”

“Congratulations,” Annabelle told her. “That’s great news. Is it still a secret?”

“Yes. We’re not telling everyone until next week. We just found out yesterday and we didn’t want to take away from Heidi and Rafe’s wedding.” Nevada hugged her. “I’m so lucky. First Tucker and now a baby.” She laughed and then released Annabelle. “I need to get back to my sisters. Let’s have lunch next week.”