blue jean baby.

She'd dressed in her skin-tight dress that still remained relatively classy in case she sent out the wrong idea to both patrons and this blind date of hers alike. The curls in her hair had fallen slightly due to hours of running around taking orders from people. She was here, she may as well help out while she waited. It would help settle her nerves.

Cassia turned to Holly when she heard her name, walking towards her as she searched for the cousin. No one struck her with an immediate family resemblance so she picked the nearest person and extended her hand. "I'm Cassia," she smiled to the individual who stood beside Benny, only realizing a second later that he was the one who she'd been paired with during easter, and then another beat to figure out that this was in fact the cousin. "Wait, Ben— oh?!" Her gaze searched his and then Holly's faces in confusion. "I know him. Did you tell her?" She flicked her gaze to Benny, wondering if he'd been aware that she was the one he'd go on a date with.

Benny raised his eyebrows and opened his eyes as he realized that Holly wasn’t getting off, but he was...? Tilting his head, he made a face that reflected his confusion, unsure of what to make of her words until she explained exactly what she meant.

“Holls…” he sighed, a soft groan escaping his lips. Despite his initial discomfort, a spark of gratitude flickered within him for her gesture. Benny acknowledged that he had scarcely shared anything with Holly since she had so boldly encouraged him to confront his feelings for Leyla. In the grand scheme of things, it seemed only fitting that Holly, the mastermind behind his brave leap, should be the first to hear about the outcomes of her efforts. Could he truly fault her for nudging him into that blind date?

Benny tilted his head once more, his tongue brushing against his lips as he contemplated the prospect of spending the evening with someone new. He would have to have a more in-depth, updated conversation with Holly later.

Holly doesn’t have to put much effort into convincing him, but when she describes this person as both fun-loving and hot—someone who seems right up Benny's "alley"—he finds himself nodding along and ultimately giving in. After all, he hasn’t been out in ages; what could it hurt to do something different for a change?

Her name doesn't immediately alert him as Holly calls it out, but when he turns to catch a glimpse of the woman his cousin is talking about, recognition hits him like a bolt of lightning. He remembers her instantly.

With her hand outstretched toward the person beside him, Benny raises an eyebrow, a curious grin spreading across his lips as he finds himself face to face with Cassia. The moment their eyes meet, he can see the flicker of recognition light up her expression. Cassia is quick to react, nearly exclaiming in surprise as she realizes who he is.

Benny shifts his gaze playfully between Cassia and Holly, resting his elbows comfortably on the polished counter, exuding a relaxed confidence. “No,” he replies, a chuckle escaping his lips. “Would you like to tell her?” His smile is teasing, a lighthearted nod to their first encounter when she had unexpectedly used him.

Holly blinked, momentarily thrown by the flicker of recognition between the two. Her blue eyes bounced from Cassia to Benny like she was watching a tennis match, processing their shared surprise with a mixture of curiosity and delight. “Wait… wait,” she said, leaning on the bar with both palms flat against the counter. “You two already know each other?” Her brows arched in surprise, but the amused smirk on her lips only confirmed just how pleased she was with herself. She hadn’t accounted for history when she’d set them up, but it didn’t seem like bad history—and if anything, the spark she saw flicker between them now made her even more smug about her matchmaking instincts.

Although she was dying to know the backstory, Holly couldn’t help the way her heart did a little victory dance. Not only had she managed to get Benny out after months of wallowing, but she’d unknowingly set him up with someone he already had chemistry with. “Okay, well now I’m even more confident about this,” Holly stated, before turning to pour them each a shot of tequila to start the date off right. "Besides, this should help to take the edge off."

Now, a little sweat-slick and hair tousled, Sonny finds herself slouching into a plush booth near the edge of the crowd, one boot propped on the edge of a low table, her drink swaying slightly in her grasp. Her skin is even glowing under the neon lights, her eyeliner still mostly intact— which was a miracle in and of itself. Holly, of course, sits beside her, cheeks just as flushed, eyes bright from both the dancing and the liquor she's sure, while Sonny can’t stop the grin that tugs at her lips while she looks at her.

“Okay,” Sonny crests, dragging the word out lazily, her voice thick with booze and warmth, “so I’ve danced with three people whose names I’ll never remember, drank something that tasted like cherry cough syrup and regret, and I'm pretty sure that guy near the bar proposed to me? Or perhaps, he just wanted to sell me a timeshare. Either way it's unclear. Both the details surrounding it and whether or not I should've said yes. You know, just for the chaos.” She lifts her glass in a lazy, high toast. “Vegas is definitely delivering.”

After taking another sip of her drink, she turns her attention to Holly, expression shifting into something a little more focused, and a whole lot softer. The music still pulses behind them, but in this little bubble of flickering light and too-loud laughter, it feels distant in comparison.

“No but seriously,” she adds, nudging Holly gently with her elbow, “you’re gonna have to give me more than vague smiles and mysterious vet school tension. I want a full catch-up. What’s really been going on with you lately?” Her tone isn’t sharp, or prying—just curious in that way people get when they haven’t realized how much they’ve missed someone until they’re suddenly sitting right beside them again. "I want to know everything. What's that they say? About spilling the tea..."

Sonny tilts her head with a laugh, narrowing one eye as if assessing Holly through the haze of tipsiness. “Are you seeing anyone?” she presses, a bit bluntly but not pushy. “Because you know, you're far too gorgeous not to be and we'll have to rectify that situation immediately, if so. Maybe with someone here.... I can totally help you scope your options out. What happens in Vegas—” stays in Vegas.

Sonny then, reaches for a tray of half-melted ice and citrus slices and plucks out a lime from the bowl, pressing one piece to her mouth with very little flinch, as if it were a dare. Her next words, when they come, are quieter, more serious despite the grin still tugging at her lips. “I just… I don't know... I want to know where you’re at, Hols. Not the glossed-over version you feed to strangers or family members to get them off your back, who quite honestly, shouldn't be involved in your business anyway. You know... the real stuff. You don’t have to pretty it up for me—I already know life’s a mess. Just wanna know what pieces of it you’re carrying. And if I can help you shoulder any of it.” The music swells again as a new song drops, vibrating the booth beneath them, but Sonny doesn’t even glance toward the dance floor. She just looks at Holly—waiting and ready for whatever comes out of her mouth next.

Holly leaned back into the booth, exhaling a breath that carried the weight of the last few months. Her cheeks were still flushed from dancing, but her expression sobered slightly under the club’s bright lights. “My love life is a certified mess, Son.” Bringing her glass back up to her lips, Holly took a moment to prepare herself before she dove into the lore. “Long story short, I dated someone for a year while you were gone. The only thing is, I didn't tell my brothers because well.. he's a little older, and I eventually found out that he happened to be a friend of Shane's. We were in love and I just knew he'd be furious, so it was easier to hide him from any of their judgements until I felt like it was finally safe to come out and say something.”

She stared into her drink for a moment before setting it back down onto the table. “Then about a year in, he told me he was going to visit some family and would be back in a few weeks. Only, a couple days in he stopped responding to my texts and I didn't hear from him until this past winter when we bumped into each other at the cafe. I guess his ex re-emerged and tricked him into thinking he was a father... but anyway. That's another story. Everything that happened between us really fucking sucked and I finally allowed myself to forget about it long enough that I may have accidentally kissed him. Things have been kind of awkward and confusing since. But I'm just trying to focus on myself.”

She gave a half-hearted shrug before allowing her eyes to reconnect with Sonny's. Sometimes her love life sounded more like an episode of reality TV than it did actuality. “For the last few months before his return, I was sleeping with my tattoo artist and honestly.. It felt like it could go somewhere. He made me feel desired and understood, but that all came to an end not too long ago. I'll give him props that he actually said something instead of just ghosting, but it all still felt like an excuse. He said he needed to leave town, but guess who's back now and still avoiding me?” Holly’s voice cracked a little on her final words, but she quickly covered it with a crooked smirk. “So no, I’m not seeing anyone. But I am open to bad decisions. Preferably tall ones, with good arms, and nice eyes.”

Mateo's head snapped toward her, the flicker in his dark eyes sharp enough to cut though the cool breeze rolling in from the ocean. His jaw tightened; he was panicked as fuck. His tongue pressed against his cheek as he tried to play it cool, but the way his fingers drummed once, then twice, against his thigh betrayed him. "So your brothers.. they know about me?" he asked, voice low, a bit too even to be casual. His eyes searched hers, waiting, almost daring her to laugh it off. Because fuck... if Shane Parker knew — if any of them knew — then Mateo had a whole different problem on his hands, one he hadn't prepared for when he let himself get tangled up with Holly in the first place. The Saints and Vipers weren't just rival clubs; they were generations of blood, territory and grudges.. Mateo could almost feel Sonny's glare from half a town away, telling him exactly how stupid he was for getting himself in this position. And probably plotting his murder at the same time.

But it was the next confession that dug a little deeper, something hot and bitter twisting low in his gut. At least someone wanted me around the holidays. Had he really made her feel unwanted? He looked away as he dragged a hand down his face, trying to hide the flash of jealousy that probably had no business being there. Not when he was the one who ended it. Not when he was the one who had kept her at arm's length for reasons he couldn't even give her. "So, the ex, huh?" His thumb fumbled with the ring he wore out of habit, dropping his gaze to his hands as he dared to ask the next question. "He back for good? Or was it just.. a one-off?" His gaze lifted back to hers, trying to act completely nonchalant, and prolbably failing.

Holly tilted her head, a slow, knowing smile spreading across her lips as she spoke. “Relax, Romeo. I don’t exactly sit my brothers down to walk them through my sex life.” She raised a brow at him, the corner of her mouth twitching. “But I’m also not a ninja. You think Wes didn’t notice me stumbling in at sunrise in my clothes from the night before? Please. I’m pretty sure Shane assumed I was hooking up with a bartender or something. They don’t know it was you.”

At the mention of Nate, she allowed Mateo to sit in his jealousy for a moment, pretending not to notice the way he fidgeted with the ring on his finger. He was the last person who should have cared what went on in her love life, and yet Holly couldn't have been more satisfied by the result. “As for the ex...” She shrugged, her tone casual though laced with enough suggestion to twist the knife a bit deeper. “I'm pretty sure he's back for good. We’ve been... reconnecting.” Holly let her eyes linger on Mateo’s face, watching for the reaction he didn’t want to give her. “It’s probably nothing serious. But he definitely knows how to keep a girl on her toes.”

Reaching out again, Lia gently took Holly's hand in her own and squeezed. As much as she didn't like Nate, she never wanted Holly to go through something like this, whether they got back together or not. "Babe, the thing is, you can't really of getting back to where you left off. Before he left, he was a guy that wouldn't hurt you, a guy you trusted and that's gone. So maybe starting over is the best way forward. Maybe it's as friends, maybe it's as more or maybe it's as less." She paused, squeezing her hand again. "Closing this chapter doesn't mean they'll never be another one, but it just means this specific chapter with him is done."

It was easier for Lia to have had a clean break with her ex. Once she was filmed screaming at him on the side of the road and had destroyed some of his shit back at the house, it was done. She'd had instant closure, her feelings had been terminated. But it was the opposite it seemed for Holly. "I think you need to focus on what's best for you and let duck boy worry about himself. You are your responsibility, not him. Because there is always the right option for you and it doesn't matter if that doesn't match what's right for him." Reaching for her phone with her free hand, Lia quickly sent off the text to Mari before tossing her phone onto the couch between them. "You know we're in, we should go somewhere, take a little girl's trip. I'm not saying that going to The Bahamas is a good idea, but I'm also.. not not saying it."

Holly erupted with laughter, shaking her head of red hair as the woman laced her fingers through Lia’s to give her hand a squeeze. “God, you’re the worst and the best at the same time,” she muttered, half-laughing, half-sighing. Her eyes glistened for a moment, but Holly blinked the emotion away before it could settle into her features. “You’re right. He isn't the same guy I'm dealing with now, and maybe starting over is the only real option.” Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling, clearly lost in thought as she began to weigh her options. “I just hate that it’s not simple. That it still hurts. That he still matters.”

At the mention of a girls’ trip, Holly sank back into the couch cushions with a dramatic sigh. “God, yes. Let’s go somewhere with palm trees, drinks that come in coconuts, and absolutely zero men. I want to drink tequila until I forget how cute his stupid smile is.” She turned her head to glance over at her best friend, a crooked smile tugging at the woman's lips. “And you’re right. He can worry about himself. For once, I’m going to pick me and go at my own pace. Whatever that happens to look like. Now tell me, what's going on with Emil?”

"I think you know, if Mari ever... needed anything. I'll always be there. I want to be able to assure you, in the future... it'd be the same for you." The list of people he gave a damn about wasn't long, but once you were on it there was no off ramp. Things with Mari were tinted with a bit of heartbreak he didn't like to think about, but at the end of the day he'd still always care about her.

Holly’s expression softened at the mention of Mari. For all her sass and sarcasm, the woman had always been fiercely loyal to her friends. The trio had been thick as thieves since they were teenagers and when the breakup happened, Holly remembered feeling protective. Bracing for a fallout that never came. “I always considered you a friend, Civan,” she answered honestly, allowing her fingers to smooth over the table cloth. “Mari told us you were good to her and that it just… didn’t work out. That was enough for me. Lia too. We've all been through some lousy exes, so if we had a reason to hate you, we'd know it.”

This time, when her eyes met his, there was a hint of something more playful glimmering in the depths of her baby blues. “I mean, yeah, if she’d told us you were a dick, we probably would’ve set your car on fire,” she added dryly, a smirk tugging at her lips. “But she didn’t. And truthfully? I’ve never had a reason to think less of you. I appreciate you looking out for us, and for her. And I hope you know I've always had your back. It's the only reason I expected you to have mine, but now I know that my loyalty wasn't as obvious as I thought it was."

A plan b was always something Cassia had, and hadn't shaken, even though her entire world felt upside down and she'd gotten more impulsive than she'd ever been. "This is like your home and I'm sure that your brother would welcome you back with open arms." She wanted to ask if there was an option for her to work at her farm but didn't know what her home life was like so she withheld. She couldn't imagine that Holly hadn't considered that. "I would still be here, no matter how depressing that is for me— but of course I would be. I love it here." But she also wasn't desperate enough to use that plan b of hers right now.

"Well, I kind of always wanted to have the white picket fence life. My parents were happily married for many years and I just wanted that more than anything. I was about to get married, going to school to become a counsellor— and then it all fell apart." It all crumbled in a singular moment, with a crash, and a loss so deep that she felt the fracture in her psyche.

Holly listened, the playful sparkle in her eyes softening into something warmer and more attentive. She leaned one elbow against the bar, the weight of her friend's words settling in. The American dream wasn't unfamiliar to her. After all, she’d grown up watching Shane chase stability and Wes pretend he didn’t want it. But hearing Cassia speak about her ideals with such quiet vulnerability made the concept hit a little differently. While she was trying to replicate her parents' fairytale ending, her brother craved that kind of lifestyle for different reasons. Probably, most importantly, to provide the kind of stable home environment for Elijah that he had never had.

Holly let the silence sit for a beat before continuing, a small smile lingering upon her lips. “It makes sense. You’ve got this calm, grounded energy about you. I bet you would’ve made a damn good counsellor. Though I don't think it's too late to live the life you've always wanted. What is it that's holding you back?” Holly’s gaze flicked up to meet Cassia’s, her blue eyes full of sincerity rather than her usual sass or sarcasm. When it came down to details, the woman didn't want to pry, but she wouldn't let the moment pass without recognition either. Cassia had finally shared a piece of her past, and Holly wasn’t going to take that for granted.

location— the bellagio, las vegas

The lights in Vegas never sleep. They flicker like they’re still trying to convince everyone they’re alive—brighter than the truth, louder than the past. Sonny stares out at it all from the balcony of their shared hotel room, a drink sweating in her hand, the city stretching below like a neon sprawl of bad decisions and second chances. She doesn’t look back over her shoulder when she hears the sliding glass door creak open, but her voice comes out low and calm, like she’s been waiting for this moment all day.

“You know…” she starts, her gaze still fixed on the Strip, “when I came here for the first time, I just turned twenty-one, I was reckless, pissed off at the world, and convinced I could bluff my way into a better life.” A soft huff leaves her lips, almost like a laugh. “Spoiler alert: I couldn’t.” She turns then, eyes falling on Holly in the doorway—looking smaller than she remembers, or maybe just younger, in a way Sonny can’t quite name. Familiar. But, painfully so.

“You’re not that kid anymore, are you? You've grown up so much.” she says quietly, almost like she needs to remind herself they've both changed. “But I’m not the same person I used to be, either.”

The words hang there, suspended between them like a truth she’s scared to admit out loud. “I know I don’t get to just show up with two plane tickets and pretend like this is easy. Or that a hotel suite and overpriced minibar can fix what got broken back in Briar Ridge.” Her voice tightens just then, something raw flickering behind her expression. “But I just wanted to give you at least one weekend to let loose for a bit. I may not know what's been going on in your life lately but, I can sense you may need it. We both do.”

She steps forward, slow and careful—like the ground might give out if she moves too fast. When she reaches Holly, she stops just short of touching her, gaze open but unsure. “I've missed you, you know” she says simply. No defenses. No sharp edges. Just the raw truth. "Talking to you. Roping you into trouble, and then trying not to be discovered and scolded for my efforts."

With a small, half-lopsided smile—more fragile than her usual brand—Sonny adds mischievously, “So. You wanna go drink something with a sparkler in it and pretend we’re not haunted by the past? Or do we start with room service and let the city wait just a little bit longer before we take it over? I'm game for whatever you are.” The offer is light. The subtext isn't. She's here. She's stayed. And she wants to try. Even if neither of them knows what the hell that even means yet.

Holly stepped out onto the balcony, the bright twinkling lights serving as a reminder of exactly where they were — far, far from the weight of Briar Ridge. She leaned against the railing beside Sonny, her gaze sweeping over the chaos of the Vegas Strip. It was beautiful in that garish, over-the-top way that only Vegas could be. Like the city itself was daring you to forget your problems, if only for a little while. And God, she needed that. Between the fight with Shane, confusion over Nate, and her own fears about finally stepping out into the world as a veterinarian, life had been feeling a little heavier than usual.

When Sonny spoke, Holly’s chest tightened, a knot forming at the realization of just how much had changed. This trip was impulsive — a mess of last-minute packing and caffeine-fuelled adrenaline — but maybe that was exactly why it felt right. Because Holly wasn’t the same girl Sonny had left behind, but she also wasn’t sure who she was now, either. Change had been coming in waves, knocking her around until she was dizzy, and it felt good, in a terrifying way, to have Sonny here to anchor her for a second. Someone who saw the mess without flinching. Someone who knew how to stay afloat amidst the chaos.

“You know I didn’t come to Vegas to sit around in a hotel room,” the woman teased lightly, allowing her grin to widen. “We’re going out. Let's see if we can’t find a little bit of that trouble we’re so good at getting ourselves into." She nudged Sonny gently with her shoulder, letting the brunette know she was serious. “I've missed you too. Now, let’s go, trouble. Vegas doesn’t know what’s about to hit it.”

@hollyparkcr & @cassiagallo

Cousin time. Benny realized it had been a while since he and Holly had spent time alone together. Although they frequently crossed paths at the ranch or during family gatherings, they rarely hung out just the two of them. Benny usually found himself smoking with one or two of the Parkers around a fire or focusing on whatever was happening at the grill during family parties. He struggled to remember the last time they had a meaningful conversation and eventually recalled that it was on New Year’s Eve.

He felt a slight churn in his stomach, knowing she would likely ask about the details following his message saying he didn't want to discuss whether things with Leyla had worked out. Fortunately, it was becoming easier to talk about it since he had just shared some details with Leyla's sister, which Benny now wondered was the best choice.

Nonetheless, he pushed those thoughts aside as he searched for his smaller, red-headed cousin among the busy crowd at The Rusty Spur. Despite the late hour, the place was packed, and Benny began to wonder if Holly simply wanted company while she finished closing a few tables, despite telling him she'd be off by now. Spotting her, he nodded when their eyes met and walked up to the bar, resting his hands on the counter. “Are you sure you can get off? It’s crazy busy,” he said, gesturing at the crowd.

Holly barely had a second to catch her breath between orders, hair pulled into a messy bun with a few red curls still fighting their way loose around her face. When Benny’s voice cut through the clatter, a grin practically lit up her features upon realizing that her plan to get him there had been successful. “Benny!” she shouted over the music, wiping her hands off on a bar towel before leaning across the counter so that she could hear him.

“Listen, I’m not getting off,” she corrected him, amusement dancing in her blue eyes. “But you might be.” The redhead released a mischievous giggle as she watched him process her words. Little had he known the plan had been decided days ago and she wasn't the only one in on it. “I think you could use a night to remember who you are. Something to help you forget Leyla and remind you that you've still got it.”

She gave his arm a squeeze, soft but encouraging, before straightening up again as another order was yelled down the bar. “So,” Holly continued, a sly grin tugging at her lips as she began to fix the patron's drink, “I have a friend who’s going to join you. Humour me, yeah? She's hot and fun, and definitely your type.” Turning her head, she called out to the brunette who was just wrapping up her shift for the evening, “Cassia! Come meet my cousin, Benny.”

Reaching over, Lia gently squeeze Holly's wrist as she spoke. Lia's break up had been full of anger and betrayal, but something strong enough that it had severed Lia's feelings quicker than she had realised. Holly's had been slower and more drawn out, to Lia it seemed that way anyway, and so much of it seemed to be unresolved. "Not that I would ever encourage you to allow him to breathe the same air as you again, but have you thought about talking to him? Maybe you need both need to figure out what's there and what's going on, so then you can move on?"

Squeezing her wrist again, Lia's head tilted a little to the side. "Girl, you've got everything and more. Any person in this world would be lucky for you to even look in their direction. But if you need a crazy night out, we'll get our LBDs and cowgirl boots, we'll phone Mari and we'll go somewhere and get crazy. Whatever you need, because you've got it in spades and I need you to know that."

Holly’s jaw dropped in mock horror, her hand flying up to her chest in dramatic outrage. “Excuse me. I would be an amazing sister wife! You’d never go hungry, I’d let you pick all of our Netflix shows... God, Lia, I’m heartbroken.” She chuckled, flashing her best friend a crooked smile.

But as the other woman's words sank in, the spark of humour faded from Holly’s eyes, leaving something a lot more raw and vulnerable in its place. The redhead sighed, shoulders slumping as her gaze fell to the floorboards. “I don’t know... I should. But the idea of talking to him scares the shit out of me. What if I screw everything up? I don't want to lead him on, but I also don't want to blow my chances if we are capable of getting back to where we left off. It feels almost like starting over. I'm not sure I could just jump back into things and I don’t even know if I should do that.”

She chewed her lip for a second, pondering all of the questions that had been gnawing at her mind since his return. “I want to do what’s best for both of us. But I feel like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't." This time when she met Lia's gaze, a faint smile was tugging at the woman's lips. “But I do love the sound of a girls night. If I’m going to have a meltdown about my love life, I’d rather do it with tequila and the two of you by my side.”

Holly let out a laugh of disbelief, her blue eyes crinkling at the corners as the redhead leaned back into her seat. “Wait, wait—it took Sel telling you it wasn’t a compliment to realize that?!” she teased, raising a brow at him with playful exasperation. “Civan, come on. I don’t care if you dress like you own a yacht half the time, even you should’ve known that.” Her grin softened the bite of her words, clearly more amused than upset.

The woman nudged her water glass aside, resting her chin on her hand as she studied her friend a little more closely. “But for what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here. It means something, you showing up, even if you had to recruit Selin to give you a pep talk first.” The honesty of it was quiet but genuine, and it showed in the way her shoulders finally eased, tension beginning to melt away.

Mateo didn't answer her right away. He just sat there, silent, cigarette burning low between his fingers, gaze still on her even after she'd moved away from him — like the heat of her hadn't left his lap, like the ghost of her voice and the weight of those words still hung in his ear. She knew exactly how to twist the knife, and smile whilst doing so. Damn, if there wasn't a definition in the dictionary for temptation...

Mateo leaned forward to tap the ash off the end of his smoke, elbow resting on his knee, but his eyes never left her. "Don't you have three older brothers I should be worried about?" he asked finally, a little too casual. "Or are we pretending that wouldn't land me in a shallow grave just outside the property line?" But even as he said it, he knew he wasn't scared of that, not really. No, he was terrified of the shadow of Sonny that lived just behind his shoulder, and the impending murder that would take place if she found them together.

He leaned back now, exhaling slow through his nose as he puts the cigarette out in the ash tray beside him. "I'm not seeing anyone." Well, not dating anyway. He didn't know why he was correcting her, given he kind of needed any excuse right now to put her off him, especially since he couldn't tell her the real reason he backed off. "You know I don't have time for that." Leaning his head back against the chair, he peered out at the ocean sunset before them with appreciation before flicking a glance her way, curious and daring enough to ask what was on his mind. "How about you?"

Holly folded her arms across her chest as she leaned back against the railing, the wind flowing through her loose copper waves. “My brothers?” she echoed, arching a brow as the woman turned her head back toward him. “Please. If they haven’t buried you by now, I think you’re safe.” Her tone was dry, but her lips twitched faintly, betraying her with a hint of a smirk. She caught the subtle shift in Mateo's expression—how his words didn’t quite match his body language—and it only deepened the questions circling around in her head. It wasn’t fear of Shane, Wes, or even Travis that had Mateo looking over his shoulder. Holly wasn’t sure what it was, but she knew enough to recognize when somebody was dodging the truth.

When he asked if she was seeing anyone, Holly paused, letting the silence linger just long enough to let make him wonder. “Define seeing,” she finally replied, tapping her fingers against the wooden rail like she was debating on just how much to give away. “I made the messy decision to kiss my ex a few months ago, but that’s about it.” She let her words hang for a moment, just long enough to twist the knife a little. “But hey, at least someone wanted me around the holidays.” She didn’t look at him when she said it. Didn’t dare. Because teasing was easy, but letting herself mean it would be something else entirely.

The truth, of course, was buried deeper than she’d let him see. Mateo had been more than just a distraction, even if neither of them had said it out loud. Somewhere between the late-night texts and quiet mornings after, Holly had started to care. And when he’d ended it—abrupt and vague, without giving her anything real to hold onto—she’d buried those feelings right alongside her pride. What she could respect, however, was the fact that he'd been man enough to tell her instead of ghosting.

"It's normal that you're freaking out, it's a big change. It's also an exciting one. The worst that can happen is that it all goes to hell and you're back here— so that's plan b. Not a great option but at least you don't hate it here and your fine ass will always be welcomed back." Not because her brother owned the place but because she was genuinely loved by their patrons.

But in the end, she knew that wouldn't happen and she had an inkling that Holly did as well. She'd worked hard to get to this point and despite it being scary, she truly hoped the redhead would also find the excitement within the transition. "I kind of lived my dream for a little bit but it came and went." More like she'd ran away from it as hard and fast as she could. "But maybe one day I'll go back." School, marriage, a loving relationship.

Holly laughed in response to her friend's continued flirtation, giving an exaggerated toss of her hair like she was about to lean fully into the bit. “God, imagine the rumours. One kiss in front of a rowdy crowd and suddenly we’re the town’s hottest power couple. Might be worth it just to watch the regulars fall over themselves trying to catch a glimpse.” She grinned at Cassia, clearly amused by the idea, though there was a flicker of something softer in her eyes—something that hinted at how much she’d come to enjoy the other woman’s presence in her life.

Her smile dimmed slightly as Cassia spoke again, but it didn’t disappear. “You know, for a backup plan, that actually sounds kind of comforting,” the redhead admitted. “It’s not that I think I’m going to fail, but… I guess it’s nice knowing this place would still be here. That you would still be here.” She wasn’t sure she could have said that about many people in her life, especially with how much everything had changed over the last few years. The Rusty Spur had been a constant. And so had her little work family.

At the mention of dreams lost, Holly tilted her head, curiosity piqued. “You kind of lived it?” she echoed, voice gentle now. “Tell me more!” There was no push, no pressure, just genuine interest. She knew what it felt like to bury a dream for survival’s sake, to tuck it away and tell yourself it didn’t matter anymore. If Cassia wanted to share, Holly would be there to listen. If not, well… she’d be there anyway.