Chapter 16

When I walked through the front entrance of T.J.'s, Cassie rushed forward to greet me. "Oh, my God!" she squealed, wrapping me in a sloppy hug. "You actually made it!"

Laughing, I said, "Yeah, I took the long way, like the real long way." I pulled back to give her an epic eye-roll. "Don't ask."

Around us, the place was absolutely packed. Like most of the buildings in the small downtown area, T.J.'s wasn't huge. But from what I could see, it more than made up for it in sheer energy.

The music was loud and boisterous, classic rock, courtesy of a live band performing on a raised platform near the far wall. In front of the band, a few dozen people were crowded onto a tiny dance floor, moving in time with the music.

I looked around in amazement. It was like every square inch of the place was packed with people. They were everywhere – standing in front of the long wooden bar off to my left, occupying the few small tables directly in front of us, and crammed into half-a-dozen oversized booths, located to the right of the dance floor.

Zooming in on one booth in particular, I felt my face break into a huge, stupid grin. The booth was overflowing, not only with people, but with colorful balloons and long, yellow streamers, hanging from the dark ceiling.

I turned to Cassie. "Oh, wow. You decorated?"

She smiled. "Not just me. All of us."

I looked back to the booth and felt my eyes grow misty. I saw Dorothy the Librarian, laughing with three of my oldest friends from high school. I also spotted a few newer acquaintances, mostly people I'd met over the last few months, since I'd started working part-time at Cassie's Cookie Shop.

I was so touched, I almost didn't know what to say. The friends from high school, in particular, were a huge surprise, because none of them were living in town anymore, or at least, not usually, since they'd all gone away to college.

At one time, I'd been away at college, too, but this was no time to dwell on my interrupted education. My friends hadn't yet spotted me, and this gave me the chance to savor the surprise, watching their familiar faces as they talked and laughed with each other across the long booth.

Were they all here for me? Just to celebrate my birthday?

My smile faded as a sad realization hit home. I'd kept all of these people waiting, and not only for a few minutes. I turned back to Cassie and said, "I am so sorry I'm late. I don't know what to say."

She laughed. "Don't say anything. It's fine."

I gave her an apologetic look. "But I'm so late. Believe me, if I'd only known…"

She poked me in the ribs. "You weren't supposed to know."

"But–"

She gave me another poke. "You know, I can do this all night, right?"

Laughing now, I tried to squirm away. "But why would you?"

"Because you're supposed to be smiling, not worrying. Now, c'mon, it's your birthday." She leaned forward. "I made you a cake."

"Really?" Cassie made the best cakes. She sold them, too, at her little cookie shop. If this cake tasted anything like the last few I'd sampled, I'd be in serious danger of eating the whole thing.

She grabbed my wrist. "Now c'mon." She gave me a tug, only to pause in mid-motion. She was staring at something near the back of the bar.

I followed her gaze and spotted Joel, talking with one of the bouncers – a big, blond guy in a black T-shirt emblazoned with the bar's logo.

Cassie dropped my wrist. "Oh, crap."

"What?" I asked.

She frowned. "I sure hope Derek doesn't show."

"Why not?"

She pointed toward Joel. "You see that guy?"

Hoping for the best, I said, "The blond?"

She shook her head. "Not the bouncer. The other guy. You do see him, right?"

Oh yeah. I saw him.

Even if I didn't know him, he'd be a hard person to miss. He looked lean and muscular, with a killer body and a perfect face. I glanced around. The way it looked, Cassie and I weren't the only girls staring.

But unlike Cassie, I wasn't surprised to see him. With me running so terribly late, he'd insisted on dropping me off at the front entrance and parking the car on his own. The offer had been so sweet, I couldn't refuse, especially with everyone waiting.

Reluctantly, I said, "Yeah. What about him?"

Cassie lowered her voice. "He's the guy who beat up Derek."