Montana slid next to Dakota and tilted her head. “She said you were drinking.”

Nevada waved her empty glass toward Jo. “Maybe a quesadilla, too,” she called.

“I thought you didn’t want to eat.”

“I changed my mind.”

“Good.” Jo walked toward her and grabbed the empty glass, then took orders from Dakota and Montana. “If only you were smart enough to stop while you could still avoid a hangover.”

“Sorry, not happening.” Nevada waited until Jo had left, then looked at her sisters. “You two got here faster than I expected.”

“It’s this new invention called a phone,” Montana told her. “It speeds up communication.”

Dakota placed both her hands on the table. “What’s going on? This isn’t like you. You don’t drink in the middle of the day.”

“Technically, it’s past the middle.” Nevada squinted. Ah, there it was. The faintest of buzzes moving through the back of her brain.

“Fine. Normally you would be at the office, but instead…” Dakota sighed. “Your interview. That was today.”

“Uh-huh.” She glanced toward the bar, wishing Jo would hurry.

“It had to have gone well,” Montana said, loyal as always. “Didn’t Mr. Janack realize how qualified you are? He needs someone with your experience to deal with the local factor. Plus, you look really nice.”

Nevada inhaled the scent of grilling tortillas and cheese. Her stomach growled. She hadn’t eaten lunch — nerves about her interview had caused her to work instead.

“What happened?” Dakota asked, apparently less interested in Nevada’s appearance than her sister was. “Why do you think the interview didn’t go well?”

“What makes you think I believe that?” Nevada asked, the buzz getting stronger by the second. Even so, when Jo brought the second drink, she took a big gulp.

“The drinking was my first clue.”

Having a trained psychologist as a sister was a double-edged sword, Nevada thought. “I don’t want to talk about it. If I did, I would have come to see you both. But I didn’t. I’m here, getting drunk. Leave me alone.”



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