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enjoying yourself.” He stepped up onto the roll bar, leaning into her window and kissing her softly on the cheek. Fuck, there go my panties.
    Giggles floated from the back of the truck as she put it in reverse and pulled out toward the mud hole. She could see the large murky pit expanding out for a few hundred yards and, especially with today’s rain, she wasn’t sure how deep it was. Through her windows she could smell the muggy night air mixed with the scent of the red clay and black mud.
    “Ok girls, is it deep?” Ani asked “tell me truthfully”. She could feel the moonshine beginning to warm her stomach, giving her just enough courage to not care either way.
    “Nah, it’s not that bad,” Shelby chimed from the passenger seat.
    “Everyone buckled?” Ani looked in the rear view mirror.
    “Aye, aye, Captain!” Linsey gave a thumbs up from the back seat.
    “Hold on to your asses then,” Ani said, stomping down on the gas pedal and launching the SUV directly into the large puddle of mud. She could just make out the hoots and hollers of those watching from the bonfire as the engine roared to life. Shrills and squeals came from the back seat as mud slung out in every direction. Some making it into the windows of the truck, sprinkling down on them all and splattering across their faces and shirts.
    “Hell yeah!” Shelby yelled from the passenger seat.
    As Ani made it through the mud hole and to the other side, she pressed the gas once more, slinging the truck completely around in the other direction. They took off one more time through the mud and pulled back up to the campfire. Laughter erupted from the truck as the girls all jumped out. Ani was beaming as she hopped out and brushed the dirt from her shirt. She grabbed her beer off the hood of the next truck over as Cash came up and ran his hands along her arms.
    “You still got it,” he said as he smiled down at her.
    “I know,” she answered playfully. Before she could realize what she was doing, her arms were wrapping up around his neck. Quickly she pulled them back down and turned to walk back to the fire.
    “Ani?” She could hear Cash’s voice calling out for her, but she needed to walk away from it. Not ready for this. However, she paused a few feet from where he stood behind her. No, I am ready for this. But her heart thumped loudly and reminded her that even though she might not remember the pain that she felt years ago when she and Cash had split up, it did. 
    “Where’d that moonshine go?” Ani asked as she came back up to Trisha and Shelby.
    “Right here, little lady,” Shelby smiled, holding it up.
    Ani took the jar and another large swig from it. Over the next two hours she drank, drank more, and drank some more after that; avoiding Cash at all costs. She knew she couldn’t go there, she knew that even if she got close to him she would cave. They’d had an amazing relationship when they were younger. He had been more than her boyfriend, but one of her best friends too, which had made their break-up that much harder. She felt betrayed by the way he had handled the whole conversation that afternoon in his truck. He’d always taken up for her and supported her decisions before. So she’d never been able to wrap her head around why he hadn’t supported her decision to go to school outside of Tennessee.
    Before long, Mr. Baxley’s son was out with the tractor and each of the guys were now taking turns trying to get their trucks stuck. She sat and stared into the fire from the back of her truck. Her head was fuzzy and she was tired of caring. Tired of holding back. Over the past few days Ani had felt more emotion, more confusion, than she had ever felt in her entire life. There was a reason why fate had brought her back home, and maybe it was to reignite the fire that obviously still burnt between Cash and herself. Fuck, why was this so bewildering?
    This was her night to have fun and she’d be damned if she was going to sit here