Too loud. Wyatt’s facing the inside of the house, but his entire body stiffens.
Elbowing her in the side to shut her up, I glare. “We’re just friends,” I respond, ensuring Wyatt also hears that.
He remains tense when my eyes flick back to him, but he unfreezes, disappearing through the newly fixed door. It doesn’t feel good to have to keep pointing it out, especially knowing it’s not what he wants, even if he’s been completely respectful of the line I’ve drawn.
“Right. That’s what it is,” Savanna says, mimicking Nate.Which makes me believe that there truly was something that passed between them that I didn’t understand. “Newsflash, friends don’t look at friends like he looks at you. But that’s all I’m saying.”
“Forever?”
“You wish. For today,” she laughs, tugging me towards the fixed door.
We both stop before reaching it because it opens a second later, and Wyatt walks out with a tray of lemonade and cookies.
Nate, cleaning up the tools they were using, grins. “Are those Ruby’s homemade chocolate chip?”
“Couldn’t have you over without pulling some out of the freezer, now, could I?” Gran asks, following Wyatt out of the house with glasses. “Everyone to the back deck for a little break.”
“Before you put us back to work?” Nate laughs, taking the tray from her hands.
“Well, if I don’t keep him busy,” Gran answers nonchalantly, pointing at Wyatt ahead of her, “Bryn might fire him, so yes, before I put you back to work.”
Rolling my eyes, I shake my head. “You hired him, I can’t fire him.”
“Don’t pretend he wouldn’t stop showing up if you told him to stay away,” Gran counters.
I can’t disagree with her, and everyone knows it.
Gran takes the only chair of the cornflower-blue cushioned wicker patio furniture, leaving a larger couch and a loveseat for the remainder of us. Savanna, realizing Gran’s plan and eager to assist, pushes her way past Nate to take the couch before he can plant himself on the loveseat. He stares at her for a long moment, then joins her, taking the middle seat.
Wyatt sets down the tray of drinks and treats on the table between us all, and then folds himself into the two-seater, leavingme with a choice. I can sit beside Nate, or I can sit beside Wyatt. Getting to the seat beside Nate, however, requires me to either climb over Gran, Savanna, and Nate or crawl over Wyatt’s legs. Which means the easiest thing for me is to sit beside the man I try not to think about day in and day out.
Ten out of ten, I am unsuccessful at it. Especially late at night, long after he’s gone home and I’m lying in bed remembering him from throughout the day.
Steeling my nerves, I drop down beside Wyatt. The heat of the day has hit, but it’s not unpleasant for a mid-August afternoon. Or it wasn’t until I found myself next to a raging inferno. It seems to pour off Wyatt in waves as the sides of our bodies touch, with his bulk taking up so much room on the little loveseat.
Reaching over, I grab a glass and start to pour lemonade for everyone in an effort not to spontaneously combust, handing one to Nate first, who hands it to Savanna.
“So, Savanna, dear,” Gran starts, reaching for the plate of cookies and offering it to her. “I was talking to Mildred the other day, and she reminded me that the auction is coming up quickly. How are things going?”
I freeze, mid-pour of the second glass, my eyes trailing upwards to stare at the woman directly across the table from me. It’s just conversation. It’s not Gran about to meddle or Savanna about to help her. It’s not.
“Oh, wonderful!” Savanna gushes, sitting forward in her seat. “We’ve had so much interest this year. Some new faces have decided to join too. I think it’s going to be the best yet.”
My stomach plummets. New faces? Is Wyatt one of those faces? Despite the auction taking place at 10-42, I haven’t been involved in much of the planning this time.
“Auction? Savanna, you mentioned something about it whenBrody and I were at the bar after…” Wyatt trails off, taking the plate of cookies Nate passes him as I hand the now-filled second glass to the latter.
“Couple years ago, Savanna started a firefighter auction at 10-42,” Nate explains, taking a sip of his lemonade. “We use the funds to help local businesses in need.”
Wyatt lets out a chuckle. “A firefighter auction? Like, you get up on stage or something and get bid on, or what?”
“That’s generally how an auction works,” Gran quips.
Wyatt’s eyes bounce around between the three of them, then he looks at me. “They’re serious?”
Out of nowhere there’s a flutter in my stomach. Out of all of them, he trusts me to give him the honest truth.
I nod, handing him his glass of lemonade. “Yep. There’s even some stripping involved. I’ve seen more of some firefighters than I care to think about.”
