The flames ignite her marshmallows, and she squeals as she pulls them out of the fire. Unfortunately, she’s not fast enough, and the flames devour them. “Oh no!”
I hand her my stick, then take hers and gently blow out the flames, revealing two well-done marshmallows. Laughing, I nod toward my stick. “Here. Perfectly golden.”
“You eat yours,” she insists, offering it back to me.
“Nah, I don’t mind my mallows well done.”
Anastasia eyes me. “Yes, you do.”
In lieu of a response, I press a graham cracker on either side of the marshmallows and slide them off the stick. Then, I set the stick aside and take the top off just long enough to add some caramel nibs. “See? Perfect.”
“You don’t have to do that, Sawyer.”
“I know. But I want to.” I take a bite so she can’t argue anymore. The marshmallows are definitely more well done than I would care for, but to me—it’s perfect. Because she’s sitting right here.
Laughing, she makes a s’more, chocolate and graham crackers pressed against the golden marshmallows.
“It is crazy to me that you don’t use chocolate.” She takes a bite, and a bit of melted marshmallow sticks to her bottom lip.
Without thinking, I reach out and wipe it away with my thumb, then bring it to my lips to lick the marshmallow off. It’s not meant to be anything but a simple gesture. However, the moment I do, Anastasia’s pupils dilate, and the smile fades from her lips.
The air around us ignites, that spark desperate for relief.
Oh.
Someone clears their throat, and I rip my attention away from Anastasia as Zane and Tessa take their seats. A quick look around, and I realize everyone is watching us. Katelyn is grinning, Garrison’s “I told you so” face plain as day. Even Weston and Ryker seem amused.
Oh boy.
I take another bite of my s’more and turn my attention to the fire.
“So, how are things at the ranch?” Anastasia asks Weston.
He grins as though to say, Nice save. “Busy. Virginia has been having some health issues, so she’s handed off a lot of the daily responsibilities to me. Having Kyle has helped, though. Kid is a hard worker,” he adds to Garrison, who nods appreciatively.
Seven months ago, it was revealed that Kyle offered up one of Garrison’s keys in exchange for money to care for his little sister. The men who made the offer nearly killed Garrison, and it ended with Kyle’s expulsion from school. Weston was ready to throw the teen to the wolves, but Garrison’s steadfast belief in the kid changed his mind.
That, and when things really hit the fan, the kid came through.
“Oh no, is Virginia okay?” Anastasia asks.
Virginia Faye has run the Stormwatch Ranch since she and her husband bought it from Weston’s mom after her husband ran off. Even so, Virginia and her late husband allowed them to remain in the ranch manager’s cabin at the edge of the property.
His mom has since relocated to an apartment in Florida, but Weston still lives there, working on the ranch in exchange for rent and a small paycheck.
“I think so. If it’s serious, she hasn’t told me. Said it’s just the price of getting old.” He shrugs.
“Any word from Reese?” Tessa asks.
At the mention of his teenage sweetheart, Weston’s mood further falters. From what I hear, the two of them had been headed for marriage when Reese suddenly ended things and took off right as Weston was reeling from the loss of his sister.
I don’t know much more than that, but for it to have wounded the stoic cowboy in front of me, it must have been hard.
“She doesn’t care about this place,” he says. “She never did.”
Tessa starts to respond but seems to shake it off. Zane wraps an arm around her shoulders and presses a kiss to her temple.
The background music changes, shifting to a slow song about a long-lost love and the fight to win it back. I glance over at Anastasia and hold out my hand.
