Page 10 of Burning For You

Didn’t he know it.

How many times had he tried to get close back then? Make her laugh. Be there. Say the right thing.

Anything. After the fire took her family, he’d tried—and failed—every time.

Eventually, he’d learned to step back to be what he’d always been. Best friends with Corbin. Skye was just another foster kid the Lancasters had taken in. That was how he was thinking of it.

Except she’d never been just another foster kid. Not to him. Not to the Lancasters.

“So she’s staying?” he asked. “You know that much?”

“Looks like it. We’ll find out more tomorrow at the family dinner. Everyone’s off.”

Ash nodded, filing that away. He couldn’t be obvious. Couldn’t just show up, no matter how open Carrie Lancaster’s door always was. Not if this was Skye’s first real reunion with everyone.

Still… hadn’t it struck him as odd yesterday? Tate had gotten a hug. Skye barely touched anyone.

“Has Tate seen her before now?” he asked.

Corbin frowned. “I don’t think so. I don’t think anyone has except my parents once. Maybe Brenna. Why?”

“Because Tate was on scene at the fire yesterday,” he said. “And Skye hugged him. Like, really hugged him.”

“No shit.” Corbin shook his head. “That must have been the first time. Skye doesn’t hug people.”

He reached for the chips, needing something to do with his hands as Corbin flipped on the TV. He replayed the words in his head, careful not to give too much away.

“She looked good,” he said finally. “I haven’t seen her since she left after graduation.”

“She never looks bad,” Corbin said easily. “I saw her at Christmas.”

“Almost eleven months ago.”

He’d missed her when she’d come back then. Just like he did the other times she slipped into town for a day or so and then quietly slipped back out.

Not that he’d expected her to want to grab a drink and catch up. Like whatever they’d had was real enough to remember.

Old times. Mostly in his head.

But she’d recognized him yesterday.

“It’d been years before that, so we are used to it. Not everyone stays around.”

“Really? Even Keegan came back last year.”

Keegan was another foster child adopted. By middle school, Keegan was one of the family. The oldest of them. Older than Tate by one year, and boy, didn’t Corbin’s oldest brother not like having that triumph back then.

“He did. Spent his time in the army and moved on. Seems to get along with your brother Ford well enough.”

“I don’t talk to Ford much about work. Keegan’s not full time, is he?”

Ford was the sheriff of Warren County.

“No. He wants to be, but he’s working with Dad and me full-time and at the Sheriff’s Department two to three days a week.”

“I’m sure your mom is thrilled to have everyone back.”

Corbin flipped through the channels, landing on something loud and brainless. “So,” he said, “are we done with the family chat?”