Page 11 of Burning For You

“Yep,” he said, grabbing another handful of chips.

“Good. Are you still pretending you like action movies more than rom-coms, or have you finally embraced your inner sap?”

Ash snorted. That was supposed to be his secret. One that he argued about with Corbin, but obviously couldn’t convince him.

“This is coming from the guy who cried during The Lion King?”

“I didn’t cry,” Corbin shot back. “I had something in my eye.”

“Yeah. Emotions.”

Corbin tossed a chip at him. Ash caught it one-handed and smirked. This was their rhythm. Easy and familiar. Best friends since dirt bikes and knee-ripped jeans. The kind that weren’t bought that way but achieved by being rough and tumbling around. Before life got complicated.

They settled on an action flick. The new Superman movie. Drank their beer, had a plate of cheese and pepperoni to go with the chips, and laughed while putting family and work out of their minds.

But when the movie ended, he couldn’t let it go.

“You never said what Skye does. Like her job? Is she only doing some kind of reporting or something?”

Corbin let out a short laugh as if he knew Ash couldn’t let it drop.

He wasn’t doing that great a job hiding his interest.

Then he asked himself why he was bothering at this point.

“I guess she was able to keep her last job full time. My mother said that the building her company owned downsized and let most go remote.”

“What does she do?” he asked.

Corbin turned and lifted an eyebrow at him. “Some kind of writing. I’m not sure what exactly.”

“Like books?”

“No,” Corbin said. “Though I know that has always been her dream. Technical or corporate writing. I don’t know the title. She writes manuals or medical documents or something. Makes it easier for us dummies to know what is going on.”

He laughed. “Glad someone is doing it. And now she’s chasing small town car fire stories?”

“Seems it. She’s doing that freelance though. That much I got. On her own time and selling stories. Not really sure what that is all about. Not anything I thought she was interested in, but maybe I’ll find out more tomorrow.”

He had to let it go now. He’d asked enough and got more than he thought.

“I’m sure everyone is glad she’s back.”

“We’ll see if she stays,” Corbin said.

Not what he wanted to hear.

“Tate got her a conversation with the captain and fire inspector so I’m sure that made her happy.”

“That’s probably what the hug was about,” Corbin said, laughing. “He’d be all soft after that and give her anything. What’s going on there? Is it the same as the last one?”

“Seems that way now. I’m sure more will come out. That’s not official from me by any means. No reason to get everyone in an uproar that someone is going around lighting cars on fire.”

“It does make you think, but I’m glad my vehicles are in the garage at night.”

“Lucky you.” He didn’t have that luxury at his apartment complex, but he wasn’t worried either.

So far, these two car fires had been where no one would catch them, or no one would talk if they did.