Page 26
Lawson covered the engine parts with more tarps and weighted them down. Then he flicked off the spotlight he’d set up, leaving them in the moonlight.
Night arrived early in Vermont’s winter, but the snow on the ground made it bright enough for her to watch Lawson walk away and to see Burke clearly. His expression didn’t show any disgust at her inability to ensure her Q Lab was roadworthy.
How would he feel if he knew how close to the edge she’d lived since they’d last seen each other? She’d worked hard to survive and then build her business, but that didn’t leave her savings account with more than enough to pay for necessities. If Lawson hadn’t been so thorough at looking for things to fix up in the engine, she’d have been fine for another thousand miles and another few paychecks. With schools out for a few weeks, December was always a challenging month.
Burke brushed his hand up and down her sleeve. “It’s not a problem to drive you there, Rissa. Lawson didn’t mean to mess you up. If you need more things than we can fit in the Blazer, I’m sure there’s a trailer we can hook up.”
She swallowed her pride and nodded, voice and body stiff. “I’ll pay you for your fuel and time.”
Insult flashed across his face. “Absolutely not. Not only is the Blazer an electric vehicle, but friends don’t pay each other for their time. I’m hoping at the very least that we’re friends again, Rissa.”
Well, that made her feel like a heel. “Sorry. I wasn’t trying to be insulting. I’m used to doing things on my own.”
He frowned at her. “I get that. As the oldest, I suck at asking for help.”
She almost managed a smile at that.
He lifted his hand to brush it through her hair, tucking a strand behind her ear and leaving his fingers there. “I know you’re more than capable of taking care of yourself and Frizzle. So does Lawson. No one’s questioning that, Rissa. He was trying to help, not hurt you. We’d all like to help. No one should carry all of life by themselves. Your dad was an asshole.”
He broke off as soon as the words left his mouth, looking horrified at what he’d said. Before he could apologize for the comment, she nodded. “You’re right. He was.”
Burke rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry. Even though he was, I shouldn’t have said it.”
“It’s fine. I’m not offended.”
They stood close enough to share breath, the air cold and crisp on the inhale, then warmed by their exhales. It was an intimate feeling, but she didn’t make a move to retreat. She had to dig her toes into the ground to stop herself from moving closer.
After a few heartbeats, Burke spoke, his words soft as a snowflake. “I want to help, Rissa. Not because I don’t think you’re capable, but because I like you. We were best friends once, maybe heading toward more.”
She nodded, not enough to dislodge where they touched, but enough to show she agreed. She heard the smile in his voice when he spoke again.
“I’d like to return to that time and kick my own ass. More than that, I’d like us to return to how close we were then. Friends, edging toward more.”
She rolled her lips together to prevent the tremble and nodded.
Burke’s thumb brushed along her jawline, sending shivers along her skin. Shivers not caused by the cold.
“I want to kiss you, Rissa. I want to taste those gorgeous lips and see how you taste. But I don’t want to screw up. I don’t want to do anything to ruin my chances of having your friendship in my life again.”
He brushed his thumb over her lips, and she leaned in, ignoring Frizzle’s barking at her feet. It wasn’t her danger bark, and nothing else mattered more than the way Burke was touching her, talking to her.
“I want to get to know you all over again, Rissa. I want to know how you created a job for yourself that matches you so perfectly.”
She swallowed hard as she nodded. He was turning her into a speechless bobblehead, and she had to blink to keep her eyes from tearing up. No one had ever wanted to know her, not since they’d been friends as kids.
“I want that, too, Burke. I want to know what makes you happy, and more about your life before everything went sideways in Boston.”
“That’s the best news I’ve ever heard.”
She laughed, then groaned when he brushed his thumb over her lips again.
“Can I kiss you, Rissa?”
She nodded, then in case that wasn’t enough, she breathed out the words. “Yes. Kiss me, Burke.”
His lips mimicked the light touch of his thumb, brushing over her lips softly as a snowflake.
He increased the pressure and tilted her chin with his hand, angling them so that the kiss was suddenly real. She gasped with joy at the sensations. He groaned in response and moved his hand to thread his fingers through her hair.
