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It was a reasonable answer, but it carried a hesitation I didn’t understand. “You didn’t need an invitation,” I said.

“It felt like I did.”

“Fixing that flyer was a strong entrance.”

“I nearly threw my phone out the window afterward.”

“Why?”

“Thirty-seven people saw it, and nobody answered.”

“They were trying to figure out who you were.”

She laughed again, and the remaining awkwardness between us dissipated.

After crossing the bridge, we returned to our usual rhythm. She told me the chat had been the first place in years where she could disappear for a few hours and return without needing to apologize. I admitted I had noticed every time she disappeared but avoided asking because I didn’t want to become another obligation.

We reached the edge of the meadow soon afterward. The hall had quieted considerably while we were gone. Most cars had left, and the remaining family members were cleaning or refusing to clean while discussing it loudly.

Sloane’s car was parked at the far end of the lot.

Neither of us hurried. When we reached it, she turned and rested one hand on the roof. “Thank you for the walk.”

“Of course. Thank you for dinner.”

I smiled, but I didn’t want the evening to end. The earlier near-kiss remained between us, unresolved but not ruined. I hoped she felt the same.

“Text me when you get home,” I said.

“I will.”

“And if you get tired, pull over.”

“I know.”

“Mountain curves⁠—”

“Hudson.”

I stopped.

She was smiling. “I’ll be careful.” Sloane opened the door, then hesitated. “Can I hug you?”

The question caught me off guard. “Yeah.”

She stepped into me before I could say anything else, and my arms wrapped around her automatically. One hand rested in the middle of her back, the other near her waist. She fit against me with a natural ease that made every part of my body remember what had almost happened beneath the stars.

Sloane pressed her cheek against my shoulder, holding on longer than a polite goodbye required.

So did I.

Her warmth seeped through my clothes, her scent filling my lungs. I lowered my head to her hair and allowed myself one deep breath.

I wanted to tell her she didn’t have to leave yet.

I wanted to ask what had frightened her.

I wanted to kiss her temple and see whether she turned her face toward mine.