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“You going to dance with me, Bluebird?”
I look up to see Reed standing over me. I’m sitting on a blanket close to the bonfire. There’s music playing through a portable stereo on some guy’s tailgate. Beer and probably harder stuff are freely flowing. I have no idea how they got it all, since everyone I’ve seen is my age or younger, but who knows. I’m starting to think I lived a sheltered life back home.
“Sure, if you stop calling me Bluebird,” I laugh, reaching out my hand to him. He pulls me up and I stumble on the rocky dirt and into his arms.
“What’s wrong with bluebirds? They’re beautiful,” he says pulling me out onto the level ground. There are a few other people dancing, so it’s not like we’re the only ones. Yet, when he puts his arms around me and pulls me into his body…
I swear, it feels like we’re the only ones.
He might be younger than me, but that’s starting to mean less and less. I mean, Jesus, there’s barely a difference. Besides, it doesn’t mean anything. He’s sweet and good looking and I really like him. I seem to like him more the more time I spend with him.
“They crap on stuff, they have feathers and they never let anyone get close to them,” I point out, looking up into his eyes. It’s dark, looking into them, with the light of the fire reflecting back at me, might be one of the most beautiful things I’ve seen.
“I take it you’re not a nature girl, Callie Street.”
“I find beauty in it, just not birds in particular,” I mumble.
“Okay, well how about in Native American culture, bluebirds represent prosperity and rebirth,” he murmurs close to my ear, holding me close. “They see bluebirds as a sign of happiness and joy.”
I pull back to look at him, shaking my head slightly, glad that he can’t see me blush. “Since you barely know me, I don’t think you can pin that on me.”
“Maybe I should call you mule because I can tell you’re going to be stubborn, Callie.”
“You start calling me mule and I’m going to kick you where it hurts, Reed,” I warn him, almost laughing.
“Point taken,” he mutters.
“Mind if I cut in?” I feel Reed’s arms tighten and tension enter his body. I turn to see Mitch behind us.
“Hey, Mitch,” I respond, blushing under his intense stare.
“Callie and I are kind of busy, Mitch. Maybe you could go back to your date and let us be.”
“Didn’t you hear the news, little brother? Minka and I broke up. Ole Mitch is a free agent,” he says.
“Yeah, well, Callie and I are busy,” Reed says, and that uncomfortable feeling of being a bone the two of them are fighting over like dogs rises again.
“Come on, Reed. You have to learn to share,” Mitch says.
“Uh, how about I let you two work out whatever issues you have, and I go talk to some of my friends,” I mumble, feeling very uncomfortable. I like Reed and I’m even attracted to Mitch, but I don’t want to take part in this push and pull thing they have going on. I don’t need that drama in my life. I have enough of my own.
“Now, darlin’, don’t be like that,” Mitch says, and I gasp as he puts his hand on my hip and stops me from leaving.
Reed immediately stands in front of him, dislodging his hold on me. “You’ve been drinking again, Mitch. Let me take you to get some coffee and you can sober up. You know what our old man will do if you show up drunk again.”
“Always the good brother,” Mitch sneers.
“Mitch,” Reed growls under his breath.
Mitch nudges his head up, looking at me over Reed’s shoulder. “You ever want to turn in the boy scout for a walk on the wild side, Callie, you look me up, you hear?”
“That’s enough,” Reed growls, putting both hands on Mitch’s chest and shoving him backwards.
Mitch, whose balance isn’t the best in the world because he’s been drinking, stumbles backward but doesn’t fall. He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “Maybe you aren’t so good after all, little brother. See you soon, Callie.”
I shiver as I read the tension between the two of them. This inner voice is practically screaming at me to leave them both behind. Instead, I let Reed take me into his arms and finish our dance. The moment between us is broken, however. I’m too busy panicking over the dynamic between them and not wanting to be part of it.
6 Reed
“I had a good time with you tonight, Callie.” I tell her lamely, as we pull into her driveway. The evening had gone stale after the scene with Mitch and I could physically feel Callie pull away from me.
“I did, too.”
