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“Hanging in there?” Zeb comes to check on me.
“Yeah.” I scoot over, making room for him to sit beside me.
“Still nervous?” He glances at the crowd gathered around the bonfire.
“Not like I thought I would be. You work with some really amazing people.
As the sun dips closer to the horizon, Skye lights the bonfire. It casts a warm, comforting glow over the group, and wards off the chill blowing in off the ocean.
Is it weird that I feel an incredible sense of belonging as I sit down with these strangers, listening to their music, and watching the flames dance as the wood crackles and pops?
As the sun sets, Angie and Izzy come down the gondola with Forest, Sara, and Paul. Forest looks paler than I remember and his smile looks forced, not as warm as I would expect, but it’s heartfelt.
He takes his time, gazing at friend and family alike, with nothing but joy filling his face. Paul sits to his left, Sara on his right. He leans on Paul, or maybe Paul holds him up, while he and Sara interlock fingers. She lifts Forest’s hand to her mouth, kisses his knuckles, then exchanges a look of concern with Paul. Across the way, I catch a frown on Skye’s face as she stares at the three of them just like me.
I nudge Zeb and whisper in his ear, “What’s up with Forest? He looks…”
“I know.” Zeb slings an arm around my shoulder. “But we don’t ask.”
“Why not?”
“Forest is a strong man. A proud man. He’s endured more pain than anyone should in ten lifetimes. We don’t bring up anything that says otherwise.”
“But if something’s wrong…”
“Leave it to Paul and Sara, Skye too. They can handle him.”
“This is really nice.” I lean into him, curling into his warmth. I don’t agree with what he says about Forest, but I’m an outsider. “You have an amazing group of friends. Feels like one huge family where everyone likes everyone, and it’s not just for show.”
“We have our spats.” He points the tip of his beer bottle toward Rafe and Hayes. “We had a conversation after you left.”
“About us?”
“About them butting in where they’re not welcome and staying out of what we’re trying to make happen.”
“And whatarewe trying to make happen?” I press the palm of my hand against the hard planes of his chest. “Why are you getting involved with a woman who has notoriously bad taste in men?”
“Because, you deserve to know how a real man treats a woman. Not to mention, you make me ache in the best possible way. Remember this morning?” He fists his fingers in my hair. “Or should I remind you how hard I came?”
In the ruddy glow of the firelight, it’s fifty-fifty if he can see my blush, but Zeb laughs and reveals the truth.
“Luv, I can feel the heat radiating off those cheeks. How about we skip this party and let me put a smile on your face for real?”
My heart races as Zeb’s words wash over me. I can’t believe he’s talking to me like this, but I can’t deny the way my body responds to his touch. I nod, unable to form words, and follow him as he leads me away from the fire and toward the ocean.
As we walk, Zeb keeps a firm grip on my hand, pulling me closer to him. The warmth of his body staves off the chilly wind and I can’t help but imagine what it would be like to be wrapped in his arms.
As we leave behind the bonfire, and those gathered around it, we reach the edge of the beach. Rocky outcroppings extend out into the water forming myriads of tidepools. It must be low tide. I imagine these rocks get covered when the tide comes in.
Zeb turns to me and cups my face in his hands, looking into my eyes. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“Kiss me?”
“Yes,” he murmurs, leaning in for a kiss.
“You’ve already kissed me, silly.”
“Shush.” He wraps his hands in the long lengths of my hair, grabbing a fistful and giving the slightest tug.
