Page 82 of Sawyer

“—challenge,” finishes Aaron, furrowing his brows at Tanner. “I’d never say something bad about her.” He runs a hand through his springy black curls, his expression frustrated. “She’s challenging. Likely because she’s so dang bright.”

“Sorry,” says Tanner. “It’s just that I’m her big brother. I’m protective.”

“You’re drunk,” says McKenna. “Come and dance with your wife and leave poor Aaron alone.”

As they leave, Wyatt turns to Layla.

“Can I spin you around the floor?” he asks.

“I thought you’d never ask,” she says, taking his hand.

“God, I love his accent,” says Neena, staring at the dance floor—or, more accurately, at her sister’s boyfriend—with longing. She sighs, the soft sound ending on a whimper. “I gotta go to the bathroom.”

“I’ll come with you,” says Ivy, hopping off my lap.

She and Neena have become friends over the last few months, and I’m happy to see Ivy making connections in Skagway. More connections means it’ll be harder for her to leave. At least, I hope so. She kisses me on the lips, then follows Neena to the ladies room.

“It’s just you and me,” I say to Aaron. I lean forward, folding my hands on the table. “Come on. Spill it. What’s the deal with you and Reeve? Maybe I can help.”

Aaron takes a deep breath and lets it go slow. When he looks up at me, his dark brown eyes are guarded. “Reeve Stewart is the brightest kid I ever met.”

“She’s smart, for sure.”

“Got a bright future ahead of her.”

“I hope so.”

“A kid like that’ll go far,” he says.

Now, that’s the second time in two minutes I’ve clocked Aaron calling Reeve a “kid,” and if she’s clocked him doing it even once, I’m surprised she didn’t, well, clockhim.

“Why do you keep calling her a ‘kid?’ Reeve was nineteen in October.”

“Nineteen is a baby,” says Aaron.

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“Four years isn’t that big a deal,” I say. I glance at Reeve, who’s standing beside Parker at the bar, waiting for the pitcher to be filled. “Does she know you think of her as a kid?”

“Of course,” he says.

Well, well, well.I bet she just loves that.I think I’ve figured out why Reeve is perpetually furious with Aaron.

“Aaron, are youintoReeve?”

“Absolutely not,” he says, his eyes flaring with indignation. “I’dnever—”

“I’ve caught you staring at her.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, trying to stonewall me.

“Aaron!” I say. “It’s okay if you ask her out. She’s over eighteen.”

“When I first met Reeve, she was still in high school. Not to mention, she’s the Sheriff’s littlest sister-in-law. Hands off is for the best, you know?”

“So, you like her, but you won’t make a move on her because she’s Joe’s sister-in-law, and you think of her as a kid.”

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