Page 45 of Light My Fire

“Well, you mentioned Colleen, and the fact you were a snowboarder—an Olympic snowboarder—”

“I didn’t make the team—”

“Not to mention a smokejumper, so I’m pretty sure you had a plethora of girls.” She pushed past him.

He touched her arm. “Stop. Please.”

It was thepleasethat had her. Soft, and a little hurt, and yeah, she heard her own words.

She sounded like a jealous middle schooler. “Sorry. I just…this is silly. We have no future, Tucker. I shouldn’t have…” She stopped but shook her head.

“Okay, let’s start with theplethora of girls.” He ducked his head, searching for her eyes. “I had a few girlfriends before Colleen. But when I met her, it was different. We were in high school, but she was…she wasn’t like the others, and I really wanted her to like me. When she broke up with me my freshman year, sure I was hurt, but I had my eye on competing, and there wasn’t a lot of room there for any…extracurricular activities. I was hurt and angry and grieving my mom, and I wasn’t a good guy then. Nobody wanted to be around me.”

Something like regret flashed across his face in a wry smile. “And then I started to go to church with Jed and a few of the other guys when we were home, and…well, I’m not the guy you apparently think I am.”

Perfect. Another one of her trouble-making skills. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”

“Okay, so let’s talk about why you think this is a mistake.”

“We have to find March.” She pushed past him, stalking through the forest.

He turned, hot on her tail. “I realize that I didn’t declare my undying love before kissing you. But I really like you, Stevie, and…”

She looked up at him. “And what? You want to move to Alaska? Build a life with me?”

He drew in a breath. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

She stared at him. “Don’t do that.”

“What?”

“Don’t…don’t make me want to trust you. This can’t be anything.”

“Why not? What are you so afraid of?”

She shook her head. Kept walking. No,no—

“Stevie. I like you. You like me. What if—”

She rounded on him. “No what-ifs!”

He recoiled.

“Listen. You are a good man. I can see that.”

His eyes held hers, and for a moment, she felt the crazy tug to step back into his arms. But, well, “Some people were made to be alone.” Her throat thickened. “I’m one of them.”

She turned away, kept walking.

“Stevie—that’s…why?”

“It’s how I was raised, Tucker. I was taught that you couldn’t depend on anyone but yourself. If you did, you were setting yourself up for…well, if not disappointment, then death.”

“Death?”

She glanced at him, aware of his limp, and wished he’d stayed back in the cabin.

Sorta. Because the midnight sun left eerie shadows creeping through the woods, and with the cool tongue of the wind in the trees and the rustle and moans embedded in the wilderness around her…

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