Page 131 of When We Burn

Stronger.

And so in love, I’m almost stupid with it. I knew coming home was the right thing, but I hadn’t expected to be this happy.

“Here you are,” Bee says as she links her arm with mine. “You okay, buddy?”

“Oh, yeah, I just needed a second to take a breath. Can you believe I jumped into that pool a few months ago?”

“No. It scared the shit out of all of us. Why, are you thinking of doing it again?”

“Absolutely not.” I shake my head with a laugh. “Ithink one swim a decade is good enough for me. I draw the line at bathtubs and showers.”

“Fair enough.” Bee sighs as she also looks outside. “The mountains are pretty today.”

“They’re pretty every day. Any sign of your mystery man?”

“Nah. He’s probably back in Scotland or England, or wherever he’s from. It’s fine. I’ve come to terms with it. I haven’t slut-shamed myself too badly over it.”

“There will benoneof that.” I frown over at her. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I know.” She chuckles. “I’m just being funny. I wouldn’t say no to a repeat, though. A girl could get addicted to that.”

“I know.” My smile is smug, and Bee giggles.

“He’s watching you right now, you know.”

“Your brother?”

“Better be my brother, or he’ll kill someone. Of course, my brother.”

I look over my shoulder, and sure enough. My man is standing with my brother, and they’re talking about something serious, if the looks on their faces are any indication.

“I wonder what they’re talking about,” I ask Bee.

“Might be cows, might be fire, might be marriage.” She shrugs, and my eyes bulge out of my head.

“Marriage?”

“Sure. For all intents and purposes, Holden is your dad, babe. If Bridger wants to marry you, he needs to talk to your brother.”

I hadn’t even thought about marriage. I mean, sure, someday, but it wasn’t really on my radar.

And we don’t know that that’s what they’re talking about now, so I need to cool my jets.

Just as we’re wrapping up, ready to head out, Bridger and Chase both get phone calls at the same time.

“We’ve gotta go, sweetheart,” Bridger says to me just as Chase looks up and nods to Summer. “I have to go to work.”

“What?” I frown up at him. “Why?”

“Because the goddamn ski resort is on fire.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

BRIDGER

“I’m so damn sorry.” I’ve got my girls in the truck, and we’re headed to the house in town. I need to drop them off and change into my uniform, grab my gear bag, and then meet my men up on the mountain. They’ll bring any tools that I need from the fire station. “We were supposed to spend our first Thanksgiving together, and?—”

“Stop,” Dani says, reaching over to take my hand in hers. She lifts it to her lips and kisses me sweetly. “We’re fine. Aren’t we, Birdie?”

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