Page 49 of When We Burn

“I’m honestly not pouting,” I reply and shove salad into my mouth.

“I know you,” she reminds me. “I’m your big sister.”

“By two minutes.”

“Exactly. Does this have anything to do with the fact that I heard that you went out with Bridger Blackwell?”

“Where did you hear that?”

I didn’t just go out with him. I spent two glorious days with him, and I did not want to go home on Sunday. Even Pickles didn’t want to go home.

The traitor.

“Several people said they saw you with him at Old Town Pizza. You looked cozy, according to my sources.”

“Who, exactly, are your sources?”

“I’ll never tell.” She laughs and pops a crouton into her mouth. “Is it true?”

“Yeah.” The salad is good. Alex is an excellent cook. My sister is good at a lot of things. “We actually spent the weekend together. Birdie was with Billie.”

Alex’s eyes, so much like my own, although we aren’t identical twins, widen, and she sets her fork down with a clatter.

“Dani. Lexington. You bangedBridger Blackwelland haven’t told me? It’sWednesday,for fuck’s sake.”

“I know,” I admit and bite my lip. “I haven’t seen him since I went home on Sunday when Birdie came home.”

“So?” She takes another bite. “It’s only Wednesday.He’s busy. You’re busy.”

“I know that,” I echo with a shrug. “He does send me good morning texts every day, and that’s nice.”

“Aw, that’s nice. We’ve known Bridger forever, Dani. He knows all about…before. You don’t have to try to explain anything or worry about issues or anything like that with him.”

“That part is nice. Plus, wow.”

“Yeah?” She waggles her eyebrows. “Howwow? Are we talkingwell, that was nice,or are we talkingholy shit, I feel like I’ve been torn in half?”

“I had to soak in a hot bath after the first night. Of course, he joined me.”

Her jaw drops, and she stares at me for a heartbeat. “You lucky bitch.”

“And I know that I’m being needy now, but I went from spending every minute of the day with him for more than forty-eight hours, to just getting a text in the morning, and now I’m feeling insecure.”

Alex chews thoughtfully. “I can see that. You get attached, and then real life sets in. It’s a pisser.”

“I don’t have to swear.” My voice is as dry as a salt lick. “Because you do enough of it for both of us.”

“You’re welcome.” Alex winks at me, making me chuckle. I missed this when I was away. At college, then living in Bozeman. Missing a sibling is one thing, but missing the person who knows you inside out, who can finish your sentences and thoughts, that’s different. “Give him a little time. I’ve heard that they’ve been extra busy this week. Two more homes were set on fire, and they think it’s an arsonist.”

My sister’s a reporter for the Bitterroot Valley News, so she keeps her finger on pretty much everything going on in this town.

“You’re kidding.”

“I wish I was. As the chief, Bridger’s probably ready to pull his own hair out.”

I blow out a breath, not proud of myself for being relieved that there’s an arsonist at large, and the lack of attention from Bridger isn’t because he got me out of his system.

Not that the kiss he gave me after walking me home that afternoon gave the impression that he was done.

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