Page 81 of When We Burn

There are eight of us here tonight. In addition to Skyla, Bee, and Alex, Charlie’s here, too. Now that wedding season is almost over, and her event planning business is starting to chill out just a tiny bit, Charlie has some time to read.

Summer and Polly Wild—sisters-in-law each married to a Wild brother—are here, and rounding out our group is Jackie Harmon, the owner of The Sugar Studio. She brought us little huckleberry tarts as a treat.

No one bakes like Jackie does.

“What should we read for next month?” Summer asks the group.

“Has anyone read mafia romance?” Alex asks, surprising me. She just laughs at my stunned look. “Oh, honey, I’ll bring you over to the darker side.”

“Mafia romance is delicious,” Bee agrees. “Give me thoseI will kill you without thinking twice, but I’m so obsessed with this girl, I’ll burn the whole world to the ground for hervibes. It’s so hot.”

“I’d love to try whatever you recommend,” Skyla says, clearly excited at the prospect as everyone else agrees.

“I love a man who’d burn the world down for his girl,” I admit. “So, let’s do it.”

We decide on an SJ Tilly read,Nero, for next month, and then spend an hour discussing authors, favorite reads and tropes, and, of course, the spicy scenes we love.

It’s fun to talk about the books I adore with thesewomen. I hope we get more members as time goes on and we spread the word about our new club.

“Speaking of spice,” Polly says, turning to me. “I hear you and Bridger have been extra cozy lately.”

The whole room goes quiet as everyone turns to me.

“Who’s Bridger?” Skyla asks, leaning over to Alex.

“The fire chief,” Alex replies. “Super hot. Been our friend forever. They’re just realizing that they’ve had feelings for each other for a long time. He’s a single dad.”

“Thanks for the recap,” I tell my sister with a laugh. “But yeah, that sums it up.”

“Oh, a friends-to-lovers, single-dad romance,” Skyla says, leaning in. “We love those. So, is he good with his…hose?”

“Oh, my God!” Billie exclaims, shaking her head. “No, we’re not talking about my brother’s anything.”

“He’s your brother?” Skyla demands with a laugh. “This just gets better. And aren’t the two of you the best of mates?”

“Yes,” I say, laughing with her. “Bee’s the only girl out of five siblings.”

“They’re all sexy as fuck,” Summer informs the newcomer. “It’s gonna suck for Bee one day, when her sisters-in-law want to talk about how good her brothers are in bed.”

“I can’t believe we’ve gone from fictional sex to sex with mybrothers.Gross.” Bee shivers and then makes fake gagging noises.

“If you must know, Bridgerisexceptional with his…hose.” I bust out laughing again at Bee’s horrifiedexpression, and then shake my head and hands both. “I’m kidding. Well, I’m not kidding, but I won’t go into details.”

“Ah, not fair,” Polly says.

“Things are really good,” I say instead. “He’s kind and sweet, and he’s a great dad.”

“And he seems to be obsessed with you,” Alex reminds me. “According to my sources.”

“Sources that you won’t divulge.”

“Never.” She flips her hair over her shoulder and takes a bite of her tart.

“I heard,” Charlie adds, “that they were quite sweet at the drop-off line the other day. Or maybe that was today.”

Wasit today? This has been the longest day ever.

And it’s not over yet.

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