Page 19 of Some Cowboys Brave the Flames

“Yeah, me too.”

The hairs prickled on the back of her neck and along her arms. “Why do you ask?”

He shifted behind her. She didn’t dare turn to look at him. He let out a sigh. “Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to find the kind of love your brothers have. You know—someone who’s worthy of loving.”

Charlie squeezed her eyes shut until she saw sparks. Then she heaved her own shuddering breath as she turned to face him. He was staring at her, studying her, questioning her. “Maybeyou have—found that love, I mean. You never know.” He had a girlfriend—one he was willing to learn a new skill for.

There was something in his eyes. A cloudiness maybe? Or something else. A spark? Perhaps it was both—like a lightning storm. It made her stomach swirl and her throat tighten. How much did he really care about this woman? Was she a means to an end? The way he’d made it sound, perhaps she wasn’t who he really wanted.

Charlie thrust that thought from her head. It was dangerous to entertain such things. He took a step toward her, and she sucked in a sharp breath.

When his hand reached up toward her face, she didn’t move, didn’t dare continue breathing. His finger and thumb ran over the hair at her shoulder—the hair she kept down and curled at the ends. He stared at it for a long moment before he finally murmured, “You ended up changing it.”

And just like that, she was thrown back in time to that night in the rain when he’d told her not to change anything about herself. His words had stuck with her for the next six years. Rarely did she apply makeup—unless it was a special occasion. She still liked to put her hair into braids, but there was a part of her that clung to the memory of their kiss and the fact that she’d had her hair done just like this when it had happened.

“I grew up,” she rasped.

His eyes lifted to meet hers, pinning her into place. She wondered if he mentioned her hair because he didn’t like it. Perhaps he associated the change with something sour, whereas she linked it to the most memorable night of her life.

Her breath hitched in her chest when he leaned closer. She searched his gaze, watching him intently. There was nothing in his eyes to give away what he was feeling at this moment. She could only feel his warm breath against her face, smell his citrus scent, and hear her own pulse roaring in her ears. The way herstomach twisted and knotted, the way her legs threatened to buckle beneath her, she wasn’t sure she would be getting out of this moment unscathed.

And she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

Her hands gripped the handle of the oven behind her. Each second ticked by ten times slower than it normally would.

“Charlie,” he whispered, his voice husky and low. “I?—”

The front door banged open and loud laughter spilled into the house. Ash jumped back from her, spinning around so he faced the island between them and the kitchen door. Moments later, Liam, Carter, and Wade entered. All three nodded to Ash, who called out a hearty, “Hey, guys.” He gestured to the counter filled with breaded chicken with a flourish. “I hope you’re hungry.”

Only Carter seemed to look at Charlie with curiosity. Then he moved toward the fridge and opened it. Without looking at her directly, he whispered, “Everything okay?”

She would have stiffened at his words if she wasn’t already as stiff as a board while still gripping the oven handle. “Fine,” she whispered. “Just a little lightheaded.”

Carter looked at her and quirked a brow. “Need some water?”

“Yes,” she said breathlessly. She grabbed the bottle and rushed for the back door. “I’ll be right back,” she called out over her shoulder as she yanked the door open. “Just getting some fresh air.” Charlie didn’t wait to hear if anyone objected. She couldn’t stay in that room a moment longer. Heck, she didn’t know if she’d be able to finish cooking the meal with Ash being so close to her.

She’d have to rally, she reminded herself. Otherwise, her brothers would notice something was wrong. Charlie closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. Just another dinner with her brothers’ friend. That’s all this was. That’s all it would ever be.

9

Ash

Smoke swirled around Ash as he stood in the middle of a fire in the northern part of the state. It wasn’t as bad as it had been made out to be, but the atmosphere would be shifting tonight, which meant a lot of wind. They needed to contain it before it moved down the mountains.

He’d canceled his cooking lesson earlier today after he’d gotten the call. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t thrilled about being called in to help. Usually, this sort of thing was a release. It helped keep his mind from straying too far.

Unfortunately, all he could think about was Charlie and how he’d nearly kissed her—again. He wanted to kick himself. He’d nearly lost control, only to be saved by her brothers. He could still feel the way his chest heaved with effort. He could feel the way his heart wanted to explode because it was beating so hard.

And after she’d left the room, she’d returned like nothing had happened.

Technically nothing had, but it could have.

He scowled and shook his head sharply. He had a job to do. He couldn’t get distracted. If he did, he’d risk several people’s lives. Right now, he needed to keep Charlie from slipping past his defenses.

Ash set to work dousing the roaring fires alongside his companions. They managed to get it to an eighty percent containment when they were called off it. Others would come in to finish the job.

The thrill he’d expected to feel while onsite wasn’t nearly as exhilarating as it had been when he was with Charlie. He was losing his grip on reality. That was the only way he could explain it.

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