Page 11 of Playing with Fire

Beckett began moving again, only stopping when Willa squeezed the back of his neck. “Like something in you recognized something in me. Like that?”

Her knowing gaze settled something in him. What was once shaking around loose inside of his chest felt like it slowly locked into place. If he were more poetic, Beckett might think that his heart just found its reason to stop searching for what it wanted because it was there with him now, but that would be him charging ahead again, so he tried to quell that fanciful thought.

“Yeah,” Beckett answered thickly. “Like that.”

Becket loved the feel of her skin against his as she clung to him. As he glanced at Willa’s lips, he wondered if they were as soft as her fingers. Instead of being lush and pink like the last time he’d seen her, they were slightly blue. The sight shook him from his reverie. Cursing himself for keeping her out in the cold because he got distracted by how much he was starting to feel for her already, Beckett shook his head and started walking again.

“Let’s get you warm and get that foot taken care of, then maybe we can have a chat about what exactly ‘like that’ means.” Willa putting his feelings to words perfectly had Beckett thinking that the intensity of the connection he felt wasn’t just one-sided, but you never knew.

Willa nodded against his shoulder, her hand retreating into the silver blanket as he continued marching them down the mountain. The sun was buried behind clouds, but thankfully it hadn’t dipped below the horizon completely and still provided enough light to not trip them up all over again. When they finally made it back to the trailhead, her date looked relieved, but instead of reassuring him, it pissed off Beckett all over again.

“He shouldn’t have left you,” he growled as they approached the man. Beckett couldn’t pretend that he wasn’tangry or stung at her having essentially picked Mister Man Bun over him.

Willa seesawed her head, not entirely oblivious to his inner turmoil. “Yeah, he shouldn’t have, but to be fair, I wasn’t exactly good company.” Her voice had dipped low, almost as if she were talking more to herself than to him.

The way Willa spoke about herself made his chest ache. Forgetting his wounded pride, Beckett held her a little tighter, hoping to comfort her before setting her down on a large rock near the signpost. Reluctantly, he stepped back to make room for Jude as he jogged over carrying the med kit and a warm blanket, draping the latter over her shoulders before he started working on her ankle.

It was on the tip of Beckett’s tongue to ask Willa more about what she had meant by her remark when Douchebag Hiker Boy interrupted them with his profuse apology. “I’m so sorry, Willa. So, so sorry.” To his credit, his eyes did look strained from worrying, but that wasn’t enough to squash Beckett’s need to lecture him. “I never would have left you out there if I thought this would happen.”

Stepping up to the man, Beckett pulled up to his full height and stared him down menacingly. He wasn’t above using his taller stature to intimidate and scare the shit out of the shorter man. “You shouldn’t have left her at all. Solo hiking can be dangerous even for the most experienced of trailgoers, so you definitely shouldn’t have left someone who doesn’t know the trail or the area at all. It was irresponsible at best and downright dangerous at worst.” Beckett stared into the other man’s scruffy face. “You’re lucky all she did was twist an ankle.”

The man’s head moved up and down rapidly, his man bun bobbing at Beckett as he moved over to Willa. “He’s right. Can I take you to dinner to make it up to you? I promise not to leave you at the restaurant.” The man had the gall to wink at her, thesmarmy gesture driving Beckett nuts.

Stowing his anger and jealousy at the fact that not only did this asshole get a first date with her, but he also might get a second, Beckett listened intently for her answer. Willa smiled politely, but her eyes told the real story. The hand that had been squeezing Beckett’s heart seconds ago loosened its grip as he sagged with relief.

“Thanks, Dan, but I think I’m good.” She waved a hand over her muddied clothes and dripping hair. “You’d be better off with someone who’s a little more adept with outdoorsy stuff anyway.”

The man nodded, looking a bit relieved. Beckett couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling up in his head. Couldn’t he see how badly he’d messed up? Though his loss would hopefully be Beckett’s gain. “Good call.” Dumbass turned to Jude, who was currently wrapping Willa’s ankle in an ace bandage and tapping his thigh impatiently. “Can I go now?”

Beckett’s chest rumbled with the need to give him another dressing down for being so nonchalant about the whole situation, but Jude nodded and shooed him off before Beckett could lay into him again. “Sure. We’ve got it from here.” Let off the hook, the man jogged over to his Jeep and promptly drove off.

“So, first date?” Jude tutted at Willa, his tone jovial. “I know dinner and a movie are considered cliché nowadays, but that’s got to be better than this.”

Willa laughed humorlessly and nodded, her eyes looking more tired by the second. “Kind of a low bar, don’t you think?” Beckett smiled at her ability to joke, even if the smile on her face didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Jude shrugged and stood, dusting his clean hands off on his pants. “Probably, but hey, you never know. Maybe something good will come of this,” he told her, shooting Beckett a wink.His appreciation for Jude just went up about tenfold, but it skyrocketed at the next words out of his coworker’s mouth. “You’re welcome to ride back in the truck with us and we can make sure to get you seen by the doctor, though I don’t think a medical visit is strictly necessary. If you want, Kemp can drive you home in your car and I’ll follow behind to take him back to the station.”

Willa stared at Beckett as the corners of her mouth twitched. “Is that standard procedure for a mountain rescue?” she asked shrewdly. There was no fooling her, but her expression didn’t look bothered, instead showing a hint of interest.

The back of Beckett’s neck itched at the fact that, no, it wasn’t protocol at all. It was Jude doing him a solid by giving him more time with a woman he was clearly interested in. Beckett wouldn’t push himself on her though, even if she did look mildly into the idea. “Not really,” he admitted, rubbing his neck. “If you want to make a call and get a ride another way, you can use my phone, but I really don’t mind driving you home.” Beckett looked forward to doing it that night, and that was just for starters. His mind was already spinning up with ideas of how he could impress her on a date and get more invitations to drive her home afterward.

With tired eyes, Willa looked up at him, her hand outstretched. “I’m just tired enough to take you up on your offer to drive me.” Taking her hand in his and helping her to stand, Beckett walked Willa to her car, making sure to carry all her weight as she hobbled toward the passenger side of a small sedan. She handed over her keys and he chuckled at the small keychain that saidGood Vibes Onlyas she opened the door to slip inside, giving him a grateful nod. “Thank you.”

Their fingers brushed as Willa pulled her hand back, and Beckett couldn’t help but smile at the warm tingle that traveledover his skin despite the cooler air of the evening settling into his bones. “All part of the service, ma’am.” Willa snorted and slipped inside the car, not knowing that making her laugh again had just made his whole day.

Shucking his raincoat, Beckett slid into the driver’s seat, his knees banging the wheel before he located the lever to adjust the seat. When he glanced over at Willa, he caught the mirth in her eyes.

“This must seem like a bit of a clown car to you,” she said, her head lolling against the headrest. Beckett was happy to see more of the weight of the day lifting off her shoulders, and he grinned as he started the car.

The engine hummed as he put it in drive. “It’s definitely not as big as my SUV, but I can handle it for the short drive.” Willa chuckled and directed him toward her house. The car fell silent and Beckett peeked over to check on her as they approached civilization. The low glow from the occasional streetlight passed over her face, spotlighting her somewhat pensive expression.

Wondering if he was pushing his luck by getting too personal too fast, Beckett cleared his throat and broached the subject she mentioned in passing earlier. “You want to tell me what had you screaming like a banshee back there, or why you weren’t good company tonight?”

Willa stayed quiet for a moment before her heavy sigh passed through the air between them, breaking the tension he had inadvertently created. “That is a long story, and definitely not one to tell after such a crazy day.”

As they made the final turn toward her place, Beckett nodded, understanding her need for more time before she was ready to talk. “Does that mean you’re open to telling me at some point?” Beckett pulled into the driveway of a mid-century home that looked straight out of one of those old black and whitetelevision shows his dad was always waxing nostalgic about. After putting the car in park, he turned to her, the unanswered question still hanging in the air.

Willa scrutinized him for a moment, her eyes reading his face like the open book he tried to be. “I don’t know. I had trust issues before and tonight didn’t exactly help, but something tells me that I’ll tell you…eventually.”

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