Page 93 of When the Smoke Clears

Whentheweekendcomes,I’m thankful that things at the ranch have calmed down enough that we can come together for a bonfire. Maci always feels like she’s pulling me away from something, and if anything had gone awry she probably would’ve canceled the whole thing. Hopefully, having friends over will help both of us feel a little more normal and relaxed.

Izzy and Leah show up after dinner, and Nick isn’t far behind.

Nick and I head out to Nopal Vista to start up the fire. Either Liv is running late or the ladies are spending an infinite amount of time doing God knows what in my office.

“How are you guys?” Nick asks, taking a swig of his beer, the cooler not far behind him.

I eye him over my beer. I know what he’s doing, but I really just want to forget it all tonight. “We’re good.”

He does his usual stare without speaking.

“There’s so much that’s happened since the hospital, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

He nods casually, adding a rhythmic motion like he’s vibing with the music from the truck. I know better. “You could start at the beginning.”

“Yep. I could.” Thankfully, the night air is split by Maci’s Jeep driving our way from The Big House. “The Callahans coming?”

Nick makes eye contact before shooting his gaze back to the growing fire. “Yeah. They’re riding together.”

Maybe it’s a conflict of interest to have the sheriff and an officer from the city police department out here, but Shane and Casey have been friends of Nick and me since we were kids playing pee wee baseball, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. As it is, it’s in the hands of the detectives, and Casey wasn’t even involved in the call.

“Good.”

Maci’s Jeep lights shine through the darkness in the distance, and shortly she pulls up next to my truck. My heart does a fucking somersault when she jumps out. I’m tempted to take her back to the house and tell the others to give us a few minutes. The fact that I won’t want to let her go after only a few minutes keeps me from doing just that. Her hair is loose, draped over her shoulders, which are exposed from the soft, too-big sweatshirt she’s wearing. It’s been cut at the collar and falls teasingly off both sides.

My mouth waters and I’m half hard.

“I’m so fuckin’ ready to let loose,” Leah says loudly, jumping out the back door. She yanks something out before walking over to us. Nick clocks her movement before turning back to the fire. The busy print of her jeans catches the light, casting odd shadows on her legs as she moves through the high grass, and her bag clicks and clacks from whatever is inside.

Izzy and Liv follow in jeans and sweaters as well. The group of them are done up, considering their casual attire. They are definitely feeling themselves tonight.

Maci makes her way to me, grinning excitedly. “Fire looks good.” She makes a show of scanning me slowly. Her eyebrow quirks and her mouth plays at one side. “You okay?”

“Mmhm.” I take a swig of my beer, perusing her body.

She leans up for a kiss, which I grant willingly, before I lower my mouth to her ear. “You look fucking edible.”

Her face lifts to mine with a sparkle in her eyes and she kisses the corner of my mouth. “Behave.”

“I never made that promise,” I argue.

She grins playfully at me as she and her friends make their way to the logs Nick and I set up for seating. Their animated chatter fills the night air, and Maci seems happier than she’s been in weeks. It’s the only thing I want.

“Let’s do a round of shots,” Leah demands. She pulls a fifth of tequila from her bag.

“Holy shit,” Liv pipes up, “how much do you have in there?”

“How do you even carry all of that? It’s as big as you.” Nick sips his beer as if he didn’t just call her out across the fire.

Her attention snaps his way and she works her jaw back and forth. “You aren’t the life of the party if you can’t carry it.” She stands with a sassy flourish and pulls tiny red solo cups from her bag as well.

Liv starts laughing hysterically. “It’s like a bag of tricks.”

Izzy giggles and bumps into Liv and the two of them fall off the log backward.Jesus.

“Did you guys pregame without us?” A chuckle bubbles from my throat.

Maci stares at them with a wide, open-mouthed smile, clearly amused by their antics. “There was no pre-gaming,” she says on a laugh.

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