Page 22 of Why We Break

“Sure they can, but we both know how he was looking at you yesterday. Theo also might have mentioned that he said he mentioned wanting to ask you out,” she replies before Margaret interjects.

“Someone please fill me in. Isn’t Kent one of the coaches at the school?”

“Yeah, he’s the really tall one with all the muscles,” Caroline tells her.

Margaret squeals. “Oh my God, he’s so cute. Did something happen between you two, Han?”

I open my mouth to tell her no, but before I can get a word out, Caroline’s answering for me. “Oh my gosh, Margaret. He was totally flirting with her before the game yesterday, and he asked if they could talk tonight. I bet he asks you out.”

“God, y’all are worse than our students, Caroline. He was just being nice,” I tease, taking another sip of my drink. “But enough about boys. Are the two of you ready to head out?“

The girls nod, and we throw on our boots before heading outside. “The boys are already out in the field making sure the fire’s ready to go, so we can take the Ranger,” Caroline says, pointing to the ATV by the porch of her and Theo’s farmhouse.

We pile on and huddle together in the front seat, the fall air seeming to turn colder and colder the longer we ride.

After a few minutes, we pull up to where the boys are standing beside a huge fire. Jumping off the Ranger, Caroline makes a beeline for her fiancé, who pulls her in and drops a kiss on her forehead while listening to whatever Seth was explaining to him before we pulled up.

Margaret and I make our way over to stand beside them, before Caroline says, “Quite a fire you’ve got going, Cowboy. I wasn’t thinking it would be quite this big.”

“It’s all good, Sunshine. I’ve got a few buckets of water just in case, plus, we’ve got half the Springside Fire Department here as backup,” he responds, causing Caroline to chuckle.

“Okay, you’re right. I think we’re covered. Speaking of which, is Zach here yet? I want to ask him how Bethany’s recovery is going,” she asks, referring to one of the firefighters that works with Theo and his younger sister. Zach and Theo started at the fire station around the same time, but they’d really formed a friendship after Zach’s apartment building caught on fire, and Theo risked his life to rush in, thinking they were inside. Thankfully, they’d been down the street, and Theo made it out without too many injuries.

“Not yet, but he should be here soon. He texted me that he’d be heading this way soon,” Theo responds, pulling her closer to him and wrapping his arm around her, before turning back to us. “Thanks for the help out here today. We really appreciate it.”

Margaret smiles at her brother. “If you’d told me when we moved here a few months ago that you’d be willingly throwing a party, I don’t think I would have believed you.”

“Me either,” Theo says, smiling at his fiancée. “But if being engaged to this one isn’t worth a celebration, I don’t know what is.”

“Gag me,” I tease, causing Margaret and Caroline to giggle. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding. You know we’re happy for y’all. So who all’s coming to this shindig?”

“Oh, not too many people. We just invited the firefighters who aren’t on duty, people from school, and a few other people,” Caroline replies, moving back from Theo’s grasp and grabbing a solo cup from the stack on a table. “Now, who wants a margarita?”

“You women and your margaritas,” Will says, rolling his eyes.

“Go ahead and drink your boring beer, Grandpa,” I tell him, making my way over to where Caroline’s already pouring some of the pre-made mix I brought into three separate cups and adding a few shots of tequila on the top.

Will’s attention shifts to me, and I try to ignore how good he looks in the glow of the light from the bonfire. He’s wearing jeans and a flannel along with a brown, worn cowboy hat, and I imagine how it’d feel to run my hand against the leather the way I used to.Don’t even think about going there tonight,I chide myself, willing my brain away from that particular thought process.

I can tell he’s about to come back with some smart-ass comment at my previous remark, but before he gets a chance, Caroline cuts him off. “Nope, don’t start, you two. I don’t wanna hear it tonight. We’re celebrating.”

Will and I both grunt in agreement, and I spend the next hour chatting with Margaret while Caroline makes the rounds, speaking to everyone who came to celebrate her and Theo.

“Another marg?” Margaret asks after a while, reaching for my empty cup.

“Sure, why not? I’ll walk with you,” I tell her, and we head toward the table where Caroline poured our drinks earlier.

Margaret’s in the process of pouring us both another drink when I hear a voice call out from behind me. “Hannah, there you are.”

I turn to see Kent making his way over from the other side of the fire. “Hey, Kent,” I tell him with a wide smile. “You want a drink?”

“Nope. I’m okay for now, but thanks,” he says, holding up a glass beer bottle and taking a swig. “I was worried I’d miss you, but I should have known better. Someone as gorgeous as you tends to stick out.”

I try not to cringe at his attempt to flirt, pasting on a bright smile. “Nope, you found me. Have you met Margaret? She’s Theo’s sister,” I explain, gesturing to my best friend standing by the drinks and clearly sizing up the man across from me.

“Hey, Kent, I’ve heard a lot about you,” she tells him politely, looking at me as if she’s trying to figure out if she should leave.

I give a small shake of my head, indicating she can stay. Turning back to Kent, I say, “Great win last night, Coach. Only a few more games till the playoffs, huh?”

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