Page 42 of Rear View
My chest inflated, ’cause her interest felt real nice.
Ryah helped Sheila arrange the food. Miles started the fire without blowing himself up, which, judging by his sister’s thumbs-up, seemed to impress my dream girl. When everything was set, I started cooking—hot dogs and buns. Simple, easy and damn good.
When it was ready, I handed the food out, sat myself down next to Ryah and everyone dug in.
“X says you go to U of E,” Sheila said.
“Mm-hmm,” Ryah answered around her mouthful of food.
“What are you taking?”
She swallowed, then swallowed again. “Master’s in educational psych so I can go into counseling. I’m working my dissertation now.”
My brows arched up. Pretty and smart…like, the real kinda smart. “What’s that entail?”
“A ridiculous amount of research and critique. One of my profs is my thesis adviser, so he oversees my work.” She shook her head. “He’s a bit of a stickler on everything. But he knows what he’s doing.” Then so low, I barely heard it, she said, “I hope.”
“Anything you can’t do, darlin’?”
Her smile was tight and the bright copper in those eyes dulled as they fell to her feet.
What the hell?I drew my head back, and sat up straighter. I tipped her way, nudging her with my elbow. “You good?”
Again with that tight smile, until her eyes slid past me to Kamala, who piled chocolate and cracker stuff onto a paper plate next to her, then cut into a pack of marshmallows.
Ryah’s feet bounced. “Are we having s’mores?” she asked, her voice going high.
She was excited in that try-new-things kinda way. “You ever had ’em before?”
“Never.” She bit her lip.
Yara’s hand thumped over her heart like she was wounded. “You’veneverhad s’mores? How is this possible?”
My dream girl tensed, her shoulders drawing up.
Miles cleared his throat and cut in, “We didn’t do this kind of thing growing up.”
Whatever’d just happened had Ryah retreatin’ into herself again and I hated it. Wanted that smile back. Reaching over, I grabbed one of the roasting sticks, stabbed two marshmallows over the ends and turned to her. “Melted or burned?”
“I don’t know.”
“One of each, then, yeah?”
Her mouth tipped up at the corner. “Yeah.”
Her excitement was contagious, and I grabbed the rest of what I needed, took the mallows from the fire when they were ready and put them together. Things were messy as all get out, but worth it.
“Can I grab another drink?” Ryah asked.
“Don’t need to ask, darlin’. Anything you want here is yours.”
Her gaze skimmed my face as she breathed, “Anything?”
Fuck me.I swallowed hard and gave an easy nod.
“Oh, thank God.” She squeaked and snatched the s’more from my hand, biting into it like a starved wolf on steak.
The laugh that broke from me had her brother peering our way. He watched his sister, some emotion close to surprise playing across his face.
