Page 37 of To Catch a Firefly

“How long?” I ask Lucky, returning my attention to him.

“A few days,” he answers. “We leave for Borneo on Tuesday.”

I nod. It’s not enough time, but I refuse to dwell on it.

“Hungry?” I ask.

He chuckles a little. “Admittedly, yeah. We didn’t stop to eat. I need to say hi to my parents first, though.”

I incline my head toward my house, and Lucky nods.

“Yeah,” he says, squeezing my arm. “Give us ten minutes, and then we’ll be over.”

Us—him and Dani. I ignore that part, too, giving his hair a gentle tug.You look good.

He huffs a laugh. “You, too, big guy.”

When Lucky turns to go, I have to remind myself he’ll be right back. He’s notleaving. Still, it doesn’t feel good watching him disappear next door with Dani at his side.

My mom is waiting when I step into the house, a knowing smile on her face. “Surprise visit,” she says. “Wonder what spurred that decision on.”

I shake my head as I go to the fridge to grab the leftover kebabs. I have no clue.

“Hm,” she says, transferring shakily from her wheelchair to the couch. I pause to watch her.

“Need anything?” I ask.

My mom shakes her head, covering her lap with a blanket before picking up the remote. “Not a thing. Go catch up with your friend.”

I nod, piling beef and bell peppers onto a plate. As the food heats, I grab two, then three, beers out of the fridge. I bring everything, including a bowl of salad, out to the table on the deck. I’m too nervous to sit as I wait, so I lean against the railing, looking out over the backyard. A single firefly blinks nearby, so faint in the waning evening sun, I nearly miss it.

I hear him first, talking quietly to Dani as they approach. I force a calming breath through my body and turn.

Lucky is first up the steps, giving me a beaming smile that instantly transports me back to when we were sixteen. Or eleven or eighteen or twenty-two. It’s a million memories in one, that smile, and I’m swamped by them, overcome by the history we share. There are strings connecting us, so many of them.

I don’t think we could ever be unraveled.

Dani is at Lucky’s heel. There’s a wide smile on his face, and he doesn’t hesitate to step forward with his hand outstretched. I’ve seen pictures of Lucky’s coworker before, but this is the first time I’m meeting him face to face. He’s classically handsome,tall but leanly muscled, and has this air about him I could never hope to emulate.

“Ellis,” he says warmly the moment our hands clasp. He places his second overtop of mine. “So good to finally meet you.”

I nod, a touch surprised by the genuine friendliness in his tone. I half-expected him to be like the rest. Like Andrew and the other guys I met while Lucky was in college.

Dani shakes his head a little before stepping back. “My God. How tallareyou?” he asks. I have a few inches on him.

“Six-five,” Lucky answers, heading over to the table as Dani whistles. I’m not sure what to make of the way he’s eyeing me, but Lucky pulls my attention. “Did you make these?”

I hum my yes, chest warming at the smile Lucky gives me. He always did love grilled kebabs. When Lucky takes a seat, Dani and I follow. They both thank me as they dish up their plates, and, not hungry myself, I’m content to sip my beer and watch Lucky as he closes his eyes with his first bite of food. They flash my way when he opens them, and that warmth in my chest flows down to my stomach.

Dani clears his throat. “So, Ellis, I’m dying to know. What’s Lucky’s most embarrassing childhood story?”

Lucky sputters before shooting me a hard look. “Don’t you dare.”

“Please dare,” Dani counters, grinning wickedly. I have a feeling the man is just as much trouble as Lucky is.

I only debate for a moment before telling him, “The paint.”

He cocks his head as Lucky groans. “Do go on,” Dani says.

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