Chapter Ten #2
Her full, rosy lips parted, and his pulse thrummed in his ears. But just when he dared to imagine closing the gap between them, the song playing at full blast in the room beyond them ended.
And on came the telltale opening beats of the Electric Slide.
“Motherlover,” Emma cursed, her entire expression wrenching into one of absolute disgust as she jerked away from him and toward the offending noise.
He couldn’t help it—he laughed out loud. Was that her idea of cussing?
“Don’t laugh,” she admonished, but she was cracking up, too.
“Well, I guess it’s a real middle school dance experience now.”
“I’m out.” She threw her hands up in the air. “Seriously, this is my limit.”
The moment they’d just shared—or been about to share—had been lost, but his throat still caught as he said, “Do you wanna get out of here?”
He heard how it sounded the instant it was out of his mouth. He wasn’t propositioning her; he swore, he wasn’t.
“Er, I mean,” he stammered. “Do you want to go? Home? To a place that is not here? Not necessarily with me, but…”
She bit her lip in a way that made him want nothing more than to tease that tender flesh out from between her teeth. “I walked over here with Hattie and Abby. We were going to walk back…”
He followed her gaze to the two of them. Hattie was doing the Electric Slide with absolute abandon. Abby’s version was much more restrained, but she was clearly having fun.
“I could walk you home.” So she’d be safe. As if crime was rampant in downtown Heart’s Hope Crossing. He backtracked immediately, but only by a fraction. “If you wanted.”
She stared at him for what felt like an hour but was probably only five seconds. Reaching up, she fiddled with her necklace—a little silver pendant hanging from a simple chain. Then she licked her lips again, because she was actually trying to kill him. “I’d like that. If you don’t mind.”
Mind? A hint of gravel leaked into his tone. “Not at all.”
She took one step backward, though, pointing with her thumb toward her friends. “I should probably say goodbye first, though.”
He nodded his assent and put his hands in his pockets as he watched her walk away. A low fire smoldered in his lungs, and there was heat lower, too.
And this was stupid. It couldn’t end well—nothing ever did.
“Hunter!”
He turned at the sound of his name, and found Greta Larssen approaching him.
Alix’s mom was a large, blond, Valkyrie-looking woman, the kind you hoped you never found yourself on the wrong side of.
Right now, he must be on her good side, or she must just really like the Electric Slide, because she was all smiles.
“Greta,” he greeted her.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you—has Alix talked to you about her letters of recommendation yet?”
He scrunched up his brow. He didn’t want to throw Alix under any buses, but he also wasn’t going to lie right now. “Don’t remember that coming up.”
Greta rolled her eyes dramatically. “Teenagers, I swear, they wouldn’t remember their heads if they weren’t attached.
” She misinterpreted his look of confusion to be one of dismay.
“Don’t you worry, there’s still plenty of time.
I’m just being proactive. Most of the college application deadlines aren’t even until next year, but if she wants to go early decision to UVM, she needs it in before November, and you know how the time just flies at the beginning of the school year. ”
He did not, actually, but he nodded anyway. He should probably keep his trap shut, but he asked, “Is that what she wants? UVM?”
That was where he’d gone himself, studying forestry and conservation, and it had been a good fit for him, but Alix was so determined to skip college and go straight into the working world.
She’d described her mother as a force of nature when it came to her future, but he’d never seen it for himself.
Greta waved a hand. “She doesn’t know what she wants, but I think she’ll come around, especially once all her friends start getting serious about their plans for next year.
Even if she wants to apply someplace else, she’ll be glad to have all of her ducks in a row.
Nothing worse than scrambling around last minute, trying to get letters and transcripts lined up. ”
“Right.” He turned back toward the event room, where Hattie was giving Emma a big hug.
“I have to say, I envy her a little,” Greta said, her voice waxing nostalgic.
“College was some of the best years of my life. I know Alix likes it here, and I’d love it if she decided to move back home after.
I don’t like the idea of her living too far away.
But a young person needs to see more of the world than just their hometown.
I want her to spread her wings a little, you know? Try some new things.”
“Sure,” he agreed, distracted now that Emma was heading back his way. “Well, I’ll try to remember to check in with her.”
“Thanks so much—I really appreciate everything you’ve done for her these past couple of years. She looks up to you so much.”
He smiled, even as he mentally shook his head. He wasn’t any kind of role model; he mostly just treated Alix like a little sister. But she was a good kid, and he was happy to have her at the ranger station. “It’s no problem.”
Greta said goodbye and wandered off, and just in time, too.
Maybe it was the light, but as Emma approached, the little bit of sparkle in her makeup made her seem to glow. Her smile set off new sparks inside him, and he found himself smiling, too.
“Shall we?” he asked, tipping his head toward the door.
She nodded. “Lead the way.”