Page 56 of Bears of Firefly Valley: The Reasons Collection (Bears of Firefly Valley Boxed Sets #1)

This had been our conversation throughout the meal. We moved from Abraham mentioning diners' origins to Laurel adding gossip. We drifted from the best places to see the foliage turn to how long until the crops were planted. Laurel even let it slip that Bobby had once been a theater geek.

I watched as every table filled with residents, each engaged in lively discussion.

Every time someone broke into laughter or shouted a name across the hall, I realized they were family bound by geography.

Seeing them at their finest, I tried to remember the last time I witnessed such a welcoming community.

“Excuse me.” Harvey’s voice came through the ceiling speakers. “I need to say something.”

The room grew quiet as people turned in their seats. Harvey stood with a young woman who I guessed was his daughter. Her arm wrapped around his waist, her head resting on his shoulder as he raised the microphone.

“Thank you so much for coming. I can’t say how much it…” His words caught in his throat. He tried clearing it, but to no avail.

“What Dad’s trying to say,” she said, taking the microphone. She lifted her head, looking at her dad with admiration. “For those who don’t know, when Mom passed, we wanted Dad to come live with us. You all know how stubborn he can be.”

The room erupted in quick comments and a roar of laughter.

“I didn’t want him living alone. One day, he came home to a box barking at him. It was the first time I saw him smile since…”

Damn. I teared up.

Harvey took the microphone back. “Thanks to the donations and the auction table, we’re only five hundred dollars short.” Bobby got up from the table and worked his way toward Harvey. “Because of you, it’ll be a long time before I say goodbye.”

The room clapped, and more than a few people cheered.

My heart swelled at this tight-knit community, willing to come together to protect one of its own.

I had seen moments of magic in Firefly, but the gloves had come off.

This togetherness served as the heart of the town. I was thankful to be part of this??—

“Just one second.” Bobby took the microphone. “There’s one more item for the auction.”

I leaned closer to Laurel. “What’s he doing?”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” she said.

“Some of you might have heard about a famous Hollywood actor in Firefly.” Bobby glared at a handful of people in the audience. “There’s no way we’re leaving until we save Belle. So I’m willing to part with him for a single night.”

“What?” I turned to Laurel, who avoided eye contact. Abraham wasn’t offering any comfort either, as his brows furrowed and a mischievous grin spread.

“So what do we say, a date at the bistro with??—”

“Twenty-five dollars!” Gloria shouted.

My head couldn’t swivel fast enough as numbers were shouted. I’d have gladly offered to throw in extra money, especially after those meatballs, but this? Bobby had turned into my pimp and served me up like a piece of meat.

“One hundred dollars.” Damn, Gloria. That amount would cut into her fabric budget.

Laurel nudged me. “There’s no turning back.”

Abraham smirked. “Make us proud.”

I had gone from outsider to casual guest star on this network sitcom.

When Bobby gestured for me to stand, I realized I made the title credits.

When his fingers formed the shape of a heart, it hit like a hammer.

This wasn't a friendly gesture. He bit his lip, hoping I'd play along.

This was the act of a playful boyfriend. I had done worse for smaller roles.

I got to my feet. “Gloria, it’s going to be a date you never??—”

“One fifty,” a shout from the—oh, Jason?

“You’ve got your man. He’s mine,” Gloria shouted. “One seventy-five.”

I worked my way down the aisle and did a quick spin, hands up in the air. When I came about, I struck a pose—hands on my hips, chest pushed out.

“Two hundred!” I didn’t know the woman who stood, but she’d be suffering Gloria’s wrath if she won.

When I strutted down the center of the room, Gladys was the first to cheer. “Take it off!”

Whoa. This had gone from casual date night to??—

“Ladies… and gentlemen,” Bobby said. “Maybe if we go a little higher, we can help motivate Chris.”

I was about to object when Harvey’s daughter held her phone to the microphone. The space filled with horrible techno music, and everyone held their breath. Would I take Bobby’s bait, or would it end with a playful tease? The people of Firefly had obviously not seen my earliest role.

Spinning Poles. A made-for-TV movie based on a male stripper with a heart of gold.

When I hooked my fingers in my pockets and rotated my hips, Gladys cheered. Gloria went from cheering to screaming vulgarities she should not know.

Who knew “background dancer number three” would come back this quickly? I ran a hand along my stomach, working my shirt up as I spun around, making sure everyone got a show.

“Three hundred!” I danced my way toward Gloria, gyrating my hips and shooting her a wink. “Three twenty-five,” she yelled, outbidding herself.

“We’re almost there,” Bobby said through the music.

“Take it all off!” Simon. Who was I to say no to the fans?

The t-shirt worked its way up, bit by bit. As I pulled it over my head, I threw it at Simon. He caught it out of the air and waved it about. “Four hundred dollars!” I laughed as Jason shot him a confused look.

“Come on,” Bobby said. “He’s great at conversation. He’s the perfect gentleman. If by the end of the night, you’re not in love… then you weren’t paying attention.”

“The pants!” Gladys yelled.

Uh… I reached for the top button, wondering if we were going from playful fun to front-page scandal. No, that’d be too much, right? Fingers hooked, I prepared to show off my favorite pair of briefs.

“Five hundred dollars!”

A man? I spun around to see Abraham standing.

He had his wallet in his hand. At first, I thought he was joking, but when he grinned, I realized he had every intention of writing that check.

I had just stripped for a room full of… mostly strangers, and somehow, I wound up agreeing to a date with my boyfriend’s dad?

“No fair,” Gloria said.

The music ended, and I turned to Bobby, looking for guidance. He gave a slight shrug and gestured to his father. “Sorry, ladies, it looks like Abraham is getting him a date night he won’t forget.”

Him? What about me? This could either be a cute night out where we traded stories about Bobby or end with me being grilled. Laurel had already made it clear if I hurt her brother, she’d hide my body. I pushed the image of them dragging me into the woods from my mind. It’d be fine… I hoped.

Simon tossed me my shirt while giving me a pat on the chest. “Didn’t know I was getting a show with dinner.”

I was about to make a joke when thick, fuzzy arms came around, gripping my chest. Bobby kissed my shoulder, refusing to let me go… not that I wanted him to. Despite a room full of eyes watching us, I could have stayed here all night.

The looks of admiration from Gladys, Gloria, Harvey, and his daughter had nothing to do with my good deed. Or at least, I didn’t think so. They weren’t looking at me. The warmth in their smiles was for us.

The feels were no longer just for Bobby. This town had worked its magic. I covered Bobby’s hand, squeezing his fingers. All around me were possibilities. I no longer ran from the media—I ran toward Firefly.

“You’ve been awfully quiet. Did I step out of line?”

After Bobby put me on display for the people of Firefly, we stopped to joke with Gladys. I had to apologize to Gloria, who said she’d save up for next time. Harvey thanked me, and we left. Bobby offered to drive me home, and I wasn’t going to object.

“You’re making me nervous.”

I chuckled. “I’m not angry, not even a little.” He let out a sigh. “Quite the opposite.”

My hand slid across the console, covering his on the stick shift.

“Why did you do it?”

“I figured you’d be??—”

“With Gail. Why did you save me?”

“You looked like you needed saving.”

He pulled into Rose’s driveway, putting the truck in park. When he killed the engine, the overhead lights turned on. It highlighted the blond hairs in his beard, threads of gold shimmering. Did he understand he was handsome enough to be considered dangerous?

“So, you’d have done that for anybody?”

He let out a laugh that filled the cabin. “No. Can’t say I would have.” He flipped his hand over, gripping my fingers. “Maybe if I had seen them naked? Or maybe if I spent that night thinking about kissing them again. In that case, yes.”

I appreciated the way he cut through the awkward moment. Bobby knew how to tug at the heartstrings and, at the same time, sprinkle in a bit of humor.

“I am paid to stand in front of a camera and recite lines, but with you…” I squeezed his hand. “I am at a loss for words.”

It wasn’t my entire hand, but he glimpsed my cards.

Despite the lie we told the town, I wasn’t sure how to transition between our fake relationship and the curiosity of a real one.

The more time I spent with Bobby, the more I thought about the future and what a future with him could mean.

I had more questions than answers, but for once, I let my heart do the speaking.

“Do you think we could do this again?”

He let out a hiss, pulling his hand away.

Had I overstepped the imaginary line that kept fact from fiction?

He shook his head. The walls locked in place, and I prepared for a speech saying it would never work.

He’d let me down gently, and I’d go back to thinking of us as a vacation fling.

I was a big boy; I could handle it… mostly.

“Look, I know we’re from a small town, and Billy might have married his first cousin, but dating the same guy as my dad?”

The muscles in my face went slack. Bobby fought a grin but lost the war. With a deft hand, he broke through my armor, and the world filled with possibilities. I didn't know how this would end, but I'd at least be able to say I did my best chasing this handsome man.

“If I have to, I’ll let your dad down gently.”

“You know he’ll fight for you.”

“It seems to be a Wright trait.”

I didn’t often think about the future. I'd get a role and live in the moment, letting Tessa worry about what came next. For me, it didn’t come naturally, and yet, with Bobby, it started with a simple “what if?” My life had become filled with complications as I worried about my next role or the success of a wrapped project.

If I looked too far ahead, the emotions became overwhelming.

Staring at Bobby, I remained perfectly overwhelmed.

“Do you want to come in?”

As far as dates went, this had been… perfect. I had my first dinner with his family, and other than almost taking my pants off, it had gone off without a hitch. Now, I wanted to end it by doing a strip tease for him.

“I don’t think so.” Well, that wasn’t the response I expected.

“Now it’s my turn to ask if I did something?”

He chuckled. “Yes, you did. I couldn’t have asked for a better night.”

I wanted to ask, “Why let it end?” but I bit my tongue, wanting to see where he wanted to go with this.

“Things between us started hot and heavy, and if I come in, we know exactly what’s going to happen.”

“Twice if you’re lucky.”

“I thought, here's this sexy tourist. Sure, let's get it on. I didn't expect to actually like him.”

“Thanks, I think?”

“Chris, let's admit it. Your life moves faster than I'm used to. It’s not a bad thing, but it's a lot to think about… for both of us.” I wasn't the only one dealing with unexpected visions of the future. “But tonight, I want to go home thinking about this charming guy who damn near made a fool of himself. And for what? To help pay the medical expenses for a pup.” He brought my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles. “It… you… couldn’t be any more perfect right now.”

It was awkward, but I turned in the seat, crawling across the console so I could kiss him.

The seat groaned with the extra weight. Graceful, it was not.

I couldn’t end tonight without the taste of him.

Every angle was wrong, but it didn’t matter.

When our lips connected, I could feel him question his decision to end our date.

“You make a tempting offer,” he whispered.

“Nope,” I said. “We’re leaving some mystery on the table.”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“To your question earlier. I’d love to go on another date with you.”

“Good.”

I slid into my seat and got out of his truck.

The crisp air filled my lungs, replacing his scent.

But as I licked my lips, I could still taste him.

I moved into the brightness of his headlights, freezing for a moment before I gave a quick spin and hip thrust. The sound of his laughter made me smile.

He waited until I reached the porch before he pulled away.

Through the living room window, I spotted Rose and Edward sitting in separate chairs, quietly reading.

She turned a page and then draped her arm off the side.

Edward did the same, then reached for her.

Seeing them finding solace in one another with something as simple as reading a book warmed my heart.

They let go, turned pages, and then resumed their hand-holding.

Could that be me and Bobby? I’d be memorizing a script while he read Lumberjack Monthly.

We wouldn’t need to speak, just the comfort of knowing we were together.

The more I thought about the future and what it might look like for us, the more solid the image became.

I decided not to interrupt their moment. Walking to the side entrance, I stopped and thought about what Bobby said. Dammit, it had been the perfect night, and I was already fixated on the next time I’d see him.

“Bobby’s got game.” Now for a shower and sleep.