Page 69 of Burning Ember

“Because you’re different. You didn’t grow up in the life. You’re kind and sweet. Honest. Trust me. She’ll love you.”

I kneel down to pick up a small stick. I wiggle it in front of Donut. Excitement flashes in his eyes. But when I throw it fifteen or so feet, his head is the only part of him that moves. He looks at it for a second and then sits.

Lily and I burst out laughing.

“Try that with food and it just might work,” she says.

A whistle pierces the air. Donut waddles off and we follow him. We turn the corner at the back of the clubhouse, and right away, I spot Mav bent over the animal, his hands rubbing Donut’s belly. Mav murmurs to him, but I can’t make out what he says.

Grabbing the hose and turning on the water, he offers Donut a drink. Slobber and water go everywhere—over Mav’s jeans, the ground, his black boots. He laughs low. He’s smiling down at the dog and patting his back. “Atta boy,” he says.

Warmth floods through my chest making it swell with feeling.

An elbow jabs into my side. Startled, I look over at Lily. She whispers, “Close your mouth before he sees you drooling.”

I snap my mouth shut.

But when I look back up, I find tawny eyes roaming up my body, and then focusing on my face. The almost kiss we shared last night flashes through my mind. I drop my eyes to Donut and fight the heat trying to flood into my cheeks.

“Hey, Mav,” Lily sing-songs, “any word on Cap?”

He wipes his wet hands on his jeans. “He’s still out. Nick went to get his mama . . . just in case. The doctors are tryin’ to bring him around though.”

“He’ll pull though.”

“Yeah, he will.”

“Is everyone still comin’ over Wednesday?” she asks.

“Far as I know.” With that being said, he pats his leg and Donut follows him back into the clubhouse.

“Wow, how did I not see that comin’?” she says after he’s out of earshot.

“What?” I ask.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.” She shoulder bumps me.

“I don’t.”

“Mmmm hmmm. Let’s just say, now I know why you’re not picking up the hints Dozer’s been dropping for you. Pumpkin like’s her men a bit darker.”

“No it’s . . . I’m not . . .” I take a deep breath to calm down and say, “He doesn’t even like me.”

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Or however in the hell that goes.”

“Shakespeare? Lily, really?”

She laughs. “Pretty impressive for a girl who never finished high school, right?”

I nod and mentally chart it down as something else we have in common.

“Now stop brushing me off. What the hell’s going on with Mav?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Or nothing yet?”

“Nothing. Nothing.”