Page 39 of One Chance to Stay (Bears of Firefly Valley #4)

“Are you sure?”

“Your fairy godmother has come to your rescue. Be free, gorgeous.”

For the last hour, Mabel dazzled the residents of Firefly. While I entertained the parents with my bartending tricks, she entertained the children before spraying whipped cream directly in their mouths. She’d take all the credit for our success. I’d gladly give it.

She gave me a shove toward the door. “Go to your Prince Charming. I’ll be scouting the local talent for a rugged suitor.” Now that she mentioned it, I had never seen her at the club with arm candy. Next time she stopped by the bar, I’d have to ask if she had a special someone.

I zipped up my jacket and stepped out of the shack into the biting cold.

Seamus continued standing by himself, watching the surrounding events.

He might be at the bonfire, but he wasn’t part of it.

It reminded me of those awkward middle school dances where I stood on the side, unsure of how to approach girls.

For him, I’d do the approaching. Whether or not he liked it, I’d pull him from his solitude. If this was going to be our dynamic, I’d use my powers for good… mostly.

I snuck up behind him.

“What brings you here?”

“Mostly threats.”

Had he cracked a joke? Seamus could act gruff all he wanted, but he had a dry playfulness.

When he turned, I lifted my arms to give him a hug, and he raised a hand as if we were about to shake. With a gentle slap, I pushed it away, wrapping my arms around his torso. He stiffened as I gave him a tight squeeze. When I lifted him off his feet, he grumbled until I set him down.

“I’m glad you came.” Oh, I had almost forgotten. Holding up a finger, I reachedinto the breast pocket of my jacket. “I got you a gift.”

I held the flask out, letting the light from the bonfire sparkle in the rhinestones. He stared without taking it. “It seemed only fitting since bourbon started this whole thing.”

“I thought you trying to best Mother Nature started this?”

“We’ll skip that when we tell the story.”

“The story?”

He still hadn’t taken the flask. “Our story. You know, the crazy way we met. I’ll tell them all about how you nearly shot me, and you can tell how I drank from the bottle like a heathen. Everybody will laugh when I include the part of showing up to breakfast in my birthday suit.”

He flashed a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

The time for subtlety had vanished. Boundaries, be damned.

I grabbed his flannel, tugging hard enough that he stumbled.

I held firm, leaning forward, kissing him.

It took a moment until his body relaxed.

In the winter night, his lips were like a furnace, and I let them warm my blood.

I stayed close, forehead pressed against his. “Don’t push me away, Seamus.”

“I’m—” He stuttered as he spoke. “I’m trying.”

“We both know I have a habit of filling the silence. It seems to work with handsome men who like to safeguard their words. I can listen, too.”

Seamus took a steadying breath, filling the space between us with steam. Even when he spoke, I almost didn’t hear him over the enthusiastic quilters. “Is this the end?”

“Of what?”

“Us.”

His head dipped, and he returned to his downward gaze. I pinched his chin, pushing his head up until our eyes met. They were filled with the same yearning I encountered our first night together. They held a lifetime of longing. The importance of my next words wasn’t lost on me.

“That’ll make it awkward when you meet my parents.”

“Your parents?”

“Or when you visit me at work? You walk into Spectrum, and those daddy-chasers will eat you alive. Then, there’s Grace. It’ll be really uncomfortable having drinks with her and you brooding in the corner.”

I couldn’t tell if his neutral face was from disbelief or annoyance. If he thought I’d leave it there, he hadn’t been paying attention.

“Abraham invited me back to shoot again. Do you really want us unsupervised on the farm? And at the rate the bears are going, I’ll be back here for half a dozen weddings. Can you really resist me in my?—”

Seamus shut me up with a kiss. His hands cupped my face, squeezing my cheeks as his lips smooshed against mine with force. Once the initial shock waned, I inhaled the scent of him. Musk. Sandalwood. Smoke. Vanilla. Like expensive whiskey, I wanted to drink him until he left me intoxicated.

Our timid love affair had come to its climax.

At every turn, Seamus had me wondering, confused, about what he wanted.

Or had he? While his mustache tickled my nose, I thought back to the first encounter.

Translated into our common language, Seamus used his actions to speak on his behalf.

What started as a whisper had reached a roar.

The need for oxygen forced a temporary retreat.

While his hands remained on my cheeks, I realized something had changed.

He might have pulled away, but it wasn’t a retreat, not behind the walls he allowed me to scale.

He could have pushed away, leaving a rift between us. I couldn’t ignore the lingering touch.

“Get a room!”

Seamus tensed, his hands flying into his pockets at lightning speed. I spun just in time for a snowball exploding across my chest. Yelping, I threw up my arms as another hit Seamus in the beard.

Walter. Audrey.

“Do I hear church bells?” Audrey shouted.

I didn’t know how to respond. Did I have to declare some arbitrary label that neither of us had discussed? Had my goofy speech catapulted us from casual bunk mates to something more? In previous relationships, it always came down to the talk.

“Don’t rush them.” Who knew Walter would be the one to come to our defense? “They’re still in the friends-with-benefits stage.”

Audrey laughed. “You mean fuck buddies?”

“Lady! Have some decorum.”

My face turned red as they snickered. Waving, they continued down the path toward the ice rink. It had grown too dark to see, but I knew his cheeks were painfully red. Snow dripped down my jacket, forcing a full-body shiver.

“I will have my revenge,” I mumbled.

When I turned to Seamus, he had reverted to his awkward self. “I’m trying,” he whispered. Retreating, yes, but not to the same man I first met two weeks ago. That man would have scoffed, kicked the snow, and made his way home.

“I didn’t have the heart to ruin their joke.”

Seamus returned to his tall self. As he straightened out, his eyebrow crept up his forehead. I gave him space to collect himself. Little by little, I learned to speak mountain man.

“We skipped that step.”

“Huh?”

“We weren’t exactly friends when you got your benefits.”

Seamus scoffed.

“When you took advantage of my innocence.”

Now I got a scoff and a shake of the head. Victory.

“Would it be better if we labelled this?”

He didn’t flinch. He didn’t bolt. I took that as a good sign.

He didn’t reply as he unpocketed one of his hands.

Holding it out, I bit my tongue. I didn’t need a definition.

I’d already thrown my sexual identity out the window.

Why not let the relationship be just as undefined?

It seemed only fitting that our relationship followed suit.

I suspected he understood the complications of making this work between us.

For now, I wanted to live in the moment… with him .

I took his hand. “You’re such a softie.”

“I know.” He pointed to the flask. “Is it full?”

“Your favorite.”

“Good man.”

I handed it to him. He studied it for a moment, fingers running over the shiny stones.

When he finished inspecting his gift, our eyes locked.

He scoffed, a smile spreading across his face.

With a finger, he popped the cap before gulping down a mouthful.

He closed it, sliding it into his jacket pocket. “Let’s find Grace.”

“Think it’d be weird if she called me dad?”

“Try your luck.” Seamus dragged me toward the skating rink. “I dare you.”

As the night wore on, parents took their children home. The crowd had dipped to a dull roar. Those who remained huddle in groups, inching closer to the fire pits or the bonfire. Even a calm winter night sent a chill through our bones.

As we stood in the dying warmth of the bonfire, Abraham and his family took a spot by our side. If Seamus thought I didn’t notice the tightening grip, I bit back a smile.

“Crops this year?” Abraham asked.

“Maybe,” Seamus replied.

“I’ll borrow Logan’s tractor.”

“Corn should grow.”

“Not if the deer have any say.”

“It’s for them.”

“You’re too nice.”

“I know.”

Laurel groaned. “Can you two have a conversation? Words cost nothing. Full sentences. Nouns. Verbs. Would an adverb kill you?”

“Yep,” they said in unison.

“Patrick, so help me God?—”

“Girl, don’t worry about me. I can speak enough for all of you. I have a monologue ready to go at a moment’s notice.”

“Good, hopefully you’ll rub off on the old men.” She smacked her brother in the chest when Bobby snickered. “Don’t laugh. You’re just a younger version of Dad. If it wasn’t for Chris, family dinners would be downright tedious.”

“Thanks!” Chris said with a laugh. “I think.”

Abraham gave Seamus a pat on the shoulder and leaned in, whispering in his ear. Whatever he said, Seamus tightened his grip on my hand.

“And with that, I need to get inside before the boys freeze.”

“I’m fine,” Bobby said.

“My other boys.”

“Ew.” Laurel leaned against Bobby’s boyfriend, and the foursome wandered off in the direction of Valhalla. As much as I enjoyed their company, and I loved that Seamus had rekindled a friendship, the selfish part of me wanted him to myself.

What had started as a raging six-foot fire had dwindled to a meager four feet.

Whoever had continued supplying the logs as the night went on had let it fade to a dull roar.

Evelyn had spent the entire evening schmoozing with the townspeople.

The perpetual smile on her face suggested it had been a success.