Page 88 of Where We Burn

“I’m not into him,” she snaps, but her hazel eyes dart away just a little too fast. “I can’t stand the arrogant bastard ninety percent of the time, but…” She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. “Okay, serious question—how frowned upon is it to use your ex’s best friend as a human vibrator when you know he’d get the job done spectacularly?”

“I’m literally sleeping with my ex-boyfriend’s dad. I have zero moral high ground here.”

“I couldn’t do that to Dillon. He’s a good guy, and he doesn’t deserve that.”

“You’ve got to start dating again sometime. And don’t act like it’s one-sided. You do realize Cal’s toeing that same line, right?”

She groans, dragging a hand down her face. “God, I know. He looks at me like he wants to set me on fire and then walk away whistling. It was never this way when I was with Dillon. Like, yeah, Iknew Callan was hot, but this whole hate-fucking attraction? It’s brand new and confusing as hell. And if you tell anyone, I will end you.”

I hold my hands up. “Dead woman walking. You know I’d never spill your shit.”

“Life would’ve been so much easier if I just wanted the marriage-and-babies dream. But I don’t.”

“Mom really did a number on you, too, huh?”

“Or maybe,” she mutters, shrugging like she doesn’t care, “I just wasn’t born with that maternal instinct either.”

“Bullshit, you were the mom I never had, so don’t let her take something away from you that you were really fucking good at.”

She blinks down at her lap, and for a second, she looks heartbreakingly young—like the girl who learned way too early how to survive on her own. But because we don’t do feelings for too long without someone cracking a joke, I nudge her with my elbow and smirk.

“But hey, if you’re dead set on being a lone wolf, Cal’s your spirit animal.”

“Don’t.” She levels me with a death glare. “I genuinely don’t like him. He rattles me, but I’m not blind. When he shuts his stupidly perfect mouth, he’s fuckable—in a completely irritating,punch-his-face-straight-afterkind of way.”

“I know this won’t help, but I love Cal.”

“Okay, we’re done talking about him. Tell me how things are with you and Christian.”

“Well, I’m in love with him…”

Yep. There goes her coffee—right out of her mouth and all over her sweater.

“I’ll wait,” I say, watching her dab at her chin with her sleeve.

“You’re what now?”

“And he feels the same. In fact, he said it first.”

“Holy shit.” A slow smile spreads across her face. “As completely messed up as this whole situation is, I’m happy for you. He’s a great guy, and I know he’ll treat you right.” Suddenly, she sits upright. “Wait—no. You can’t marry him.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because I refuse to call Callan family.”

I needed that tonight. Sprawled out on my sister’s couch, word-vomiting about falling for the most beautiful man I’ve ever met. But now, lying in my own bed for the first time in weeks, the sheets feel too cold and too empty. It feels wrong. My mountain man’s absence is a physical ache, and knowing he’s having that conversation with Travis tonight… well, my insides are twisted up tight.

I grab my phone, chewing my bottom lip as I type.

PIPER: Just crawled into bed, but it feels weird without you. Can I come back up to the farm tomorrow? I miss being beside you.

Barely ten minutes pass when I see my phone ringing from a number I don’t recognize.

Please don’t be Travis.

“Hello?”

“Piper, it’s Colton.”