I follow her gaze.“Yep. Running the cider booth, pretending she’s not exhausted.” Mom’s ladling drinks with one hand and keeping the little ones from climbing hay bales with the other. Dad’s beside her, wearing that proud, peaceful smile he always gets when the whole family’s together.
“And that’s Summer?” Penny nods toward a table piled high with sweets.“She really went all out.”
Summer’s laid out a feast of sweets that nearly blocks the storefront, pumpkin pies, candied nuts, cookies stacked high. Her little girl, Mia, twirls around in a pink dress, laughter bubbling through the air.
Ethan and Asher stand a few feet away in their fireman uniforms, officially on duty for the night. Girls hover around them like bees to honey, but Ethan doesn’t spare them a glance. His eyes keep drifting to Summer like she’s the only fire he’d ever want to put out.
We keep walking, and she points toward the outdoor bar where the music’s spilling from the speakers.“Look! Dex and Jude” Penny waves at them.
The twins are over by Dex’s setup, his bar’s closed for the night, but he’s running the music and the outdoor drinks. Women crowd near them, trying to catch their eye.
Dex laps up the attention, charming and easy as always. Jude, though, he’s the opposite. Quiet, reserved, uninterested. Brittany, a woman they went to school with, tries to talk to him, but he just nods once and walks away, leaving her standing there. I can’t help but wonder if he’ll ever find love like this.
Penny hums, taking it all in.“Cas… why does Asher look angry?”
I glance toward him. Asher’s jaw is tight, eyes fixed on Grace, still laughing with Caleb by the hay bales. My chest tightens.
“He’s not angry,” I say slowly. “Just… protective.”
Penny studies me, unconvinced. “Protective,” she repeats quietly.
“He grew up with us,” I add. “Has to see her like a little sister.”
She hums again. “Right.”
But my eyes drift back to Asher, and something in his expression twists something deep in me.
Right?
???
Penelope
The square glows under golden lights, the air crisp with fall. Everywhere I look, there’s something new to take in: kids chasing each other between hay bales, the warm crackle of a bonfire at the far end, couples twirling to the sound of country music.
Lily presses a steaming cup of cider into my hands. “Drink. It’s tradition.”
The heat seeps into my palms, the spiced sweetness curling into my nose. I take a sip and nearly melt. “That’s dangerous. I could drink a gallon.”
She grins. “Good. You’ll need the sugar for all the dancing later.”
My cheeks warm at the word dancing. I glance over my shoulder and find Cas watching me from across the square, leaning against a post like he’s trying to guess the color of my panties. I blush. The black Stetson hung low on his head and that soft, crooked smile make my chest ache. Damn, he looks so good.
I look over at Cas’s family and feel warmth spread through me. I don’t belong anywhere, not really. But here, with him, with all of them, I start to wonder if maybe I could.
Jace wanders over to Cas, clearly teasing him about something, judging by the scowl Cas gives him. Cas slaps Jace on the neck, then looks back at me. The heat crawls up my neck when his wicked grin flicks in my direction.
Two women, one blonde and one brunette, both beautiful, walk over to them. The blonde puts her hand on Cas’s shoulder, smiling at him, showing off her cleavage.
Hot fire crawls up my spine.Am I jealous?Oh God. I’ve never felt so possessive. I want to look away, but just as I do, I see Cas take her hand and move it away, stepping back. He says something that makes her smile fade.
Then he points at me. The woman’s stare turns murderous as it lands on me.Oops.
Cas turns on his heel without a second glance and comes over to me. His walk is so hot, so self-assured and easy that my fury toward the woman melts away as his eyes run over me. That wicked smirk of his appears as he gets closer, and I feel naked under his gaze. I blush.
“Hey, Sunset.” His voice is low and warm as he pulls me in for a long, slow kiss that makes my toes curl. “Hmm,” he growls against my lips, then leans his forehead against mine. “My favorite taste in the world.”
He kisses my forehead, making me melt, then pulls back and stares into my eyes. “Did I just see your jealous side?” He nods toward where Jace is still flirting with both women.
