“You know,” Slate says, leaning casually against the fence, “it’s about time someone tamed you, Ridge.”
“Yeah,” Zane chimes in. “Maybe she can teach you how to smile.”
“I smile,” I growl, glaring at him.
“Sure you do, buddy.” Fox claps me on the back. “It’s just rare enough to count as a solar eclipse.”
Quinn, to her credit, holds her own. “You boys done yet?” she asks, crossing her arms and giving them a look that would make our mom proud. “Or do you need a few more minutes to get it out of your system?”
The brothers exchange surprised glances, then burst into laughter. Even Liam, who’s usually the quietest, cracks a grin. Grady is still scowling, arms crossed behind them.
“I like her,” Slate declares, giving Quinn a mock salute. “She’s got guts.”
“Too bad Grady’s gonna kill them both,” Zane adds, his tone all too gleeful.
Grady doesn’t respond, at a loss for words if I had to guess.
Zane points a thumb in my direction. “So, how do you feel about your little sister shacking up with old man Ridge here?”
Grady’s expression darkens, and I know I’m in trouble. “You’re not really crazy enough to go through with this, are you?”
Before I can answer, Quinn steps forward, her chin held high. “No one’s ‘shacking up’ with anyone,” she says firmly. “I’m here for my research. That’s it.”
Her confidence is enough to disarm even Grady, who mutters something under his breath about protective older brothers and leaves it at that. For now.
By the time the brothers leave, I’m ready for a drink. Quinn, however, seems unbothered, her sharp wit cutting through their teasing like a blade.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell her as we walk back to the observatory.
“Do what?” she asks, glancing at me.
“Stand up for me. Or whatever that was.”
She shrugs, her expression unreadable. “I wasn’t standing up for you. I was standing up for myself.”
Fair enough. But her words stick with me, the way everything about her seems to. I don’t know what it is about Quinn Stevens, but she’s under my skin in a way I can’t quite shake.
And, God help me, I’m not sure I want to anymore.
Chapter Four
Quinn
The mountain air is crisp against my cheeks, carrying the scent of pine and earth. I adjust the strap of my backpack and glance at Ridge, his long strides eating up the uneven trail ahead. He doesn’t even look winded, while I’m doing my best to keep my breathing steady.
“I thought stargazing was supposed to be relaxing,” I call out, my voice echoing off the trees.
Ridge glances over his shoulder, a smirk tugging at his lips. “Thisisrelaxing. For people who can keep up.”
“Careful, Warner. Your arrogance is showing.”
He stops abruptly, and I almost crash into him. “Arrogance?” He turns to face me, his sharp jawline illuminated by the faint glow of the moon. “It’s not arrogance if it’s true.”
I roll my eyes, stepping around him. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, here you are,” he murmurs, his voice low enough to send a shiver down my spine.
I ignore the way my pulse skips and keep walking. The trail narrows, the trees closing in as the elevation climbs. Ridge moves behind me now, his presence a steady weight againstmy back. There’s something comforting about having him close, even if he does drive me crazy.
