For the first time in two years she didn’t feel like she was just barely hanging on—to her independence, a livelihood, or her sense of self. She was going to celebrate. That Rafe might be there, and she knew it would be okay if he was…that was the icing on the cupcake. It might even be nice now that they’d had a bit more closure. Sure, his visit had been bittersweet and kissing him had probably been a mistake, but she hadn’t woken up in a tizzy over it all week. She’d been too busy. This would be a good test. Now that she had a second job, one that she was super excited about, maybe Rafe wouldn’t have the same effect on her.
Wishful thinking.
As soon as she hopped out of the Howards’ truck she saw him across the clearing. He was hauling sandbags out of his own truck and stacking them next to a big water barrel.
He waved and she returned the gesture, butterflies rioting in her belly. She needed back-up. Her sister-in-law answered on the first ring. “Dani, you need to come to Scott Turner’s bonfire tonight.”
A groan warned her this conversation wasn’t going to go well, as did the protest that followed. “No. No, no, no, no, no.”
“Jake isn’t here.” Olivia looked around, hoping that was true. She was the only person in Pine Harbour that knew about Dani’s secret crush—she’d found out after the divorce, but even if she was still with Rafe, she’d have kept that news private. Nothing good could come of the Minelli brothers finding out their sister wanted their best friend.
“Why areyouthere?” Dani asked, dodging the rarely discussed but ever-present reality that she avoided any event where she might see Jake Foster tangled up with a woman. Olivia understood exactly how Dani felt, and suddenly felt foolish for thinking she could brass out a get together with Rafe. Seeing him at the diner was one thing—she was working, he was eating, and most importantly, that was before they kissed. And tangled in the woods. Cuddled on her couch. She groaned at the raft of fresh memories of his warm Adonis body wrapped around her. Dani correctly interpreted the groan as being related to her big brother. “Walk out to the road and I’ll pick you up.”
“No, I want to stay.” Olivia tracked Rafe as he finished unloading the truck. He hopped into the cab and pulled it away from the bonfire area, parking it a safe distance back. He dropped the tailgate, spread out a blanket on it, and headed in her direction. Yep, she definitely wanted to stay. Crap.
“Don’t do anything with my brother.”
“I won’t.” He walked leisurely, giving her plenty of time to start moving in another direction. She stayed where she was.
“You will. You still love him and he’s an idiot who will never be good enough for you.”
“I won’t, I don’t, he’s not, and that’s not what this is about.”
“What is this about? We live in a small town, honey. Everyone will know what you guys do tonight.”
“We’re not going to do anything.” Rafe stopped in front of her, a wicked grin slicking across his face as he caught her last words.Dani?he mouthed. She wouldn’t talk about him with anyone else. She nodded and licked her lips. “He’s my friend.”
He gave her a decidedly heated look that peeled away at the statement, revealing it as mostly a lie. They were friendly, for exes, but at the first whiff of him moving on she’d lost her mind. They weren’t friends. Not really.
“Maybe you two should just fuck and get it out of your systems. Lord knows you aren’t getting it anywhere else.”
“You’re one to talk, D.” Olivia was just dragging the conversation out now, but she was enjoying making Rafe stand there and wait for her. It was a harmless game that she’d never indulged in when they were together, but she liked feeling his eyes on her.
“Oh look at the time, I have to go wash my hair.”
“Come on, don’t leave me—”
“I’ll pick you up if you want to head out, but I’m not traipsing around in the woods like a teenager.” Jeez, Dani had such an old soul for a twenty-five year old. She’d chosen the wrong career—she would have made an excellent schoolmarm.
“No, I’m good. False alarm.” She hung up over the protests of her former sister-in-law and her pounding heart. Two steps forward, one step back. Nope, that would mean some progress. One step forward, two giant flirting steps back into the arms of her sexy ex-husband. Today those arms were wrapped in a white cotton long-sleeve t-shirt and a red flannel over shirt. She just might combust from the hotness. “Hey.”
“I wasn’t expecting to see you tonight.” The sun was setting, but he was close. Really close. And his eyes were bright and interested. “This is a nice surprise.”
“I didn’t know you were going to be here.” Strictly speaking, that was true. Knowledge and hope weren’t the same thing.
“How’ve you been?” The past week had been the longest they’d gone without seeing each other since his tour of service in the Middle East.
“Well…” She shoved her hands in her pockets to keep from reaching for his forearm and squeezing. “I’ve got some news. Good news,” she hastened to add as the happy look dropped off his face. “I have a new job, one that will keep me around for the next six months.”
Her heart twisted at the eager enthusiasm on his face. Telling him was a mistake. Loving him was a mistake. Every conversation they had proved it was an impossible task, truly leaving Rafe Minelli. Too bad staying with him had been impossible too.
“What kind of job?”
“It’s a long story…” She let him guide her over to his truck as their host lit up the carefully assembled giant pyre in the middle of the cleared field. A few coolers of beer were set up at the edge of the circle and he grabbed a bottle on the way past and lifted another in offer for her. She shook her head. She’d have a drink in a bit, but she didn’t need alcohol right now. She needed calm, cool, friendly distance.
They wandered over to his truck and sat on the blanket spread out on the tailgate. She told him about the job, and he asked a bunch of questions, all of which she could answer. “You aren’t curious about what the movie is called?”
He laughed. “Can you tell me?”
