The lesson concludes with an exaggerated curtsy, and the kids’ laughter sinks into silence as the door closes behind the last picked up tiny dancer. I limp to the edge of the studio and collapse into a chair. My cell buzzes with a text from Kya just asI’m bending over to peel the brace off my ankle and my foot back into the moon boot.
The moment I’m done, I swipe open my phone and read Kya’s message:
Kya:
Everyone’s meeting at Devil’s before the hearing. 6pm. Don’t be late or Lee will eat your fries.
I smile and text back:
Me:
Be there. Save me a seat.
Bones still insists on picking me up after class, so while I wait, I use the time to clean up the studio, putting away props and making sure everything’s ready for tomorrow. We’re back living in the apartment above the laundromat—our apartment now that I’ve gone decorating mad. And by the time I hear the rumble of an engine outside, I’ve got my bag packed and I’m sitting by the door with my foot elevated on a chair.
The door opens and Bones walks in wearing work boots, jeans covered in sawdust, and a faded t-shirt with the Bennett Construction logo—a job he didn’t want to give up even though he got his Intelligence Officer position back. His hair is messy, there’s a smudge of dirt or grease on his jaw, and he looks tired.
He also looks good enough to eat.
“Hey, swan.” He crosses the room and leans down to kiss me. “Ready?”
I nod, and he scoops up my bag then helps me up with his free hand, ever the dirty gentleman.
“Did you get the text about dinner?” I ask as we head outside.
“The one about everyone gathering at Devil’s.”
“That’s the one.”
“No,” he teases. “I didn’t get that at all.”
His truck is parked right outside, and he helps me up into the passenger seat before going around to the driver’s side. He starts the engine and I lean back comfortably as he steers in the direction of our apartment. “I cannot wait to get home and shower,” he says, pulling at the neck of his shirt. “Reckon I’ve got sawdust in places a man doesn’t want sawdust.”
“Sexy.” I laugh. “In that case, you take the first shower and I’ll take a quick one in whatever time is left.”
Bones smirks. “Or we could share.” His eyes catch the pink glow of sunset through the windshield and for a moment, he looks so stupidly beautiful I half want to punch him for it.
“If we share, we’ll end up missing dinner altogether, and then Lee will eat all my fries,” I say, propped facing the window and watching Stoneheart’s battered old downtown glide past.
“That’s a real risk,” he agrees. “Fries are delicious.”
“Yes, they are. And I don’t think I need to point out how limited a ballerina’s diet can get at times. I need all the calories I can get. I’m finally starting to plump out, you know.”
“Hmm. I’ve noticed. Fucking love those extra curves, swan. But youneeda shower.”
“But I also need fries. More fried equals more curves.”
“You’re driving a hard bargain.” He sighs, a long-suffering noise that means he’s already planning to wash my hair for me, then lick water off my spine until I run out of objections. “But youwillbe taking a shower with me,” he commands, but his grin is fond. We drive home, windows down, my left leg propped on the dash, the town rolling past smelling of wet pavement, cut grass, and the sharp bitterness of exhaust. I never thought I’d love these smells—never thought I’d come back to Stoneheart and be anything but restless for the city—but today, they make my heart slow down, almost to resting.
Showering together is as good as advertised, and somehow we still manage to show up at Devil’s on time.
Kya waves from a large table in the back where she’s sitting with Lee, Andi, and Hawk. Poppy and Axel are at the bar with Tank and Ginger. Steel is shooting pool with Mouse in the corner. And at the head of the largest table, Stone sits with Duck and Maggie on one side and Josie on the other, the four of them deep in conversation over what looks like legal documents.
“There they are!” Lee calls out. “Told you they’d be late.”
“We’re not late,” I protest, hobbling over with Bones’s hand at my back. “We’re exactly on time.”
“You’re fifteen minutes late and your hair’s still damp.” Kya smirks. “Wonder what could’ve delayed you.”
