Whatever Dillon says in return makes her chuckle, the sound so quick and unguarded it rolls right through the smoke and burrows in somewhere under my ribs.Yep, she definitely has a spark to her.
She is a lot more brash than any woman I’ve met in a long time, quick-tongued too. I mean, she’d mouthed off to a stranger with at least a hundred pounds on her without even blinking. From what I can tell, she isn’t scared, either.
Not of us. Not of the situation.
That alone is rare out here, the street-smart, big-city vibe that makes a person so comfortable around other people you can banter even before you know their names. That’s the vibe she gave off, anyway.
“You said you saw the smoke,” she’s saying to Dillon when I tune in to their conversation again. “How did you say that happened again?”
Her tone doesn’t saycross-examination, but Chance recognizes it immediately for what it is. “We didn’t say. Not yet, but we’ve got nothing to hide. We live just on the other side of the ridge, and we have a lot of windows. We’ve already told you that fire isn’t something people mess around with out here.”
“Right,” she drawls, stretching out the word as her eyes locked on his. “So, what? You just saw the smoke and raced right over?”
“Pretty much, yep,” Dillon responds with an understanding, knowing grin. “We mean you no harm. We come in peace. All that stuff. It’s just like he said. We live right over the ridge, and we didn’t know anyone was here. If it was a fire, our house could’ve been right in its path.”
As she thinks it over, I take a closer look at her. The hoodie she wears had seen better days, the fabric stretched out and the dark blue color faded. It doesn’t do much to hide her shape, though. Those curves that don’t belong on someone so delicate.
The strong, capable lines of her legs. Clearly, her body was made for motion. Work. She hadn’t come here just to pose on the porch with the woods as a backdrop for her profile picture.
I should turn back to the fireplace to make sure nothing is smoldering there, but instead I find myself standing longer than necessary, just taking her in. When she laughs again, throwing her head back a little this time, I realize I could stare at her all day without getting bored.
But I can’t do that now. The breeze is turning into wind, and the sun will be setting any minute.
Meanwhile, she can’t stay here.
For her own safety, of course.
That is what I told myself as I turn toward the door and go back outside. “The chimney’s blocked solid. It’s not safe to light a fire here right now.”
She looks up, soot smudged on her cheek, but those green eyes sharp and alarmed. “So, what, you want me to just freeze to death?”
I meet her stare, that stubborn chin lifting like she is daring me to say yes. “No, you’re coming with us.”
Dillon and Chance are still on the porch, and if I’d had any doubts about where their heads were, one look at them cleared it up. They’re both watching her, not being subtle about it either. Chance with that quiet, assessing stare of his, Dillon with a grin that said he was already halfway in trouble.
The girl, for her part, stands her ground like she’d done this a hundred times before. With one hand on her hip and her chin up high, she’s covered in smoke, dust, and attitude.
The poor thing has no idea what she’s just walked in to, but I can’t help wondering if, when all is said and done, she may actually end up liking it.
7
CHANCE
Boone’s voice is calm and matter of fact when he tells her she has to come with us. But the second the words leave his mouth, I see it.
Yeah. She’s definitely scared of something.
I step forward, moving slow enough not to spook her, and hold out a hand. “I’m Chance. That’s Boone and this one here is Dillon. We’d never have barged in like this if we hadn’t thought the place was on fire.”
Her lips twitch, and a spark of defiance flares under all that soot. “Well, it kind of was, so thanks for the rescue.”
Dillon chuckles. “You’re welcome, darlin’.”
The comment gets the barest hint of a smile out of her, but it’s still progress.
“Your chimney is completely blocked. It could be nests or maybe worse, but whatever it is, it’ll need a full, proper cleaning before you can use it again. That’s why you’ll need to stay with ustonight. Or, if you’d rather, there’s a motel in town,” Boone tells her.
Her smile vanishes. Just like that. Her shoulders stiffen and her eyes dart around like a cornered animal. Something about going back to town hit a nerve.
