The music changed to something slower, more melodic. A few couples got up to dance in the space between the fire and the creek, their shadows stretching long against the trees. I watched them, feeling oddly disconnected, like I was observing a ritual from another world.
“You should dance,” Evelyn nudged my arm gently. “Might do you some good.”
I snorted. “I haven’t danced in... hell, I don’t even remember.”
“Like riding a bike,” she assured me with a wink. “Besides, Sarah over there has been eyeing you since you arrived.”
I followed her gaze to a woman sitting across the fire, who quickly looked away when she caught me looking. She was pretty in an understated way, but I felt nothing. No spark, no interest. Just the same emptiness I’d felt every time I’d tried to force myself to be attracted to women.
“Not my type,” I said simply.
Evelyn studied me for a moment, her eyes knowing. “Well, there are all kinds of people here tonight.” Her tone made it clear she understood exactly what I wasn’t saying. “Maybe you’ll find someone.”
I took a small sip of my beer, letting the bitter taste linger on my tongue. It had been so long since I’d had alcohol that even this cheap beer tasted like luxury.
The sound of engines approaching made everyone pause. For a terrifying moment, I thought it might be Pete coming to bust us all and send me back to prison. But the tension broke when someone called out, “It’s just the Nelson boys!”
Relief washed through me, followed by a different kind of tension when another engine, higher-pitched and more aggressive, joined the first. That wasn’t a truck. It sounded like an ATV. I tensed, setting my beer down and straightening my back. I’d know that engine anywhere after a month at McGrath Ranch.
“Shit,” Joey muttered, appearing suddenly at my side. “It’s Ryder.”
Sure enough, the ATV burst into the clearing, and there he was, illuminated by the firelight. Ryder McGrath in all his glory, looking like sin personified in tight jeans and a button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows and nearly all the buttonsundone. His strawberry blonde hair was slightly tousled, like he’d been running his hands through it, and his green eyes reflected the flames as they scanned the gathering.
And then they found me.
A slow, predatory smile spread across his face, and I felt my stomach drop. This was exactly what I’d been hoping to avoid. I’d been doing well keeping my distance since our confrontation in the barn, managing to stay professional and detached whenever our paths crossed. But here, away from the ranch, away from Pete’s watchful eye, all bets were off.
“Don’t worry,” Joey said, clapping my shoulder. “We’ve got your back, remember?”
I nodded stiffly, not taking my eyes off Ryder as he killed the engine and hopped off the ATV with practiced ease. He greeted a few people, his charm on full display as he worked his way through the crowd. But his trajectory was clear. He was headed straight for me.
“Hey, Evelyn,” Ryder said warmly as he reached us, giving the older woman a quick hug. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Where else would I be?” she chuckled. “Someone’s gotta keep an eye on these hooligans.”
Ryder’s eyes slid to me, that maddening smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “Connor. Surprised to see you here. Didn’t peg you for the party type.”
I shrugged, determined to remain casual. “Needed some fresh air.”
“Well, I’m glad you came out,” he said, and the double entendre wasn’t lost on me. “Makes the night more interesting.”
Evelyn glanced between us, eyebrows raised slightly. Then she stood, brushing off her jeans. “I better go check on Sam before he drinks himself into next week. You boys behave yourselves.”
As she walked away, Ryder immediately took her place on the log, sitting closer to me than was strictly necessary. I could smell his cologne again, that expensive woody scent that had haunted my dreams more than once.
“Your dad know you’re here?” I asked, trying to steer the conversation to safer ground.
Ryder laughed, the sound rich and genuine. “Hell no. I snuck out.”
“Snuck out? What are you, fifteen?”
“Twenty-two,” he replied without missing a beat. “But living with my father is like being under house arrest. You should understand that feeling.”
I did understand it, more than he knew. But I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction.
“So, you crashed the party just to annoy me?” I asked, keeping my voice low so others wouldn’t hear.
“Don’t flatter yourself.” His knee brushed against mine, the contact sending an unwelcome jolt through my body. “I come to these bonfires whenever I can slip away. It has nothing to do with you.”
