Honey did know. It was the same platitudes she’d heard over and over, after all, from friends and colleagues and her own ex-husband:These things happen. Nobody’s to blame. It’s all for the best.
She should have been able to smile and agree that yes, it was just one of those things. Be calm and civilized and—that awful lawyer word—amicable. What everyone wanted her to be. So very, very amicable.
But for once, it was too much. She was somewhere she shouldn’t be, pretending to be something she wasn’t, and one extra layer of pretense threatened to bring the whole house of cards tumbling down.
Smile,she told herself fiercely.Do it for the kids. Like always.
“Yes,” she said, and forced her mouth upward. “Don’t worry, I’m completely fine. It was all… all very amicable.”
Buck abruptly stood, shoving back his log with a rough, attention grabbing scrape of sound.
“Enough,” he announced, in a tone that brooked no argument. “Motherloving shifters, give them an inch and they break out the thumbscrews. Honey needs rest, not the Spanish Inquisition. I’m taking her to bed.”
“Buck!” Honey yelped, hot embarrassment wiping away every other emotion. She turned to Leonie and Moira. “He doesn’t mean—”
Her words were lost in a sudden flurry of activity. Leonie and Moira were already scrambling to their feet, both talking at once.
“Wow, look at the time, didn’t realize it was so late—”
“Indeed, we should all get some rest—”
“But the fire still burns bright,” Ragvald protested, still seated. “And there is yet drink to share and tales to tell.”
“It is late,” Moira said firmly. “We are all very tired. Including you.”
“I am?”
“Yes.” Moira clamped a hand around Ragvald’s brawny upper arm, dragging him after her. “You are.”
“Buck really didn’t…” Honey tried again, but all three shifters had already hurried away. She turned an exasperated look on Buck. “Did youhaveto phrase it like that?”
He shrugged, bending to pick up a stick. “Worked, didn’t it?”
Honey sighed, conceding the point. “I suppose it did. Thanks for the rescue. You were right, this was a bad idea. I didn’t realize how much little details might matter. At least you were able to stop them from gettingtoosuspicious.”
“Not why I scared them off.” Buck poked at the embers in the fire pit before adding, gruffly, “You still in contact with him?”
“Who, my ex?” She blinked at him, taken aback. “Not really.”
He grunted, his gaze still fixed on the fading fire. “Do you know his address?”
“No, but I could ask my kids. Again, why?”
In the flickering, fading firelight, his features were an unreadable mask, all hard lines and harsh shadow. “Helps to know where a man lives if I’m going to go punch him in the face.”
“Buck!”She stared at him, finding absolutely no sign that he was joking. “You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Believe me, I intend to do more than just say it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Anyway, there’s no need to go charging off on your white horse. Everything’s fine. Like I said, it was all very amicable.”
Buck flashed her a look across the fire pit. “Then I will very amicably punch him in the face.”
“Oh, stop it, you terrible man.” Despite her rebuke, Honey felt herself smile—a real one, this time. “But thank you. For the offer.”
Buck grunted again, returning his attention to the fire. “This shouldn’t be left unattended yet. No need for you to wait around, though. Go get some sleep.”
She knew he was right, yet she had a strange urge to stay. Some long-buried part of her wanted to go to him, to sit side by side until the firelight faded and the soft night stole in.
