With her curly hair pulled back from her face she looked a few years younger than her actual age, but that only made her shrewd look all the more dangerous. "Did you just call me a child?"
Rush's jaw dropped a hint, and Sam gave him a hearty slap on the back. "I'm going to get started sorting out the tent pieces,Rush. When Aylin finishes kicking your ass, come on over and help."
Sam took the bag from Rush and continued walking.
Behind him, he heard Aylin's overly dramatic sigh.
"You think up a really good reason why I shouldn't kick your butt, Rush. When you're done, I'll be over there helping Caddo set up his tent."
SEATON
Sitting around the campfire at night was something she'd only dreamed about when she was younger. Her mom didn't allow her to go to any kind of activity that wasn't included for free. Camp? That didn't happen.
Even when Seaton had saved up the money for herself, her mom found a way to take it away.
So there she was, sitting on a blanket, leaning her head against Sam's shoulder while they listened to Sam's lieutenant, Noah Sadler, playing the guitar.
Calling him Cowboy seemed to be just a statement of truth.
He had horses on his land on the outskirts of San Antonio and Seaton had been just as excited to see his pictures of his horses as she'd been to see pictures of the kids from Sam's coworkers.
Animals. Kids. She loved them all. Maybe, she mused, because she'd never really been around them growing up. But so far, being around the kids was a never ending revelation for her. Maybe the horses would scare her if she met them, but she really wanted to take a chance.
A wind blew through and sent chills along her arms and legs.
"Cold?"
She heard Sam's question, but her focus was on his hand that was on 7 er hip. It was moving up to her waist to draw her closer.
"I'm okay."
He moved around behind her on the blanket and stretched one leg out on either side of her.
Seaton felt like her face was too close to the campfire for a moment, her cheeks heating.
A moment later, he slipped one arm around her middle and then added the other.
It was the first time that they were sitting like this.
At home, they sat beside each other on the couch, but they'd never sat down with one in front.
He hugged her closer, and she had to adjust her arms so that they fit together.
He folded his hands together and she put her arms on top of his, easing back against his chest.
His closeness warmed her and the heat that moved between them relaxed her to the point where her eyes were drifting closed.
"Hey, Chief."
She heard Chief Blaise chuckle somewhere off to her right.
"You don't have to call me Chief when we're of the clock, Cowboy."
Fish snorted a laugh and she heard Sage grumble a little. "Stop."
"Ethan," Viviana laughed softly. "You can't tell him he doesn't have to call you Chief and then you call him Cowboy. It's kind of... of a mixed message, you know?"
"I'm just telling him he doesn't have to."
