I sat at the table, the unopened bottle of wine catching the light.The lake had begun its evening transformation, gold deepening toward amber, shadows stretching long and dark from the pines.From the neighboring cabin, someone had switched the music to something slower.Blues guitar, maybe.Soulful and unhurried.
My phone sat inside on the kitchen counter, still powered off.I hadn’t turned it on since the first night.Didn’t want to.Whatever Eric and Jade had to say existed in a different life.There were no creepy vibes to this group.I only knew them by reputation, but by all accounts, they really were good people.
Decision made, I took a breath and smiled.I felt lighter somehow, like I’d finally given myself permission to experience life.I’d go to this little party and give them a chance.For once, I refused to overthink my actions.I wanted this moment in the moonlight with a sexy man.Then, maybe I could start something new.
Chapter Three
Oktober
I spotted her the moment she emerged from the tree line, a hesitant figure silhouetted against the deepening purple of dusk.Mia.She twisted her hands in front of her as she approached our cabin, her steps slowing.I set my beer bottle on the deck railing and stood.The bonfire cast enough light for me to see the uncertainty in her face, the way she chewed at her lower lip… beautiful, even in her nervousness.I descended the steps with deliberate casualness, not wanting to spook her.“You came,” I called, letting a smile spread across my face.
Her shoulders relaxed a fraction.“Ada and Violet can be very persuasive.”
“They mentioned you might join us.”I closed the distance between us, pulled a cold beer from the cooler at my feet, and held it out to her.“Welcome to the madhouse.”
She took the bottle, her fingers brushing mine.“Thanks.”
I gestured toward the fire where my brothers and their women lounged on logs and camp chairs.“Come meet everyone properly.”
The bonfire popped and hissed as we approached, sending the occasional spray of orange sparks skyward.Tiny looked up from where he sat with his arm draped around Penny, nodding a greeting.One by one, conversations paused as heads turned.
“Everyone,” I announced, “this is Mia.She’s staying in the cabin next door.”I pointed to each person as I named them, watching Mia’s eyes widen slightly as she processed the collection of tattooed, leather-clad figures arrayed around the fire.“That’s Tiny and Penny.Ada and Jag.Riot and Violet.Sully and Darby.”Everyone welcomed Mia warmly.
The night air carried the scent of pine and wood smoke, mingled with the sharp bite of whiskey and the faint perfume from Mia’s hair.Behind us, music played from the cabin’s outdoor speakers, classic rock turned down low enough for conversation.
Penny leaned forward.“So, Mia.What brings you to our little slice of paradise?”
“A vacation gone sideways,” she answered, her voice tight.My instincts wanted to pull her closer to me and shelter her from the obvious pain she endured.
Ada gave her a cautious look.“Good or bad?”
Mia looked like she considered Ada’s question carefully before she made an attempt to answer.“I’m not really sure yet.But I think, maybe, everything’s going to work out for the best.”
After that, conversation flowed easily.I watched Mia with undisguised interest.The woman fascinated me.The rigid line of her shoulders gradually softened.Her laughter, hesitant at first, grew more genuine.When she emptied her beer, I offered her whiskey instead.She accepted with a raised eyebrow that said she knew exactly what I was doing.
“Corrupting the innocent?”she murmured as I poured.
“Sweetheart, I don’t think you’re as innocent as you look.”I handed her the glass, making sure our fingers touched.
A flush spread across her cheeks that had nothing to do with the fire’s heat.She took a sip and failed to suppress a small cough.
“Easy,” I said with a chuckle.“It’s not a race.”
She gave me a look.“Lead with that next time, yeah?”Then she took another, more deliberate sip.This time she didn’t cough.God, I was so fucked.
As the night deepened, the whiskey worked its magic.Mia’s laugh came more freely.“How long has it been since you had a night like this?”I asked.
She considered the question, twirling her glass between her fingers.“Honestly?I can’t remember.”
“That’s fucked up,” I said, not unkindly.
“Yeah.”She stared into the fire.“It really is.”
Another hour passed.More whiskey was poured.Someone threw another log on the fire, sending a fresh cascade of sparks into the night sky.Mia leaned slightly against my shoulder, her warmth seeping through my T-shirt.
“I caught my boyfriend fucking my best friend two days ago,” she said suddenly, the words tumbling out in a rush.The conversations around us died.Every head turned.“In our bed,” she continued, her voice steadier than I expected.“I came home early from a conference to maybe get a head start on this trip, and there they were.”
“Son of a bitch,” Ada breathed.
