Page 57 of Fallen Flame

It was just me, Lark, Ever, Jude, Penny, Ender, and Clove.

The second we walked through the back door, Ever clapped her hands together. “I want a grilled hot dog.”

Jude looked over his shoulder. “You’ve been thinking about that all day, haven’t you?”

She smiled sweetly. “Maybe.”

Five minutes later, we were all outside.

It had become one of those late summer nights where the air was finally cool enough that sitting outside actually sounded better than staying in.

Penny and Clove crouched beside the fire pit, arguing over the proper way to get a fire started.

“You need more air,” Penny said.

“I have air,” Clove insisted. “We are freaking outside.”

“No, you have smoke.”

“I have both.”

Ender snorted as he flipped a hot dog. “They’ve been out there five minutes and still don’t have fire.”

Clove looked over her shoulder. “We’re building ambiance.”

“You’re building smoke.”

Jude laughed. “I’ll eat my hot dog before your ambiance starts.”

Lark sat back in one of the patio chairs beside Ever with a blue wine cooler in her hand. They looked completely relaxed. Something I hadn’t seen much of the last couple of weeks.

I opened two bags of chips and a package of hot dog buns.

Lark looked up when she heard me move closer to her. I set everything down on the table beside her. “This is the most cooking I do.”

She looked from the buns to the chips before laughing. “I don’t think opening bags can be qualified as cooking.”

“It counts.”

“It absolutely does not.”

“I brought supplies.”

“You transported supplies.”

“I transported them successfully.”

She grinned. “I’ll give you that.”

The smell of grilled hot dogs drifted across the patio as Jude pulled another one from the grate. “Alright,” he called. “They’re done. Come get one before they burn.” He looked toward me. “And somebody forgot plates.”

I looked at the buns. “...Maybe.”

Lark laughed as she stood. “I’ll get them.”

“No, I—” I started.

She was already walking toward the door. “I got it.”