Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove, #1)(70)

She held out a fist, and Sky grinned as she bumped it.

I leaned back, taking in Brae as she straightened. “You really think you can take everyone at this table?”

A sly smile spread across her face. “Oh, I’m gonna smoke you.”

Mav let out a hoot. “Let’s get this party started, ladies and gents. What did you bring as the offering, Little Badass?”

Brae made a Vanna White move across the hot sauces. “I bring you the burn-your-mouths-off collection from Five Fire Farms outside the Bay Area. One of my personal favorites. I was very pleased to see it here.”

A trickle of awareness slid through me. “You like hot sauce.”

Her damn perfect lips twitched. “I might have a taste for it.”

“Goddamn. She’s a badass. She’s hot. And she likes to eat fire.” Mav laid his head on the table. “I’m done for. No one will ever compete.”

Brae laughed, and the sound wrapped around me like ghosted fingertips. I wanted to lean into it. Bury my face in the sound.

“Why do I have a feeling you’re never hurting for company?” Brae challenged.

Maverick straightened, waggling his eyebrows. “Who, me? I’m one hundred percent a lonely boy.”

Wylder scoffed. “Tell that to the women always bugging me to know when you’re coming into the bar.”

“Hey,” he shot back. “I can’t help it if the ladies want what they can’t have.”

“Enough,” Waylon muttered. “I wanna try these Five Fire Farms.” He reached for the bottle with only one chili pepper. “We start out easy.”

The bottle went around the table, skipping over the kids. Each of us put a little on some brisket or potatoes and chowed down.

“Hoo,” Wylder breathed. “Even the mild’s got a kick.”

“Come on, boss. You can’t hang?” Brae challenged.

“Oh, I can hang,” Wylder shot back as he reached for the two–chili pepper sauce.

That one had me paying attention, the heat building in my gut and mouth. But as I looked over at Brae, she looked like she was just eating fucking ice cream. She flipped a strand of blond hair over her shoulder, and I wanted to slide my fingers through it. Grip the wavy locks as I tipped her head back and took her mouth. As I undid every damn button down the center of her pale-pink sundress.

“I can barely taste it,” Brae said easily. “What about you, Kol?”

My brother grimaced at her. “You taste it.”

She shrugged. “Let’s see about number three.”

She poured a few shakes onto a bite of mashed potatoes and swallowed it down. “Okay. Now, we’re talking.”

Kol grabbed the bottle from her hand, doubling the amount on his own potatoes as if trying to make a point. As he swallowed, sweat broke out on his brow and his eyes went wide.

Maverick burst out laughing. “Someone’s talking a big game but can’t follow through.”

“Remember, Daddy,” Skylar began. “It’s okay to lose to a girl. We’re all equal.”

Wylder snickered. “Yeah, it’s okay to lose to someone about a third of your size.”

Orion snatched the bottle, trying it himself. He was more stoic about his reaction, but his cheeks turned bright red and he started to pant like Lucy did on a hot summer day. He reached for his water.

“I wouldn’t,” Brae warned. “I hear water makes it worse.”

Orion glared at her and then reached across the table for Skylar’s milk, taking a swig and making his niece giggle.

“If Rion had to do milk, I’m out.” Wylder gave the table two knocks.

Sky let out a cheer. “One down, Miss Brae!”

Wylder shook his head. “That hurts, Little Princess.”

She just grinned at him. “Sometimes, girls gotta stick together.”

Waylon and I survived that round, but when Mav tried the three–chili pepper sauce, he shot out of his chair, running for the sink. He stuck his head under the faucet, trying to wash out his mouth. “What was that?” he spluttered. “Three chilis grown in hell?”

Brae laughed as she held out a hand for Skylar, who slapped it.

“Bruh, that’s a little embarrassing,” Owen told Mav.

Orion’s lips twitched at the comment—the first tiny fissure in his shields.

“God, these kids are freaking harsh,” Mav muttered.

“Try living with one,” Kol shot back.

“On to four,” Waylon said, grabbing the bottle and trying the sauce. He let out a garbled sound before knocking twice on the table. “That’s my hard limit,” he croaked.

I grinned as I took the bottle. I thought about trying to best Brae, but my mouth was still on fire from the last round, and I was having too much fun watching her trounce everyone. I knocked twice on the table and handed her the bottle. “Too much for me.”

Brae’s brow arched. “You sure about that, Buttercup?”

“I preferred Bird Poop Boy,” Wylder cut in.

Brae chuckled. “He can be both.”

I leaned back in my chair. “My stomach is going to thank me for this choice tomorrow.”

Brae sprinkled a few drops on her potatoes and took a nice-sized bite. Pink hit her cheeks this time, but no sweat broke out, and she didn’t even reach for a drink after. She simply offered the bottle to Orion across the table.