Across the Vanishing Sky (Starlight Grove, #1)(94)

Dex just laughed as she headed inside, then turned to me.

“I like her,” I said.

Dex’s lips twitched. “You didn’t at first.”

I let out a soft huff. “I was annoyed.”

“Jealous.”

“Annoyed.”

Dex pulled me to him. “I kind of like you jealous.”

“Now you’re annoying.”

He laughed, brushing some hair from my face. “Nothing to be jealous of there. Not even close.”

I knew that now. It had only taken about five seconds to realize it. “What’s the story?”

Dex’s gaze traced my face. “They loved each other. A real kind of love. The kind you knew could go the distance, even when they were only fifteen.”

“What happened?” I whispered.

Dex’s jaw worked back and forth as he searched for the words. “After Orion saved us, he broke up with her. But she never gave up. She wrote letters. Sent emails. Called. Even now, all this time later, every time she gets a break from her job, she comes here. He never sees her. But she comes anyway.”

God, that killed me. For both of them. It was as if Orion had shoved away every good thing in his life—Ever, any true connection—by staying tucked away on the ranch and silencing himself. If he just let himself— “Don’t even think about it, Hellion.”

My gaze flicked up to Dex’s face. “What?”

“I see those wheels turning. Do not try to play matchmaker.”

“I’m not.” I totally was.

“Bullshit. But you can’t. I think it would be too much for Orion. He can’t handle it.”

My shoulders slumped. “Okay.”

Dex’s lips brushed my temple. “You take care today. Text me if you’re running late.”

I stepped out of his hold and gave him a salute. “I don’t know, though. Pissed-off sex kind of has its benefits.”

“Hellion…”

“See you later, Buttercup.”





I arched my back, feeling a few bones pop.

“I heard that one from clear over here,” Roger muttered over the bar as he bent over a burger.

“Long day,” I admitted. We were officially in peak tourist season—at least according to Wylder. And I felt it. More families. And more families meant more kids, who tended to be loud. There was a steady drumbeat behind my eyes as a result.

“Amen to that,” Roger mumbled around a bite of cheeseburger.

I set down the freshly rolled silverware. “You okay?”

There were dark circles under Roger’s blue eyes, and his scruff was thicker.

He took a sip of his beer, swallowing the bite of burger. “Just a lot going on.”

I leaned into the bar. “Meaning you and Travis are working my case in addition to whatever else is on your desk.”

Roger’s lips twitched. “Maybe.”

“I heard via Kol that the sheriff’s department is putting officers back on the case. Shouldn’t that mean it’s no longer side work?”

Roger scowled. “Miller gave it to some green-behind-the-ears deputy. Said he’ll be overseeing the case personally. Wants to give the kid ‘real-world experience.’ But the deputy wasn’t even here when Nova went missing.”

A fresh wave of annoyance flooded me. “Every time I think he’s pulling his head out of his ass, he proves me wrong.”

Roger lifted his beer. “Try working for him for a decade.”

“I can’t imagine.” My gaze flicked to the clock on the wall. “I’m out. You need a refill before I take off?”

Roger shook his head. “I’m all good. Take care of yourself.”

“You get some sleep,” I ordered.

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and grabbed my tote bag. “I’m off,” I called to Wylder and Fiona.

“See you, honey pie,” Fiona called as she wiped down a table.

“You want me to walk you out?” Wylder offered.

“All good. See you tomorrow.”

I headed down the back hall and out into the sunshine. I breathed deeply, taking in the fresh air—the best thing after a long day.

Beeping the locks, I headed for my SUV. As I reached for the door, footsteps sounded behind me. I turned, and the whole world fell away.

Tall. Leanly muscled. Reddish-brown hair. His face had a few lines in it now, but those green eyes were just the same. And they were the mirror image of my son’s.

“Hello, Braedyn.”





38





BRAEDYN





Everything in me froze. My muscles locked. My lungs seized. The space between Vincent and me felt like a mile and a breath all at once.

He smiled. The one I remembered. The one that used to make me stupid. Now, it only had revulsion sweeping through me.

But it also made me realize one thing: maybe I had seen him downtown last week.

“It’s so good to see you,” he murmured.

The way he smiled, the way the skin crinkled around his eyes, the way warmth infused his words… I almost believed him.

But that was Vincent. Charming and enchanting one minute, and cruel and selfish the next.