Page 36 of The Second Dance

I remember just feeling honored to be chosen and wanting to keep her to myself for a little while.

But by the following Monday, word had already spread. Between first period and lunch, it had gotten ugly. And no matter what I said, or didn’t say, how many asses I threatened to kick, it spread like wildfire.

I got street cred for something that was nobody’s damn business, and she got dumped on. I wanted to shield her from that. If we had dated, I think I could have; but she didn’t want me. On her own, on that little island of hers, she was outside my reach.

Maybe I could have fought harder, but I grew up watching my dad boss my mom around.

I didn’t want to be like that.

“Okay, so that’s a no to a prescribed fire?”

I glance over at her. “What?”

She tilts her head. “You were over there glowering. There are other ways to get rid of that layer of thatch, but controlled burns are cheap and they work.”

“I don’t have an opinion about the burn.”

“What was with the look, then?”

I bite back a smile. “There wasn’t a look.”

She laughs. “There was. You looked pissed.”

“Thanks?” I glance over at her, laughing at her skeptical expression. “I was thinking about something else.”

“And you’re not going to tell me what that was?”

I shake my head. “Not a chance.”

“Well, that’s fun.” She crosses her legs, drawing that little skirt up her thigh. “You’d have to get a burn permit and have the fire department out there.”

“Well, that’d be me, then.”

She looks at me. “What?”

I shrug. “Me and Skyler. We’re on the volunteer fire department.”

“You are kidding me.”

I laugh. “Why are you so surprised by this?”

“Because you and Skyler most definitely burned down the old bus barn in eighth grade. What buffoon hired you two to prevent fires?”

“First of all, rumors of that little shed fire are vastly exaggerated. And second of all, I hired myself. You’re looking at the captain of the fire department, babe.”

She gives her head a little shake. “What?”

“Hey, I can be very responsible when the situation calls for it. It’s not like I was a complete delinquent in high school.”

“No, but you were rather wild, if I recall.”

“Unlike Miss Suzy High School over there.”

She nods, her smile slipping slightly. “You had way more fun, that’s for sure. Maybe you had the right idea.”

“You didn’t have fun?”

She looks at me, one eyebrow cocked. “Is that a serious question?”

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