Page 5 of From Air

“Yes. She’s tan.” Eyeing Will, I wait for him to look at me. “And young.”

He smirks. “She’s twenty-five.”

I lift my brows.

“What?” He puffs out his chest.

“Don’t fuck the new roommate. House rules.”

It’s the rule thathemade because he let his dick ruin a good situation in the past.

“Pfft.”He sips his beer. “Twenty-five. That’s twelve years younger than me and ten younger than you, Fitz. Damn, that makes me feel old.”

“Are you talking about me?” Jamie skips down the stairs with the confidence of someone who’s lived here for years—like Maren.

Great. Just what we need: another spitfire woman.

“We were talking about your tan.” Will smiles. “Can I get you something to drink?”

“I’m good. I’ll run to the store soon.” Her lips corkscrew while she’s tapping her fingers on the back of the sofa. “Once I search up the nearest store on my map app.”

“Go with Fitz.” Will gestures at me with his beer.

I shake my head. “I’m not going.”

Will tries to call me out with a knowing smirk. My eyes narrow in his direction. He mirrors my expression. He’s dense, with the subtlety of an elephant.

“Fitz, you go every Wednesday at six thirty if you’re home. You’re so predictable it’s nauseating.” Pleasure bleeds from Will’s words. I’m his favorite target.

And he’s mine.

I peek at my watch. “Don’t you have your ballet class soon?”

“Tai chi, asshole,” Will corrects me. “And yeah, I need to get going.” He tosses his empty bottle in the bin. “Maren should be home soon. If I were you, I’d stay in the shed until then. But then again, you’re used to the mentally unstable. Maybe you can fix Fitz for us.” He winks at Jamie before jogging up the stairs.

Jamie leans against the back of the sofa, arms crossed. “Fix Fitz? Are you broken, Calvin Fitzgerald?”

“Do I look broken?”

Her head tilts to the side. “Not the kind of broken I’m used to seeing. So I won’t judge youyet.” She grins.

It’s a pleasant grin, and I berate myself for thinking that the second it pops into my head.

Freckles.

Pleasant grins.

Jesus, I need sleep.

“I’ve lived a sheltered life, so you might be perfectly normal for someone who jumps out of planes to fight wildfires with a big axe.”

“Yes.” I rub my neck. “I gathered that from the snow revelation. And thatbig axeis called a Pulaski.”

“Oh, the snow.” She sighs. “I’m in love with snow. Who knew? I’m in love with the mountains. I’ve lived in Florida my whole life. And I was homeschooled until I attended college. So, yeah”—her nose scrunches—“sheltered.”

“Homeschooled?” Will’s silvery voice rides my nerves as he reaches the bottom of the stairs. “Holy shit, Fitz. She’s your soulmate.”

Jamie regards me with twisted lips and expectant eyes.

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