Page 83 of Facing the Line

“Nuh-uh!” Emma dances around the table, proving my mom right.

Instead of arguing with my sister more, she throws her head back and laughs. “Never a dull moment.”

I check our marshmallows, rotating among the coals. “Okay, we’re probably done.”

“That’s it?” Hadley’s brows rise. “It’s that easy?”

“Yep. Now we put everything together.”

Emma runs over to us with graham crackers and chocolate squares. There’s a telltale streak of chocolate by the side of her mouth, but I don’t say anything. She holds them flat and helps us remove our marshmallows from the skewers and sandwich them between the crackers and chocolate. She hovers to watch Hadley’s response.

Taking a big bite, Hadley moans, and it hits me below the belt. “Wow, you’re right, Emma. This is amazing.”

My sister beams and bounces on her toes before my mom herds her into the house. “Candy Queen, you need to wash your face and get ready for bed.”

She grumbles but complies. My dad stands from his chair, reminds me about fire safety, and wanders inside with them.

It’s only me and Hadley. So after glancing around, I sit and pat my knee. “Come’ere.”

Licking the rest of the marshmallow off her fingers, she smirks and settles on my lap. I shift to take another bite of my s’more, but she swoops in and steals it from me. If she wasn’t so cute, I’d dump her on the ground. As it is, I wipe my hands on my shorts and avert my eyes as her tongue darts out to catch a graham cracker crumb.

“Your family’s great.” She sighs and leans against me, her back to my front, and stares at the night sky. “Seriously, I love them.”

“Me, too.”

“Your parents are adorable. How long have they been married?”

“Uh…” I do some quick math. I’m twenty-two, Katie is ten years older, so… “Thirty-three years.”

“Wow. That’s incredible. They must have been babies when they got married.” She tilts her head to stare at me, and I weave my hands through her long, silky hair. It’s like ribbons between my fingers, and she hums in pleasure.

“Yeah, they were high school sweethearts. Katie was born a year after their wedding. Then Alyssa and Lindsay each two years apart.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “And don’t let on I know, but I was a bit of a surprise baby. There’s six years between Lindsay and I. I think they were worried I’d be lonely, so Emma came along three years after me.”

“Whew. Five kids in thirteen years. Was your mom ever not exhausted?”

“Nah, she loves kids.” I take a deep breath, Hadley’s cotton candy scent surrounding me. I have to fight to stay focused on the conversation and not get distracted by her lips. “She’s from a big Irish Catholic family. I think she would have had more, but Emma’s accident kinda consumed everything.”

“She wanted more than five?” Shock tinges Hadley’s voice. “That’s crazy.”

“Maybe.” I give in and run my nose along her neck, and arousal builds low in my belly. “But we’re happy.”

“Oh, definitely.” She shifts and turns to face me. “I wasn’t criticizing. I have a hard time picturing…but your family makes it look nice. Amazing, even.”

“I am pretty amazing, you’re right.”

Playfully, she pushes my shoulder, then leans her forehead against mine. “I didn’t meanyou. I was talking about the whole package.”

“But you mostly meant me.” I thread my fingers through the hair at her nape and pull her mouth closer.

“Yeah,” she breathes. “You make me think…”

“What?” I ask, silently begging her to put me out of my misery and kiss me already.

“Nothing.” Her throat bobs in a swallow. “Just that the future could be…good. Could have a lot of different options. Things I haven’t considered before.”

I don’t really know what she’s talking about, but I nod. “That’s great,” I say on a whisper.

Her lips find mine as the fire cracks and pops behind us. I taste the sweetness of chocolate and marshmallows on her tongue, and I want her so much, I’m dizzy with it. She’s intoxicating, like the strongest cocktail. And addicting, too.

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