Page 24 of Tinder Embrace
"Hey, Gwen," I said, injecting enthusiasm into my voice, even though I wanted nothing more than to tell her to go away. Snuggling with Davis was far superior to freezing my butt off around the still weak fire.
He helped boost me from his lap, and I regretted the loss of his warmth. "I'll leave you to your meeting," he said, nodding a greeting to Gwen before catching my gaze. "Text me when you're ready for a ride back."
I watched Davis disappear toward the house on his quad, wishing again that I could swap Gwen for Davis and explore the attraction between us.
"If that's not naked longing in your eyes, then I need a new prescription," Gwen commented, brows arched.
Unabashed, I swung to meet her gaze. "I dunno, Gwen. Have you looked in a mirror lately?" I asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about.”
"Of course not," I said, all innocence. Her stubborn refusal to recognize her feelings for Zander Nemitz were becoming legendary around Campfire. I had five dollars on them resolving their differences before the end of the summer, but Gwen was stubborn enough to hold on until fall if she knew we were all betting on her caving to his charms.
"What's Zander's sign this week?" I asked.
She wrinkled her nose. "It takes studs to build houses."
Giggling, I shook my head. The ongoing sign war between their businesses was the talk of the town. We’d helped Gwen craft her responses around the fire more than once.
"Do you have a comeback yet?"
"Nope," she said smugly. "That's what I have you all for. Hey, Izzy, hey, Eve," she said as our other friends arrived. Together, they made an unusual pairing. Tall, blond Izzy, with her neat braid and natural reserve, radiated serenity. By contrast, small, dark Eve, had a Puckish smile and a flair for mischief. She made a perfect foil for Izzy. Different, but complementary. Paired with uber-organized Gwen, analytical Jo, and my ability to talk with anyone about anything, we made an unstoppable combination.
Eve hoisted a bottle of wine and a stack of glasses. "Hey, Gwen, Sophie."
Izzy dropped the pizza she'd brought on the picnic table, and we grabbed slices and glasses of wine before settling around the fire.
"So," Eve intoned. "I hear you had some excitement this weekend. How did you end up staying here? You know you can stay with one of us, right?"
Touched by the offer, I smiled. "That's generous of you, but no one else has an available extra room and a single-story house. Plus, I wanted to take care ofDavis."
Gwen grinned, a quick twitch of her lips, but I caught the gesture.
"What's funny about that?" I asked.
"The idea of Davis letting you close enough to help him."
I shrugged my left shoulder. "He may be under the impression that he's helping me as much as I'm helping him…"
"How is your ankle?" Izzy asked.
My hand wavered in the air. "Better when I don't have to stand on it all day. Thankfully, I've found a stool to use at work. I'm hoping it will only be tender a few more days."
"Are you going to be able to fly again after this?"
Eve's blunt question made me wince.
"I'm going to have to. I have flights booked in a couple of weeks. They pay the lease on Bee-gonia. I’ll drop the burner off with my distributor’s repair shop this weekend. Once I get it back, I'll do another short test flight before I take up passengers."
Izzy shuddered. "No offense, but I don't think I'm flying with you anytime soon."
Eve raised her hand. "Brady and I will volunteer as tributes if you want passengers." The mischievous light in her eyes made me pause before accepting her offer.
“I’m not sure I can handle the second-degree horny,” I admitted, surprising a laugh out of Eve.
“What? You don’t think we can behave ourselves in your balloon?” she asked.
“Nope,” I said matter-of-factly.
