Page 55 of Feverburn

Rosie grinned at Poe as if to partner up, but before they could, Dane grabbed her hand, pulling her to the impromptu dance floor, exclaiming,“C’mon darlin’, that dress was made for dancing!”

My brain skittered to a halt while I tried to plan a way to intercept, but a small voice came from my side.“Hey Carson, want to dance?”

I looked down to see Dani. “Yeah, you bet.”

I might be grumpy, but I can’t say no to a woman. It takesgutsto approach me. I knew that. She held my arm while we walked over. Following instructions, we faced each other in a line of others. I tried mybestnot to gawk at Rosie four couples down.

“I heard your store almost burnt down,”Dani said, fluttering her fake eyelashes that were too big, like a damn moth was fucking her eye.

“It was an accident. All fixed.”

“Rosie needs to stop being such a spaz. I can’t believe she did that.”She snorted, peering down at my girl. I had to fight my upper lip curling in disgust.

“Honestmistake,”I shot back. Only I got to make fun of Rosie’s firecracker tendencies.

My mom instructed us to step towards each other, lifting our right hands and pressing our palms together. Dani’s hand was small but not like Rosie’s, which had pretty tattooed fingers and shiny dark nails long enough to feelamazingraking down my back. I gotlostin that thought while walking around Dani. It was a courtly dance, like a scene from Shakespeare. Leave it to kooky Kaylee to finagle all of us guys into wearing flower crowns and twirling around on some ancient holiday.

Circling each other in the opposite rotation, with our left hands now pressed, I caught Dani smiling at me again, her face falling with my scowl. My mom instructed everyone to move down three people and change sides of the line. We all shifted to the right, putting me with Kaylee. Then, we moved in the opposite direction. I ended up with Azalea, who wouldn’t look at me. Another call went out for us to switch sides and move two to the right. Halfway through the spin, I caught Rosie in my stream of vision, but she didn’t see me.

“Now to the left!”my mom cheered. I felt foolish with the revelry, mindlessly letting the row of people shift me to the left.

After getting my bearings, my vision zeroed in on lively green eyes looking up at me.“Grumpy ass,”Rosie murmured, pressing her hand against mine.

“Bog witch,”I grumbled, which made her bite her bottom lip to avoid smiling.

At that moment, it wasn’t just our hands that pressed together; it was also our wrists and forearms like we couldn’t get enough of each other. I tried to ignore the distinct hum she had drummed up in my body while not pulling my hand away a second sooner than necessary. Moving to the next partner, we both had to drag our gazes away. Later, I caught herglaringat Dani as I spun her in the final round. We all clapped when it was over. And Kaylee’s awe radiated at the crowd as she thanked us for dancing with her.

My mom hollered over the crowd, “Anyone who wants to try another dance, stay here. Everyone else, please find Markos to help bring out food.”

I gave Dani a single nod, conveying I better go. Rosie turned to help, but Dane pulled her back again. She laughed at something he said, and it looked genuine. I thought I could get through the solstice party without goingcrazy, but seeing his calloused, blackened paws on her body made my jaw hurt with howtightI gritted it.

My final shred of patience was severed when I saw him ignoring her while sitting beside her at dinner. I would give my left nut to do something as simple as feasting with Rosie on a holiday. To touch the back of her neck while I pour her more wine, to watch her wiggle on the first bite of something delicious or sigh before she unpacked her day. She looked so sad sitting next to him, casuallyignoredin the commotion of the party she helped plan for Kaylee.

That’s what pissed me off the most—no one was seeing her. No one was looking out for her. No one was considering everything she was navigating by moving to town under the circumstances she did.

But I saw Rosie, and my instincts took over.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dinner consisted of small talk with Dane and his friend Noah. I was still learning names but had seen Noah a few times. It was nice to put a name to a kind face. He seemed like a sweet guy. He was a ranger who worked with Harley but was originally from Montana. It was comforting to talk to a fellow outsider. But Noah and Dane kept talking about manshit I knew nothing about, and I was stuck at the end of the table without any women to talk to, so I got a little bored. People surrounded me at a lovely event, but I inevitably felt like a loner.

I tried to sit in the comfort of my surroundings. I was with friends, and I’m sure Dane would do me no harm. Even the table in front of me was beautiful, with floral centerpieces and brass candlesticks with suns on the bases. Yellow and orange taper candles were lit, along with crystals tucked in the foliage. From where I sat, I spotted a smoky quartz point that was as big as my hand and a chunk of honey calcite. I smiled, recalling how I picked everything out and snuck it to Harley so he could use it in the setup. It was the least I could do to make it memorable for Kaylee.

I stared intently into the smoky quartz, a rainbow formed with the sun hitting its brownish inclusions, zoning out while Dane and Noah droned on. Time froze, and daydreams of how I wish Carson were beside me took up all of my awareness as I wrapped my arms around my body.

Atingletrailed down my left temple. I surveyed that direction, spotting Carson staring at me as he leaned against the corner of the cabin. I looked away and then back at him. He slowly nodded towards the west. Mybloodbuzzed in my body as my throat clogged with mildpanic, watching him languidly lean to stand to his full towering height.

I took a deep breath, deciphering the reaction in my body, realizing what I thought waspanicwas genuine excitement. I brought my drink to my lips and glanced back at him again. He was already gone. I got up with the excuse to clear my dishes, Dane and Noah barely acknowledging my exit.

The land to the west of the cabin was a thick forest with no Carson in sight. Walking further north, I found his Litha crown dangling from a pine tree branch. Its soft flowers were a colorful contrast against the dark pine needles.

I fought a giddy smile while ducking into the forest, grateful I wore strappy sandals instead of flip-flops. Walking a few steps inward, I whispered,“Carson?”

Nothing.

I continued into the woods, letting its density surround me. Further in, a slight clearing appeared, and to my right, a shadow moved. It was Carson leaning against a tree. He wasprimaland slightly threatening as he prowled toward me. A heated look darkened his face, showing two different moods clashing. His gritted jaw indicated torment, but his hazel eyes simmered with hunger.

Tingles erupted along my neck as his low voice covered me. “Was your plan to taunt me the whole night?” he asked.

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