Page 73 of Fire Away


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“Deal.”

Warren slaps the roof of the car once, then shuffles me to the side to open my door for me.

“I’ll drive the rig back and park it then meet you in the bunkhouse and we can go, " he says.

I step into the car and buckle my seat belt, but then look down at my dress that’s dirty from the grease on Warren’shands. My head falls back on the seat and I realize that I don’t have anything to change into that I could wear to the river.

“Ugh,” I sigh.

“What?”

“I need a swimsuit.”

“Borrow one from B. She has tons of them,” Warren says.

I shake my head, picturing trying to fit my hips into a pink string bikini and laugh. “No, it’s okay. I’d rather wear mine. I’ll just go grab it real quick. I could grab a few more things so I can stay with you this week if you want,” I add with a smirk.

The edges of his eyes crinkle up from his smile hearing that recommendation.

“I can take you as soon as I’m done here.”

“It’s fine,” I argue with a casual wave of my hand. “You don’t have to do that, I'm a big girl. I’ll be quick I promise.”

He thinks for a moment, rubbing his jaw and looking behind him at the tractor and trailer full of hay that needs to be put away.

“Alright,” he sighs. “Drive safe and come right back.”

He leans into the car and curls his left hand around the side of my face. It’s meant to be a quick goodbye kiss at first, but I hook my hand around his elbow and pull him back in for another one. He moans against my lips and I finally pull away before the inside of my car becomes the next place I scream his name.

He kisses the tip of my nose, closes the driver’s side door, and walks back to the tractor. I stared at his ass in those jeans while he walked away, but then shook my head remembering that I should stop being distracted by him and get going. There will be plenty of time for me to ogle him later. Preferably with no clothes at all this time.

Gravel crunches under the tires of my SUV as I pull into the driveway of Mesa’s cottage. My brain understands that the main reason that I’m here is to pick up my swimsuit, a towel, and a few other things so I can go to the river this afternoon with everyone. But my heart wanted to see the work that Warren did on the flower beds and the front of the house too.

It won’t take me long to get my things from inside. After grabbing my phone and keys, I step out and close the driver’s side door. At the sight in front of me, I can’t stop the massive grin that creeps onto my face.

Right below the front porch, fresh mulch covers the ground on either side of the walkway framed by smooth gray stones. While slightly more sparse and less manicured, the new flowers are vibrant and evenly spaced. For the most part, the colors match the ones that were there before and that small detail makes me bring a hand to my chest.

I never asked Warren to drop everything and come fix all of this up. I especially never expected him to recruit his friends to aid in the process, either. But he did it anyway.

I’m learning that I can be a powerful and vulnerable woman at the same time. I needed someone to care for me while I was starting a new path in life and struggling to be kind to myself. I’m not so stubborn anymore that I can’t admit that.

I’m lucky to have him, I think to myself. It’s an empowering thought that solidifies what I already knew in my heart—he is mine and all of the bumps in the road to get here were worth it to have him.

Remembering that everyone at the bunkhouse is still waiting on me, I stop staring at the flowers and jog toward the arched front door. I look down at the key ring in my hand, trying to find the correct one.

Before I have the chance to position the right key between my fingers, the door swings open in a rush and I stumble back a few steps, gasping. My foot catches on a flowerpot and I’m sent flying back, landing on my ass several feet from the door.

“Took you long enough,” Emma says with a sinister scowl. “I have been waiting for hours and was about to give up and wait until tomorrow.”

“What the hell are you doing here? And how did you get inside?!” I demand. My hand is at the base of my throat as I work to regain the breath that was knocked out of me.

“It’s a simple lock to pick,” she shrugs.

“Wh-Why would you?—”

“No more questions,” she seethes. Her hand raises from behind her back and she’s holding a gun. I remain perfectly still with it pointed straight at my face, sucking a shaky breath through my nose.

Is this all over Warren? Does she really want him that badly?