Page 77 of Found in Wild Sage

“Guess that’s ready.”

She smiles, and it seems easy. It’s like a smile she gave me last week, or months ago when we would talk for a few minutes at lunch. Not so heavy with the circumstances. And maybe, everything on my end loaded down on my increasingly unwieldy feelings for her.

We slide our marshmallows onto graham crackers. She chooses a cookies and cream bar while I take a slim bit of chocolate. We bite into our creations at the same time.

“Mm. Okay, that’s good.”

I chew through my bite, then immediately take another.

She watches like I’m putting on a show. I raise a brow.

“It’s just… you’re not a dessert guy. You don’t usually like sweet things, from what I’ve seen.”

Her lips form these words and it’s like my brain connects to a magnifying glass and all I’m seeing is every lovely curve of her mouth. The dip of her cupid’s bow. Her plush bottom lip with the smallest smudge of white chocolate on one side.

“I like some sweet things.” I’ve never sounded more guttural.

I’ve never felt more ravenous.

“You do? Like chocolate?” She blinks slowly, like maybe we’ve been drugged by the fire and these sugary delights.

Or simply the moment together under the darkening sky.

“Chocolate’s fine.”

Her mouth curves into a pleased smile. “What’s better than fine? What’s your favorite thing?”

The air shifts with the moment. The cool breeze that had been dancing around us and shifting the smoke of the fire settles.

And this time, I drop my guard all the way into the dirt at our feet.

“You, Evie. You’re my favorite thing.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Evie

My heart races, and if we weren’t standing here by the fire, I’d throw myself at him. I mean, the day has been a lot but he just gave me a sign and I’m a smart woman. I can read it.

Here’s where the Dec-ness of the situation comes in. He wouldn’t say that just to be cute or flirty. There’s no chance.

So he said it because he means it.

I stand slowly and he matches my movement, but before we touch, which is absolutely what comes next in my opinion, a log in the fire cracks in half and startles us both.

“We should probably put that out.” He frowns down at the fire as though he’ll remember the personal slight, then takes my hand. “Do you want to look at the stars with me?”

“I—yes.” I don’t want this moment to be over, especially not right when it feels like something is breaking open between us.

He squeezes my hand softly, then flashes me a smile that sends my insides tumbling.

“Good. I’ll get the fire put out. Would you collect our trash and the last few things? We’ll take it to the camper, you can peek in on Charlie, and then we’ll go?”

Another snap from the fire jumpstarts us. He begins smothering the fire and I gather everything I can see. There’s not much since he cleaned up earlier. Charlie hasn’t made a sound on the monitor, but I do peek at him. He’s nestled in the camper the Ryans generously gave us for tonight, in his pack and play, and Mary and Connor are right on the other side, sitting out in front of their RV.

All is well. Dec emerges, too, and without a second thought, I reach for him. He has a sleeping bag rolled up under his arm and he takes my hand and leads me on a trail. We only walk for five minutes until we come to a clearing speckled with more of those sagebrush bushes that almost glow a greenish gray in the moonlight. Their earthy menthol scent is lighter now that it’s cooler. Dec stops and spreads out the sleeping bag.

The faint buzz of anticipation in my mind ratchets up to an all-out frenzy. We both kneel on the blanket, then move into position so we’re lying face up, eyes on the stars.