Page 33 of Nico

His smile faded slightly. “I know he misses it.”

For a moment, neither of us said anything. I looked toward Isaac again, watching him laugh at something one of the others had said.

Then Mason glanced toward the barbecue pits. “I'm going to get some food.”

“I'll come with you,” Michael said, getting to his feet. “What do you guys want? Ribs? Mac and cheese? Coleslaw? Mashed potatoes?”

“Just ribs and salad for me. No dressing.” Logan lifted the hem of his shirt, showing off his lean stomach. “I've got a shirtless scene in a few days. Gotta stay on track.”

I laughed, but then I noticed Tony's gaze lingering a little too long on Logan's stomach. He seemed to realize I'd caught him at almost the same moment.

Tony immediately stood. “I'll come with you.”

Tony glanced at me as he walked past, giving me a pointed look that clearly said, You didn't see anything. I kept my expression perfectly neutral.

“Get a little extra,” I called after him, nodding toward the bag of containers.

He shook his head and followed Mason and Michael toward the food.

A few minutes later, Isaac appeared carrying a small plate of ribs and salad. He set it down in front of Logan before handing me a large tray filled with ribs and various sides, then slid onto the bench beside me.

I stared at the tray. “That seems like a lot.”

“Cooper said you'd know what to do with these.”

Apparently, Cooper knew about our little leftovers operation. I wasn't sure whether I should feel embarrassed or impressed.

Tony returned a few minutes later with a similar tray, although his had considerably less food on it. He stopped beside the table and glanced around. The only empty seat was beside Logan.

Logan patted the bench. “Come on. I don't bite.”

Tony hesitated before slowly sitting down. His gaze shifted between Isaac and me. I realized we were sitting a little closer together than we probably needed to.

For a moment, I wondered if I should scoot farther toward the edge of the bench. I didn't want to, though. In the end, I only shifted an inch toward the edge. Our thighs were barely touching.

Isaac seemed to notice. As he scooped some mashed potatoes onto his plate, his boot nudged against mine beneath the table. He didn't move his foot away, and neither did I.

8

ISAAC

By the time evening settled over the set, the sky had turned the color of old steel. I looked up from the edge of the perimeter and frowned.

Clouds rolled overhead in thick, heavy layers, swallowing what little remained of the sunset. Rain was coming soon, which was to be expected.

This morning, during breakfast, Nico had spent an alarming amount of time studying the weather forecast while simultaneously eating waffles and explaining the meteorological accuracy of various storm systems in Shadowfall lore.

Apparently one of the game's major battles took place during something called the Ashfall Tempest. I hadn't followed most of it. What I had retained was the important part.

A storm was moving through Pecan Pines this evening, bringing heavy rain and possible lightning. What bad timing. The film crew had spent all day racing to finish exterior scenes before the weather hit.

Equipment covered the set like a small city, which included cameras, lightning rigs, generators, and temporary structures. No doubt everything was expensive, and all of it was vulnerable to the kind of storm currently gathering overhead.

My radio crackled softly.

"Perimeter check complete. East side clear."

I pressed the button clipped to my jacket. "Copy."