Page 25 of Love in the Time of Wildfires

“Enjoy the rest of your visit at the museum,” she said, waving to her small audience before escaping to walk straight toward him. Logan appeared worn out, more beardy than the last time she saw him. But he was also the best thing she saw today.

Despite starting off on the wrong foot, being grumpy, and having a bad habit of telling her what to do, River was beginning to see past all that. She found herself intrigued by the man, wondering what he was going to say next in their text conversations. Michael had hated texting, telling her to call him if she ever needed anything and leave a message if he was working. He hadn’t seen the point of talking just to talk, preferring efficient communication. River could see now that it had been a while since she’d been an important person in her ex’s eyes. As scary as it had been, she’d made the right decision in going off on her own. River had no idea if it was a smart idea texting with Logan, but she liked it too much to stop.

“When did you get back?” she asked when they drew near enough to one another.

He scratch his jawline, a flush creeping up along his skin as he glanced away. “Um. Right now.”

He seemed unsure of himself, slightly uncomfortable, but he’d come to her work. He’d wanted to see her. Maybe, just maybe, he’d enjoyed talking to her as well.

“I know I shouldn’t have just shown up here like this—”

“Can I give you a hug?” she asked, interrupting him.

His gaze snapped to hers, and she expected his usual short No—one that didn’t leave any wiggle room about how he felt. This time his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he sort of shrugged into a loose stance, his arms falling apart.

She accepted the invitation, throwing herself into a hug, her arms wrapping themselves around his back, and she pressed her head against his expansive chest. He might regret giving her an inch because, when it came to hugs, River would always take a mile. He wasn’t exactly hugging her back but it was okay and not at all surprising. She could hug enough for both of them and gave him the warmest squeeze she could. “I’m so glad you made it back safely.”

“Thanks,” he replied stiffly.

“I’m actually due for my lunch break. You wanna join me?”

“What about Jefferson?”

“I’ll tell him something came up. It’s okay. He’s a sweet guy and pretty much friends with everyone.”

“Maybe we can talk about where we can hike next to look for your fox. Someone pointed out that I needed to be better at communicating.”

“Okay!” she said with too much eagerness, but her fox hunt with Logan was working out better than she expected. “Wait here. I’m just gonna grab my lunch.”

She didn’t race away, but she did a speedy jaunt. The first thing she did was wash her hands to get rid of any kid germs remaining on them.

“Was that your firefighter?” Jefferson asked in the break room.

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help but smile. “He’s my neighbor who, yes, happens to be a firefighter. I thought we talked about this.”

Jefferson grinned. “The way that man was looking at you isn’t how my neighbor looks at me. But then I’m an old married man.”

“Stop.” She had to press a hand to her lips to keep any more out-of-control emotions from slipping through. “Do you mind if I eat lunch with him today?”

“Honey, go live. I’ve got plenty of people who will let me crash their table. You don’t have to worry about me.”

She grabbed her insulated lunch sack from the community fridge before making her way to the public area of the museum. Was there a way he looked at her? She tried to pay closer attention when she came through the door. Logan didn’t smile or do anything too obvious—at least nothing Jefferson could perceive. She was prone to believe it was simply Jefferson trying to push a match, as the jovial man enjoyed seeing other people as happily married as him.

Except perhaps there was something. His expression when spotting her seemed to soften, those gray eyes of his a little brighter. They were stunning, and she could probably stare at them forever if he were to let her—Okay, maybe she needed to pull herself back. River wasn’t getting into a relationship with Logan. She just wasn’t—no matter how angry-cute the guy was. This was about the fox. That’s all.

Logan said he wasn’t hungry, so instead of swinging by the cafeteria, they made a beeline to her favorite spot—the bench tucked away on the property.

“Wait, where’s your lunch?” he asked as she removed a Tupperware containing individual compartments.

“What do you mean? It’s right here.” Her variety lunch items consisted of slices of gouda, apple chunks, olives, almonds, and crackers.

“No one would call that lunch.” He tipped the open insulated bag with a finger as though it was a magical top hat able to produce something more substantial. “Where’s the sandwich?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ew, no. I don’t really like sandwiches. I prefer them deconstructed.” She placed a slice of cheese on a cracker and offered him the Tupperware. He took a small handful of the roasted elote-flavored almonds.

“You seem to be really good with kids,” he observed.

She laughed and shrugged. “I mean, it’s just part of the job. You fight fires. I have to keep the attention span of a dozen six-year-olds. Who’s to say whose job is harder. Are you glad to be back?”