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Lennon made for the kitchen. “There’s plenty for you, too, Seb.”
“Thanks.” But he kept his gaze pinned to me, arms crossed over his chest, forehead knit in a scowl.
I glared back. What the hell was his problem? I couldn’t have pissed him off already. I had just woken up. If anyone had a right to be pissed about something, it was me. Seb was wearing a tight black long-sleeved T-shirt and gray sweatpants that clung a little too well to his thighs. I could clearly see the outline of everything. What gave him the right? Surely there were obscenity laws protecting ex-wives in situations like this. I shouldn’t be subjected to the reminder of everything I had once loved and was no longer mine.
“What?” I asked.
“Best big brother?” he demanded.
What—oh, right. My shirt, courtesy of my last boyfriend, another photographer I’d met on a group trip to test Sony camera gear. He’d gotten the shirt to recreate a childhood photograph with his little sister. I should probably give it back, since our relationship ended six months ago when he called me emotionally unavailable, but it fit me perfectly and was so soft.
“Don’t worry. It’s not mine,” I said, but Seb’s gaze dropped mine, and he rubbed at his chest like something hurt.
He stomped past me, refusing to look at me as he muttered, “I’ll make some coffee.”
“Great. Thanks,” I said cheerfully, knowing it would piss him off even more.
I turned to the kitchen just in time to see Lennon and Emma exchange a wide-eyed look.
“So,” Emma said. “We were thinking we could show you around, if you’re up for it. The ATV is a four-seater, so you won’t have to walk.”
“That would be great. It was dark when we got in last night, so I didn’t get to see much.”
The microwave beeped, and Lennon pulled out the plate. Emma opened a cabinet, closed it again, opened the one next to it, and stood on her tiptoes to reach a plate, but couldn’t quite get there. More evidence that her relationship with Seb was friendly and nothing more. That was a relief. Not because I cared who Seb spent his nights with, but because I liked Lennon and Emma already, and I wanted us to be friends.
Seb reached over Emma’s head and swiped the plate from the top shelf. His shirt rode up, exposing golden skin and muscle. I couldn’t stop staring.
All right, maybe I cared a teeny tiny bit who Seb fucked. But I was going to have to get over that.
My stomach rumbled as Lennon scooped half of the food onto Seb’s plate. He handed me a slice of bacon without comment. I took it, likewise without comment, and thought of the suitcases packed and ready by the front door. It was every bit as effective as a rubber band snapping against my heart.
“I have the day off,” Seb said. “I’ll show Lila the ranch.”
“Don’t you have something better to do, like find the person who stabbed her and make sure he never does it again?” Lennon asked. She handed me a plate of hot food with a teasing eye roll at Seb’s expense. I smirked back. “Go get on that, Mr. Special Forces. Put your special talents to good use. We’ll take care of Lila.”
Seb glowered. “I want her back in an hour. She’s still healing, so don’t push her too far. She needs lots of rest breaks. You’ll need to bring snacks with you, too. She’s a real bitch when her blood sugar gets too low.”
“I’m standing right here,” I snapped, backhanding him across his unfairly hard bicep. “I can speak for myself.”
“See?” Seb demanded. “She’s hungry.”
Emma choked over a laugh. “Bickering like an old married couple. That’s cute. I’m not going to promise an hour, but we’ll be back before dinner. I have a date anyway.”
I felt naked without my camera. My fingers twitched reflexively as I took in the scenery around us. Gray-tipped mountains, mid-morning sunlight dappling tall ponderosa pines—I’d captured thousands of landscapes exactly like this all over the world, and still it felt brand new.
My hands bracketed my eyes. “Click,” I said softly. “I hope years from now I remember exactly how this moment felt. All the little details.”
“Girl, you were literally stabbed four days ago.” Emma side-eyed me as she whipped us around a curve in the dirt road in the ATV. “Is that something you really want to remember?”
“It’s not like I died,” I said with a breathless laugh as Emma pressed the pedal to the floor and the ATV lurched forward. I grabbed my seat and held on. We couldn’t be going more than fifteen miles per hour, but Emma made it feel like fifty-five. I let go with one hand to gesture at the gorgeousness around us. “The good and bad. Stabbings and sunshine. It’s all part of what makes life an adventure, don’t you think?”
Lennon leaned forward from the back seat, sticking her head between us. “No, I do not think so. My stalker kidnapped me a month ago, and I really wish she hadn’t. I’m still pissed about it, honestly.” She pulled back and settled her sunglasses on her face. I could feel her studying my face behind the dark lenses. She shook her head. “Stabbings and sunshine. You’re crazy, but you know what? I’d expect nothing less from Seb’s wife.”
“Ex-wife,” I corrected automatically. It stung a little bit every time. I wasn’t his wife now—but every time someone called me that, it reminded me that I wasn’t really his wife then, either. I had thought it was real, and the truth had been salt in a bloody wound.
“Funny how he left that part out. Seb is usually so good with details.”
Curiosity laced every word. It was so tempting to respond with questions of my own.