Page 20 of The Heat is On

“Oh, I didn’t mean—” Shoot. “Listen. I don’t need to know why you’re here. I just… I know that things aren’t always as they appear.” And no, she didn’t know what possessed her to say that, so, “My dad was in prison, see and he…he was a good guy. Just got in over his head.”

Good grief, Skye. Really?But something about the man made her want to…maybe make it less painful for him.

He looked away from her. “Yeah. Well, don’t go thinking that about any of us, okay?” He glanced at her, a sharpness to his gaze. “You stay away from…” He swallowed. “You just keep your distance from us, okay?”

Oh. She nodded.

Then he did it again, smiled at her as he handed over his wrapper. She took it, his fingers brushing hers, his eyes holding her captive, just long enough to completely confuse her.

He fisted his hands and tucked them under his folded arms. Leaned his head back against the tree, again looking at the horizon. “It’s beautiful enough out here to make you want to just…lose yourself.”

As inescape?

No. She was just jumping to conclusions. Stereotypes. But her gaze drifted to the horizon.

The trickle of smoke.

Really, someone should be keeping an eye on the fire, too, just to make sureitdidn’t escape.

“Get some sleep,” she said to Rio.

He gave a half chuckle that she didn’t know to interpret. Then his voice fell. “Remember what I said, Skye.” He closed his eyes.

She walked back to her pack and tucked the wrapper into her pack-out bag.

“So? Is he a murderer?” Romeo said, leaning close to her.

She glared at him. “I don’t think so…no.”

“How do you know?”

“He has…he has nice eyes.”

Romeo rolled his.

“Okay, listen, I’m going to go stand watch.” She zipped up her bag and walked over to Tucker.

“Hey, boss, can I talk to you?”

“Hey, Skye,” Tucker said.

He leaned up against the woman marshal, and if Skye wasn’t dreaming it, it looked like he’d been holding her hand.

Interesting. But she crouched in front of him and dove right in. “I was thinking… I just sat up on that hill all day. I’m not tired at all. Not like you guys. I’ll stand watch tonight, let you get some sleep.”

She could have predicted the way he sat up, his eyes sparking. “Skye—”

“Tucker, listen. I want to do my part here. And if you don’t want me on the line, then let me at least keep watch.” She smiled. “Firefighting rule number five, right?”

She had him because he sighed. “Post lookouts when there is possible danger.Fine.”

Perfect. Because the last thing she wanted to do was sleep.

Not when her conversation with Rio only stirred up the regrets.

The what-ifs.

“I’m going to hike up to the ridge, get a view of the fire, and I’ll radio you should anything change.” She stood up and glanced again at the woman.