Chapter: Fire in the Barn
The wind screamed like a damn banshee outside, shaking the barn’s rickety walls, and I bent over the workbench, yanking a strap tight around the harness. My fingers worked fast, but my eyes kept sliding to Jo, out there wrestling shutters like she’d been born with a hammer in her hand. She’d been around me long enough to get under my skin, and hell if I could shake the way she made my blood hum. I squinted through the dusty window, her shape sharp against the gray sky, and grumbled, “Stubborn as a damn mule.”
Her laugh rang out, cutting through the storm’s roar, as she pinned another shutter down. I smirked despite myself, grabbing the hammer and driving a nail into the stall with a satisfying thunk. The storm was closing in, and we had to lock this place down before it tore everything apart. But damned if I could keep my head on straight with her moving like that, all grit and grace.
A loud bang jolted me, the hammer slipping from my grip, and my chest tightened. “Jo?” I shouted, stomping toward the door, boots kicking up hay.
She burst in, wind whipping her hair wild, her face flushed and alive. “Damn shutter almost took me out,” she panted, grinning like it was nothing.
I closed the gap quick, my hand finding her arm, her warmth hitting me like a spark. “You hurt?”
Her gaze snapped to mine, fierce and steady. “Hell, Bear, I’ve seen worse.”
I held on a second longer, my pulse thudding, then let go, stepping back slow. “Don’t need you playin’ tough out there.”
She brushed past me, her shoulder grazing my chest, and snorted. “Says the man stubborn as a one-eyed jackass.”
I chuckled, low and rough, trailing her to the workbench. We moved together, tying down gear, the air thick with rain’s promise and something heavier—tension coiling tight. Her elbow bumped mine as she grabbed a rope, and I froze, the jolt of her touch shooting through me.
She stilled too, her breath hitching, and for a moment, it was just us, locked in that barn. Her eyes flicked up, searching, and I swallowed, wrestling the urge to haul her against me.
“Storm’s gonna be a bastard,” I rasped, breaking the silence.
She nodded, her fingers flying over the knot. “We’ll handle it. Always do.”
I watched her, the way she worked so sure, and felt a pull in my gut—admiration mixed with something softer. She was tough as nails, but there was a flicker of something gentle in her, rare and fleeting. It made me want to shield her, even if she’d kick my ass for trying.
A gust slammed the door shut, the crack making us both jump, and her laugh broke the strain, light and free. “Looks like we’re stuck here a bit.”
I leaned against the stall, smirking. “Ain’t the worst fate.”
Her grin flashed, teasing. “Oh yeah? What’s worse?”
I stepped closer, drawn like a moth to a flame. “Bein’ stuck with some fool who can’t tell shit from shinola.”
She laughed again, bold and bright. “Good thing I ain’t that, huh?”
The air buzzed between us, electric and dangerous, and I knew we were teetering on a line we couldn’t uncross.
She took a step back, her eyes darting to my lips, then my hands. Her breath came shallow. Outside, thunder rolled across the fields. Inside, the only storm that mattered was the one raging between us.
I swallowed hard, heart hammering. “Jo…”
She lifted her chin, fearless, daring. “What are you waitin’ for, Bear?”
I could taste her challenge—feel it in the thick air. Every muscle in my body tightened, wound with need. I moved toward her, slow, testing the line we were toeing. She didn’t back away. Her eyes held mine, stubborn and wild.
Suddenly, the barn lights flickered. The moment trembled—so close I could barely stand it.
Then, just as I reached out—my fingers inches from her cheek—the power snapped. Everything went dark.
“Bear?” Her voice trembled in the shadows.
I found her by feel, her hand slipping into mine, warm and strong.
And right then, lightning split the sky, lighting us up for a heartbeat—her face, open and unguarded, eyes shining with everything unspoken.
I pulled her close, breath mingling, the world outside vanishing to nothing.
But before I could taste her, the storm raged, thunder shaking the ground, and the moment shattered—leaving us trembling, tangled in want, on the edge of everything.…
