Chapter 37

Behind the barns and near the open pasture, Olivia took a sip of lager and grinned at the story Amy's brother Kyle was telling Nate about Justin's first black eye, right after he'd broken his leg falling from a cottonwood.

A bonfire crackled in the center of their small circle of chairs, a radio off to the side playing flashback songs from the nineties. Temperatures had finally begun to warm, yet the nights still held a nip in the air. The scent of firewood mingled with fresh grass and blooms.

It had taken two weeks, but the winter wheat had been harvested. They were relaxing this weekend before planting the spring crop. Most of the ranch hands had gone into town, aside from her few close friends, to let off some steam.

She glanced at the blackened sky, twinkling with stars, and a pang of longing hit her. Between Kyle's story and working the fields, she missed Justin something fierce. Spring had always been his favorite season.

"So then, he waddles right up to me and says, I'm not gonna tell you again. I can ride faster than you with a gimp leg and blindfolded." Kyle laughed. "Eight years old, and he was stubborn as hell, even then. He's got this giant cast covering him from thigh to ankle, and the dumbass tried mounting the horse. Fell right off and took a faceplant."

Nate chuckled and glanced up from the block of wood he was whittling in the chair next to hers. "Sounds like him, all right. I'd like to tell you he grew out of his obstinate behavior in the military, but that would be a lie."

Nakos cleared his throat. "Must run in the family."

Olivia sent him a baleful glance. "Said the pot to the kettle."

With a grin, Nakos looked around her to Nate. "What are you making over there?"

"No clue." Nate continued to work the tool, wood shavings piling at his boots. "Don't really think about it."

"He made me several carvings of Nessie." She stared at her dog between their chairs. "And Bones. Right, boy?"

The dog barked twice, earning a grin from Nate.

"That's it. She's sunk." Amy pointed her beer bottle at Olivia. "Feed into her Loch Ness obsession and she'll do whatever you want."

"I resemble that remark." Olivia glanced at Nate.

He winked at her, then examined what he'd done. "Huh. Looks like this one's for Amy." In his palm was a carving of a camera, no larger than his fist. He tossed it to her two seats down and leaned over to grab his beer from where he'd set it on the ground.

Amy's brows went up. "This is really cool. Thank you."

"Speaking of cameras..." Nate tipped his head. "I saw your photos in Olivia's living room. They're good. When are you going to start using your new equipment?"

She twisted her lips in a pout. "I haven't taken anything out of the boxes. I'm just not comfortable with not knowing who they're from."

Olivia pinned Nate with a glare, silently telling him to spill the beans.

He scratched his brow with his thumb and shared a look she couldn't decipher with Nakos.

After a few beats, Nakos nodded in gradual understanding. "Uh, they're from me."

Olivia looked between the men, wondering why Nate seemingly wanted Nakos to take credit.

"What?" Amy's eyes flew wide. "But, why? And to not tell me?"

Rubbing the back of his neck and disrupting his ponytail, Nakos shot a flickering glance at Nate and back again, obviously uncomfortable. "Yours was busted and I had plenty in savings. Consider it a gift."

She blinked at him as if she'd never seen him before and they hadn't grown up together. "Thank you. I'll pay you back."

"You absolutely will not." Nakos waved his hand in dismissal. "Take photos. That's reward enough."

"But..." She frowned, looking at the carving from Nate. She brushed a strand of long cocoa hair from her face. "Okay. If that's what you want."

Closing his eyes, Nate sighed, one corner of his lip curling in satisfaction. He sent Nakos a nod Olivia interpreted as thank you, then took a long pull from his bottle.

Olivia shook her head, not understanding, but kept mum. Honestly, she was just glad he and Nakos were getting along. In fact, the two were developing an interesting bromance. Every time she caught them, they were together working on something or talking.

It made her heart happy Nate was settling in, making friends. He didn't seem to have anyone of substance in his life and deserved to be around people who cared about him. Nakos wasn't the only one, either. Amy adored Nate to death and the other guys always made it a point to acknowledge him.

Ever since he and Olivia had sex that first night, he'd gotten better about other things, too. He smiled more and brooded less. At dinner and breakfast, he sat at the table instead of standing or taking his meal to the porch. Aunt Mae had even coerced him into dessert a time or two. He didn't hesitate when leaning in for a kiss or to hold Olivia's hand when they watched TV. And he never fell asleep without pulling her to his side so they were wrapped up in one another. He hadn't gone back to his bedroom, either, except to change, and he'd get no complaints from her.

Their lovemaking was still intense but, afterward, he was forever gentle. She hoped he would start wanting to be more intimate in that regard. Not that she didn't love wild sex. However, he kept falling back into his comfort zone whenever things got heated. She couldn't pinpoint why, but she suspected there was a part of him holding onto something dark. At times, he looked at her like he had something to say, to admit. Yet he'd clam up and shake his head.

"Oh, I love this song." Amy pointed to the radio. "This was from our senior prom, remember? I haven't heard this in ages."

Olivia recognized Peter Gabriel's, In Your Eyes, but forgot it had been their prom theme. "It was, wasn't it?"

"You were a terrible date." Amy looked at Nakos. "This was the only song we danced to."

"Hey, I agreed to attend, not dance."

"Wait." Nate leaned forward. "You two used to go out?"

"No." Amy snorted a dismissal. "Nakos went to school on the reservation. For functions, he'd go with one of us to be included."

"Against my will."

Olivia laughed. "Hardly. And you wanna talk about bad dates? At least yours didn't try to get under your dress at the after party."

"God, he was a loser." Amy sighed and blew a strand of hair off her face. "I can't believe you dated him. For three months. And he thought sneaking you into a hotel room was a clear path for sex. Forcefully, I might add. Wow."

"I think he was more clueless than malicious." Olivia figured he'd assumed sex was a part of the whole prom experience. She might've considered it had he not acted like a petulant child.

Nate bared his teeth. Seethed. "Where can I find this person?"

Everyone stared wide-eyed at him, but it was Nakos who eventually broke the silence. "Tom Henderson. Quarterback of the football team and had his eye on Olivia since freshman year. He converted to a Mormon after graduation and lives in Utah now with five wives. Or something. And don't you worry, he walked out of that hotel limping and bleeding."

"My hero." Olivia rolled her eyes. "I did knee him in the balls. I had it handled."

Kyle took a bow in his chair. "And I escorted the fair maiden home."

"That you did." She smiled at him and set her hand on Nate's rigid arm to calm him down. His mouth was still in a tight line, but his shoulders sagged. "Riding on the back of your ten-speed was awkward in an ankle-length gown."

"Shut up." Kyle laughed. "I had Dad's car, thank you very much. And we had fun the rest of the night, if I recall."

Nate tensed again under her palm. She squeezed his arm.

"Sweet Baby Jesus." Amy gagged. "Tell me you two didn't hook up. I might vomit."

"I second that." Nakos rubbed his stomach.

Olivia tilted her head. "Want to tell them our naughty tale?"

Kyle grinned. "If memory serves, we were in your bedroom, it was dark, and we..." He paused. "Watched The Breakfast Club. Twice. Popcorn might've been involved." He glanced at his sister. "Get your mind out of the gutter. Sleeping with Olivia would be akin to incest."

Nate let out a quiet, long exhale.

"Be sure to remember that." Amy looked at Nate. "So, any sordid high school tales from Chicago?"

"No." He rubbed his jaw. "I didn't attend dances. They weren't my thing."

And he'd been in juvie by the time his senior year had rolled around. What a shame, too. Prom was like a rite of passage and he'd missed out.

"Well." Olivia rose. "I'm going to bed. You guys okay putting out the bonfire?"

The others nodded and said goodnight as Nate stood to follow her. With the dog at their heels, they headed inside and to her suite, where she stopped in the living room and eyed her stereo. An idea bloomed, and she sorted through her CDs.

Nate came out of the bedroom, minus his shirt. "You coming?"

"In a sec." She loaded Hoobastank's The Reason and told Nate to wait there. She went into her bedroom and fished through her closet, grinning when she found what she was looking for. She changed and stepped back into the living room, arms spread. "Ta da."

He turned and froze. His gaze skimmed down the length of her navy blue slip dress and back again, heating with desire on the second pass. "What's that?"

"My prom gown. Can't believe it still fits. Barely." She wiggled. "You like?"

"I just swallowed my tongue, but why are you wearing it?"

"Because you didn't get a prom." She walked to the stereo and hit Play. "Now, dance with me."

His mouth opened and closed, but he didn't move.

She tilted her head, studying him. It didn't matter how many times she looked her fill, seeing him was always a bolt of electricity.

His feet were bare and his jeans hung low on his narrow hips, worn in all the right areas. His hat was off and she had the strongest urge to rub his bald scalp. Contours of muscle and tats came to life when he shifted the slightest bit. Veins and tendons protruded from his dark skin. His clenched jaw ticked in what she'd learned was nervousness.

But his dark, puppy dog eyes searched hers. In question. With understanding. And a flicker of hope.