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displaced after the floods last winter. The fact that you got a motel room at all is a huge deal. Most of the guys from out of town are still bunking in the basecamp dormitory.”
    “Oh, well, then I guess I’m lucky to have the room I have.”
    “Yeah. The only other room, other than the ones here in my parents’ house, is the room over the garage.” Sam pointed to the dark windows above the two-car garage. “It used to be my brother Wade’s room. But since he’s been gone, well, my mother can’t bring herself to clear it out.”
    “Gone?”
    “He was presumed dead in a tsunami that hit an island off the coast of Asia where he was working as a Peace Corp worker.”
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    Sam sighed as he shrugged. “Even after nearly five years it still feels a little surreal. I keep expecting him to run up the driveway and put me in a headlock like he used to do when we were kids.”
    “Something tells me you deserved it.”
    Sam chuckled. “Yeah, I probably did. It’s one of the reasons why my mom is always so worried about Ethan and me.”
    “Of course. She already lost one son. Who could go through that heartache and survive twice?”
    “Exactly. Anyway, as I was saying, I have tomorrow off. I was thinking of riding out to the areas where we’ll be doing some prescribed burns next week, just to get a feel for the damage to the land. I know the area, but I also know it’s changed quite a bit since the winter. Would you like to go?”
    It was her day off and the thought of spending the day holed up in her motel room or doing laundry seemed depressing.
    Summer held Sam’s gaze, biting her lower lip unconsciously as she considered his proposal. “Sure,” she said before she could talk herself out of it.
    “Okay. I’ll pick you up at the motel early then?”
    She nodded.
    His dark eyes were warm as he smiled at her. “Goodnight, Summer,” he said softly.
    “Goodnight, Sam.”
    As she climbed into her car and turned the key to the ignition, Summer watched Sam walk back to the house. She couldn’t drag her gaze away from him. The way he moved with each step, the tone of his voice, and the way he made her feel just being near him enveloped her like a warm blanket.
    As she pulled out of the driveway, disappointment tugged at her gut, replacing the warmth she’d felt.
    Sam had forgotten about the kiss.
    # # #

Chapter 6

    They’d spent the day driving through the most beautiful country Summer had ever seen. With everything Providence had to offer, Summer had never seen hills and space like she had seen here. She talked of her childhood in Providence and Sam entertained her with stories of the childhood antics of the McKinnon clan. Of that, there were many, making Summer laugh until she cried. They were a close bunch and the loss of their older brother, Wade, had devastated them all.
    “When we got word about Wade, Mom closed down the diner and I don’t think she got out of bed for a week after the memorial service,” Sam said as he parked the SUV in a parking lot near a scenic trail for hikers.
    “Where were you?”
    “I was based out of Colorado at the time. My father threw himself even deeper into work at the oil company. I’d never seen my parents so divided. They’ve always been devoted to the family, always there for us. But this happened and…I really didn’t think they were going to make it.”
    “How’d they get through it?”
    “Kelly found out she was pregnant. Kelly was Logan’s wife. She died just over a year ago. They have a little boy named Keith, named after my brother Hawk.”
    Summer chuckled wryly. “How did he get the name Hawk?”
    “It’s a long story,” he said, getting out of the SUV. She did the same and took in a deep breath of mountain air. The sun was high in the sky and warm against her face.
    “So having a grandchild changed everything for them?”
    “Pretty much. Having Keith come into the family gave my parents a reason to get up in the morning again.