Read Rugged Fire [Rugged Savage Valley, Colorado 4] for Free Online

onions, french fries, and of sweaty bodies filled her nostrils. The diner stayed open late on hometown game nights with a minimal menu available, but even so, on a night like tonight, when the Savage Valley mountain lions won, the place was jam-packed. She couldn’t see five feet in front of her through the bodies. Nobody could stay seated. They milled about, stood around tables, chatted, ate, roiled. But Lianne knew where the Carsons sat. Their family had been sitting in the same booth since the first day the diner opened.
    Slowly she made her way to them, hugging and chatting with people she knew along the way. A few of the students from classes that she regularly substituted ran up to hug her and ask her why she wasn’t wearing dark blue and gold like everyone else.
    As she neared the Carsons’ booth, the thick crowd cracked open, and she saw them. They were seated opposite from each other, their backs ramrod straight as they looked around at all the moving, talking, laughing people. Their lips were thin lines of discomfort. She could see the crease in Seb’s forehead and the nervous way Will’s fingers worked the napkin in front of him.
    A pang of empathy shot through her. They looked so ill at ease and almost nervous. But she toughened up her resolve. Just because they were uncomfortable didn’t mean she would make this easy for them. They’d made her damn uncomfortable in front of her best friend, so now they could sweat it out for a bit.
    She scooted into the booth next to Seb. “Well, I’m here.”
    Will’s eyes met hers, and relief eased the tight lines around the dark orbs. She’d lived around bear-shifters her whole life, and she never got over how dark all of their eyes were. They were the deepest black. It was just the slightest bit strange, but also intriguing.
    And now she felt herself being pulled into Will’s gaze. A dark lock of hair fell across his forehead. She’d never seen a hair out of place before, and she thought it looked sexy as hell. A rush of awareness raced through her blood, and she struggled to suppress it. She needed control. She needed reason. She needed rationale.
    “We didn’t think you would come.”
    “I’m not the kind of girl to turn down a free milkshake and an apology. That’s all.”
    Will’s eyes bored into hers, and he frowned. She glanced at Seb. His expression matched his brother’s.
    “Well?” she said, growing nervous under their identical gazes.
    “What flavor milkshake would you like?” Seb asked
    “It’s complicated.”
    “Complicated? How?”
    At that moment their waitress, Marta, squeezed through the mass of bodies. “Whew! I barely made it through with my garters intact.” She whipped a pencil from behind her ear. “So what can I get started for you all?”
    Seb and Will each ordered a burger and fries and a vanilla milkshake.
    “And for you, Lianne?” Marta asked.
    “I’ll just take a milkshake. The usual.”
    Marta looked up from her pad with a grin. “Okay, let’s see if I can get it all in one shot. Two-thirds strawberry, one-third chocolate, extra shot of chocolate sauce, one scoop of chocolate chips, double-whipped cream and sprinkles.” Marta eyed the twins. “Should I make it three cherries on top?”
    She glared at the twins but said, “I guess that’s fine.”
    Marta bustled off, and Lianne returned her attention to the twins. “What?”
    She could see Seb fighting back the urge to laugh.
    “What?”
    “I thought we’d have to insist on the shake.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Will grabbed her wrist and lifted her arm, giving it a couple jerks. “Look at these bony arms. Not even a jiggle.” Seb flicked the muscle on the upper part of her arm and then shook his head.
    She yanked her arm back. “I have a fast metabolism, okay? I can’t help it, and actually, it makes me very hungry. All the time. I just want to eat and eat and eat. So there’s no need to poke fun of something I can’t help.”
    Will’s eyes grew