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Not too close, of course

We sit in silence, watching the fire for a while, before I plantback a little "Do you think Glynnis had so his head "I wouldn’t put it past her She’s a bit od, please tell me you have called her ‘ol’ Glynn’ to her face"

"I have not, as I enjoy having ue actually in s, I turn to face hiive you a million dollars if you do it," I tell hi his head to one side

"A million dollars?"

"A million dollars or what I currently have in my wallet back at the house, which I think is, like, five pounds in your weird Monopolyhis hands down on the quilt to lean back a little, "I will call Glynnis ‘ol’ Glynn’ if you pro"

I screw up h"

That lance down and realize that our hands are nearly touching on the quilt

Miles followsthere against the quilt His, graceful, long-fingered,onoff now, but I can still hear it druht, the fire pops and s, a little faster than it was before, and I hear Miles sigh as the two of us just keep looking at our hands, only the littlest space between theht at the ball, e danced, there was a lot less space between our bodies than there is now Hell, that day in the park, I was basically in his lap

But those things were for show, and this

This feels real

His hand edges just a little bit closer, his pinky brushing mine, and that--that one tiny touch--sends a shiver of sparks racing through o to , and Miles and I leap apart so draether naked instead of touching pinkies He actually makes a sound, this kind of startled yelp that I’d tease hi!" e bolted apart

Ellie and Alex stand there, still in their tweeds, rain dripping off the u over both their heads

Alex frowns, but Ellie is looking back and forth between me and Miles, her arms folded over her chest

"We saw the jeep on our way back, figured you’d be here," Alex says, and Miles nods quickly, s ere close"

S, Alex looks around "This place is cozier than I re his throat for what has to be the 8,000th ti up the poker and ta peat As the fire dies, so does whatever spell this place has cast overthe past few minutes out of ht, and her eyes narrow just the littlest bit

"Rescued or interrupted?" she asks quietly, and I rollpast her to Alex’s Land Rover, which, thankfully, has a roof

Miles climbs in the back seat beside me, and as the Land Rover heads back toward Baird House, neither of us say anything