Page 7 of Ranger's Wildflower
Because I wanted to.
And wanting anything connected to a Ranger felt like stepping toward the edge of a cliff all over again.
I hardened instantly.
“You’re wasting your time, Ace.”
He held my gaze for a long moment.
Then nodded once.
“Maybe.”
Relief flickered through me—
until he pushed off the counter and added quietly, “Still not stopping.”
The bell chimed softly as he walked out.
And the second the door shut behind him, the silence inside the shop changed.
I stared down at the bouquet in my hands.
The stems were crooked now.
My fingers weren’t steady anymore.
And worse—
part of me was already waiting for him to come back.
3
Ace
The shop door closed behind me with a soft click.
I stood there on the sidewalk for a second, grinning like an idiot.
Because Tessa Bloom might keep saying no—
but she was starting to look at me differently.
And that was dangerous for both of us.
The mountain air carried the scent of pine and rain as I headed back toward The Last Stand Tavern. Trucks lined Main Street. Somebody farther down was unloading produce outside the grocery store while old man Jenkins argued with his wife over a parking spot loud enough for half the town to hear.
Normal morning in Eagle River.
I stepped onto the tavern porch just as Wolf shoved open the front door.
His eyes narrowed immediately. “Why do you look happy?”
“I always look happy.”
“You look suspiciously happy.”
I smirked and brushed past him into the tavern.
