pillow against the back of his head, hard enough to make their foreheads bump. “Shut your—”
His lips pressed against hers, defusing her annoyance in an instant. She wrapped her arms around his neck and relaxed against his body.
Rylie hadn’t done a lot of kissing before—or any at all, actually, aside from Brent in the seventh grade, who had these horrible braces—but she was certain Seth was the best in the world. Every movement of his lips and tongue woke her up in places she hadn’t felt before.
He pulled back so he could look in her eyes. His expression was dark and heated, like he was thinking about other things. Probably the same things as Rylie.
But before she could say anything, her door opened. Aunt Gwyn cleared her throat loudly.
Seth bolted upright. Rylie flattened out and hid her head behind his back. Her cheeks burned with heat. “Breakfast is ready,” Gwyn said, her voice thick with amusement. She propped the door open before leaving again.
Rylie burrowed her head in the sheets. “I think the door is supposed to be a sign,” Seth said.
“A sign that I’m going to die of humiliation,” she said. Seth slipped off the bed and kneeled next to her so their faces were level. She peeked at him with one eye over the sheet.
He grinned. “I’m starving. Are you starving?”
Her stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear it. He laughed and dragged her out of bed.
Rylie detoured to the bathroom to comb her hair and brush her teeth. They walked into the kitchen holding hands, but Rylie kept her eyes locked to the floor so she wouldn’t have to look at anyone. Mercifully, Gwyn didn’t ask any awkward questions.
As soon as they finished eating and rinsed off their plates, they were free to check on the cows. It looked like it wouldn’t snow for a few days, so they were moving the herd out of the barn. Rylie had to break ice off the troughs so they would have something to drink other than snow.
Seth opened the barn doors and spread hay around the fields for them to graze on. Rylie sat back on the fence to watch him work. She couldn’t actually approach the cows unless she felt like causing a stampede.
When was the last time she had seen Abel working around the cows? He was at the ranch every day, but she only saw him plowing snow or repairing fences. Was he avoiding the animals now, too?
She couldn’t shake it off as paranoia. Not after what happened the night before.
He joined her on the fence when he finished. Tell him about Abel. He has to know. Just tell him...
“What are you going to do today?” she asked, wincing inwardly.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m going to check out some of the murder scenes, I think. The police have cleaned up by now, but maybe they missed something.”
“Why don’t we just go after Bekah and Levi?”
“Because...” Seth hesitated. “I don’t know. We can’t do anything until we’re sure. We have to be sure.”
Rylie watched her feet swing over the snow. “I guess.”
“I’m going into the city today, too. I need to find a place that rents tuxedos.”
“Huh?”
“Well, you know. For the Winter Ball.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she tilted her head back to look at him. “Did you hear they changed the date to the twenty-third? The new moon?”
“You’ve been doing really good on the days before you change. The dance is pretty early. I don’t think it will be a problem, if you still want to go.”
“You haven’t even asked me,” Rylie said.
Seth’s arm tightened. “I didn’t think I had to ask.”
She pushed him away. “So what, you assumed you’d show up before the dance and I’d magically be ready to go? I need warning to get beautiful.”
“You always look beautiful,” he said, but she could tell he was just trying to dodge trouble. Seth moved toward her again and she hopped off the fence. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think it’d make you mad. Want to go to the Winter
His lips pressed against hers, defusing her annoyance in an instant. She wrapped her arms around his neck and relaxed against his body.
Rylie hadn’t done a lot of kissing before—or any at all, actually, aside from Brent in the seventh grade, who had these horrible braces—but she was certain Seth was the best in the world. Every movement of his lips and tongue woke her up in places she hadn’t felt before.
He pulled back so he could look in her eyes. His expression was dark and heated, like he was thinking about other things. Probably the same things as Rylie.
But before she could say anything, her door opened. Aunt Gwyn cleared her throat loudly.
Seth bolted upright. Rylie flattened out and hid her head behind his back. Her cheeks burned with heat. “Breakfast is ready,” Gwyn said, her voice thick with amusement. She propped the door open before leaving again.
Rylie burrowed her head in the sheets. “I think the door is supposed to be a sign,” Seth said.
“A sign that I’m going to die of humiliation,” she said. Seth slipped off the bed and kneeled next to her so their faces were level. She peeked at him with one eye over the sheet.
He grinned. “I’m starving. Are you starving?”
Her stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear it. He laughed and dragged her out of bed.
Rylie detoured to the bathroom to comb her hair and brush her teeth. They walked into the kitchen holding hands, but Rylie kept her eyes locked to the floor so she wouldn’t have to look at anyone. Mercifully, Gwyn didn’t ask any awkward questions.
As soon as they finished eating and rinsed off their plates, they were free to check on the cows. It looked like it wouldn’t snow for a few days, so they were moving the herd out of the barn. Rylie had to break ice off the troughs so they would have something to drink other than snow.
Seth opened the barn doors and spread hay around the fields for them to graze on. Rylie sat back on the fence to watch him work. She couldn’t actually approach the cows unless she felt like causing a stampede.
When was the last time she had seen Abel working around the cows? He was at the ranch every day, but she only saw him plowing snow or repairing fences. Was he avoiding the animals now, too?
She couldn’t shake it off as paranoia. Not after what happened the night before.
He joined her on the fence when he finished. Tell him about Abel. He has to know. Just tell him...
“What are you going to do today?” she asked, wincing inwardly.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’m going to check out some of the murder scenes, I think. The police have cleaned up by now, but maybe they missed something.”
“Why don’t we just go after Bekah and Levi?”
“Because...” Seth hesitated. “I don’t know. We can’t do anything until we’re sure. We have to be sure.”
Rylie watched her feet swing over the snow. “I guess.”
“I’m going into the city today, too. I need to find a place that rents tuxedos.”
“Huh?”
“Well, you know. For the Winter Ball.”
Her heart skipped a beat, and she tilted her head back to look at him. “Did you hear they changed the date to the twenty-third? The new moon?”
“You’ve been doing really good on the days before you change. The dance is pretty early. I don’t think it will be a problem, if you still want to go.”
“You haven’t even asked me,” Rylie said.
Seth’s arm tightened. “I didn’t think I had to ask.”
She pushed him away. “So what, you assumed you’d show up before the dance and I’d magically be ready to go? I need warning to get beautiful.”
“You always look beautiful,” he said, but she could tell he was just trying to dodge trouble. Seth moved toward her again and she hopped off the fence. “I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think it’d make you mad. Want to go to the Winter
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