“So good,” Soleil said, shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m offended you didn’t make these for the rest of us.”
“Next time,” I promised. “Assuming I survive the afternoon.”
“You will,” Elise said. “And tonight, you’re celebrating.”
I blinked. “Celebrating what?”
“Surviving your first full week,” Soleil said. “We’re doing a bonfire by the south fence. You’re coming.”
I hesitated. Kammy’s words echoed in my head. Snooker tables. Nico and his friends. I’d planned on checking the place out tonight. But staying to hang out made sense. I wanted to make friends here. Besides my body was sore from the hard physical work since I wasn’t used to it so I wasn’t in the mood to get dressed up anyway.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll be there.”
Soleil grinned. “Good. Bring a jacket.”
By the time the sun dipped behind the trees, the orchard looked different. Softer. Less imposing. Someone had dragged logs into a loose circle near the south fence, and a fire crackled in the center, sparks lifting into the darkening sky. Beers appeared from coolers. Laughter came easier than it had all day. I took a bottle and sat on one of the logs, letting the warmth seep into my bones. The conversation drifted from work complaints to childhood stories to whose turn it was to bring snacks next time. It felt… normal.
Headlights cut across the field. I looked up just as a truck rolled to a stop nearby. Asher climbed out. He was wearing a grey t-shirt and a pair of worn jeans, and he looked too damn good. For a split second, I wondered if the mood would shiftor if everyone would stiffen or scatter. But nothing changed as he walked up to the group. A small smile curving his lips. He seemed lighter right now.
“About time,” Jonah called. “We thought you bailed.”
Asher grabbed a beer from the cooler and cracked it open. “I really shouldn’t be drinking this,” he muttered. “I’ve got a fight coming up.”
Soleil laughed. “You say that every time.”
“And then you win anyway,” Elise added. “So drink the beer.”
Someone else chimed in. “Crazy how he does that.”
“Yeah,” Jonah said. “I’ve seen him fight. It’s unreal.”
Asher took a sip, shaking his head. “You’re all exaggerating.”
“No, we’re not,” Soleil said. “You win almost all your matches.”
That caught my attention.
I turned toward him. “What kind of fighting do you do?”
He glanced at me, expression neutral. “MMA.”
“Oh,” I said. “Like… professional?”
“Mid-tier,” he corrected. “Nothing flashy.”
The firelight flickered across his face, highlighting a faint scar near his brow I hadn’t noticed before.
“That’s still intense,” I said.
“It keeps me busy,” he replied.
“And humble,” Soleil added. “Mostly.”
He shot her a look. “Mostly.”
Laughter rippled around the circle. The fire popped and cracked, sending warmth through the cool night air. I watched him out of the corner of my eye. The way he leaned back against the log. The way he listened more than he spoke. The way everyone seemed comfortable around him, like they trusted him without needing to say it out loud. This wasn’t the guarded, tense man who’d confronted me by my car. This was an easy going, well liked, version of him. I took a slow breath and leanedback, letting the moment exist without trying to analyze it. Because for tonight, at least, I’d chosen the fire over the shadows of Sophie’s disappearance. And maybe that mattered more than I realized.
Since Sophie disappeared, I spent most of my free time trying to figure out cases like hers. I didn’t like what I learned. Some people had succumbed to the elements. But that night was clear. Weather shouldn’t have been a factor. I understood why she wasn’t reported missing. People like Marcel Bellerose aren’t going to admit to losing people he’s trying to smuggle to the US. And with no body as proof, it made his life easy.