Free Firefly Mountain by Christine DePetrillo

appeared to be a clean-cut man of the law. The kind of guy Patrick would pick for Raina. But would she pick him?
    “So what do you fellows do?” Raina finished the last of her wine and glanced at the clock over the bar.
    “I’m a firefighter like your brother here,” Jonah said. “And Mason is a detective with the Burnam PD.”
    Raina’s gray eyes widened. “A detective? Like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, do you, Mason?”
    “I like catching the bad guys,” Mason said.
    “Keeping the town safe for gals like me, huh?”
    “Definitely.”
    Patrick looked between the two of them then to Jonah, who gave a slight nod.
    “The next song is for you then, Mason.” Raina held out her hand, which Mason took. “Pleasure meeting you both.” Her gaze only fell on Mason.
    After letting her hand slip from Mason’s, Raina dropped a kiss on Patrick’s cheek and headed back to the piano. Jonah signaled to the waitress and ordered beers for Mason and himself.
    “You want another, Patrick?”
    Patrick shook his head. “Still working on this one.” He glanced at Mason, still transfixed on Raina. She’d started her song, something about looking for a hero.
    “Any word on the lab results for the evidence I took from the fire scene, Mason?”
    Mason didn’t take his gaze off Raina. He took a long gulp of his beer, but his attention on her didn’t waver.
    “Mason?” Patrick repeated. He looked at Jonah, a little concerned now. “His head always this easily turned?”
    “No way. For the first few months we knew Mason, Gini and I thought he was gay. Then we figured out he’s extremely shy around women, especially attractive women. It took him almost a year to talk to Gini.”
    Patrick was dying to know if Gini and Mason had dated, but didn’t dare ask. He didn’t care or at least he could pretend not to care.
    “Mason.” Jonah shoved his friend and the detective jumped.
    “What?”
    “Snap out of it, man. You’re getting drool all over the table.” Jonah laughed at the frown lines around Mason’s mouth.
    “I am not.” Still, he reached for a napkin at the center of the table and wiped his mouth. “God, she’s beautiful though.”
    “Raina got lucky in the looks department,” Patrick said. He and Julianne hadn’t been so fortunate. His scars were at least hidden. But Julianne. Patrick’s fingers tightened around his beer.
    “Speaking of good-looking women.” Jonah pointed to the front door where Gini and another woman talked to an older gentleman with a dark gray beard and long hair. His sharp, golden eyes flickered as he laughed at whatever Gini was saying. “That’s Wolf, the owner of this pub. If werewolves exist, he’s one for sure.”
    Patrick tried to laugh, but all his senses zeroed in on Gini. She wore light blue jeans that hugged her fit body. A silver tank top that flared out at the bottom gave her a curvy outline that made all the blood in Patrick’s body rush to one spot. Her hair was pulled over her shoulder in a low ponytail, a cascade of curls resting at her neck. Silver hoop earrings sparkled at her ears.
    Shaking his head, Patrick told himself to get a grip as Gini led her friend through the bar to their table. She faltered a little when her eyes met Patrick’s, he noted, but she recovered quickly and tossed him a bright smile.
    “Hiya.” She pulled a chair from a nearby table and sat between Patrick and Mason. She could have sat anywhere, Patrick thought, but she chose that spot. Interesting.
    “Hey, Shutterbug,” Mason said. “Isn’t that singing fantastic?”
    Gini glanced to the stage and nodded. “Yeah, Raina is wonderful.”
    “You’ve heard her sing before?” Patrick was getting drunk on the wildflower scent wafting off Gini.
    “Sure, lots of times. She plays here often. Don’t you like her?”
    “I love her.” Patrick enjoyed watching the muscles in Gini’s face tense.
    “Raina is his sister,” Jonah said.
    Now Gini smiled as she looked at Patrick.