“Is that so?’’ He brushed a bit of hair from my eyes.

“Yep,’’ I answered, cursing the shiver of desire I felt at his touch.

He brought his face close to mine. “Fascinating. Tell me more,’’ he whispered, chocolate-scented breath hot on my cheek.

I scooted backwards on the ground, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. “Now, you’re making fun of me.’’

“I’d never,’’ he answered, rising to his knees to follow me. Suddenly, that dying campfire felt awfully hot. I stopped backing away. He cupped my chin and lifted my face. Our eyes met. Memories of his touch on my naked body washed over me.

Then, I felt someone tap me hard on the shoulder. “Really do hate to interrupt,’’ came a nasty voice from behind me. “But I understand you want to talk to me.’’

I took just a second to wonder what would have happened next with Carlos. Then I turned to look up at my top suspect in the case of the planted rattlesnake.

“First of all, I don’t appreciate you spreading speculations around about me and some snake,’’ Austin said, leaning into my face. “I’d sooner chew on broken glass than get anywhere near one of those horrible creatures. I’m deathly afraid of them.’’

“It’s true, Mace.’’ Trey tugged at his ex-girlfriend’s arm, trying to back her off. “She hates snakes. Once, I took her to the reptile house at Busch Gardens. She started screaming and carrying on before we’d barely gotten through the door.’’

“I told you I didn’t want to go in there, Trey.’’

“Well, I wanted to see the python, Austin. I didn’t know you were going to freak out.’’

“I said I was afraid. You never listen!’’

She tossed her curls and pouted. Trey sighed like he’d been through it before. I wondered if I’d stumbled into an episode of Divorce Court.

“I’m not crazy about snakes, either.’’ Rising to his feet beside the campfire, Carlos smiled at my suspect. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure,’’ he said. “Austin, is it?’’

I raised my eyebrows. All of a sudden Mr. Rude Miami was Mr. Good Manners? “Sorry,’’ I said, and then did some quick introductions. “Carlos Martinez, Trey Bramble. Lawton was Trey’s daddy. And this is Austin Close, Trey’s ex-fiancée, and, conveniently, a snake phobic.’’

She glared at me, and then extended a hand and a sunny smile at Carlos.

“I heard y’all were discussing me at dinner, Mace. I just wanted to come over to say I had nothing to do with that snake.’’ I got the lower-watt version of Austin’s smile. “We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, haven’t we?’’

“Well, I do tend to take it personally when someone snaps a cow whip to spook my horse into traffic.’’

“An accident, as I’ve told you,’’ she said through clenched teeth. “And, I think I recall apologizing more than once.’’

“Mace is bad about accepting apologies, Austin,’’ said Carlos, the rat. “She really hangs onto a grudge.’’

“I do not.’’ I rose from the ground and crossed my arms over my chest. “And I’ll prove it by calling a truce. You say you had nothing to do with my tent? Okay. And the whip was an accident? Fine. Now, you’re afraid of snakes? Whatever. So if the rattler wasn’t you, any idea who it might have been?’’

I looked from her to Trey and back again. They both shook their heads.

“Not only do I not know who, I don’t know why,’’ Trey said.

“We thought it could be a message of some sort, like someone doesn’t want Mace around,’’ Carlos said. “Maybe someone doesn’t want any questions asked about your father’s death, Trey.’’

I narrowed my eyes at Austin. “Or maybe it’s someone who doesn’t want me around for another reason.’’

She snorted. “You think I’m jealous? Of you?’’ Her gaze traveled from my greasy hair to my manure-caked boots, resting a moment on what were probably flecks of marshmallow stuck to my chin. “Please!’’

Carlos held up his hands. “Ladies, ladies. Arguing will get us nowhere. Why don’t we all sit down and start over?”

“Getting chilly,’’ Trey said, taking a seat on the ground.

“Should be another cold one,’’ Carlos added.

Austin sat, too. She drummed her manicured fingernails on her knee and stared up at me. I counted the stars in Orion’s belt.

“Not as cold as last night, though,’’ Trey tried again.

“The fire feels great.’’ Carlos rubbed his hands together. “¡Que bueno!’’

“Is that Spanish?’’ Austin broke her silence.

He nodded.

“That’s what everybody speaks down in Miamuh,’’ Trey said.

“What’s it mean?’’ Austin asked, ignoring Trey’s cultural commentary.

“It’s like saying something is really good,’’ Carlos said. “¡Que bueno!’’

“I love hearing men speak a foreign language. It’s so romantic.’’ She clapped her hands excitedly, like a little girl about to kiss Santa. “Say something else.’’

“¿Qué quieres que te diga?’’

“Ooooooh, what’s that mean?’’

“It means, what do you want me to say?’’

Carlos’ eyes crinkled into a smile. Austin laughed, too heartily I thought. My S’mores were struggling to come back up.

“So,’’ her voice got low and sultry, “is what I’ve heard about Spanish men true?’’

Trey rolled his eyes at me, then tugged his hat down low over his forehead.

“I’m not Spanish. That’s someone from Spain. I’m Cuban, but I speak Spanish. And it depends on what you’ve heard.’’ Carlos smiled devilishly.

“About how they’re extra, uhm . . . sexy.’’ She widened her blue eyes at him. “You know, in the bedroom?’’

Carlos chuckled in a way I’d never heard before. Who was this guy?

“I’m going to have to plead the Fifth on that line of questioning, niña. I blush easily.’’

“Oh, you!’’ She gave his broad chest a playful shove. I could swear she licked her lips.

I felt around on the ground until I found a big rock. Then I tossed it into the flames with enough force to send sparks all over the two people seated closest to the fire.

“Sorry,’’ I said. “I think I’ve had enough campfire chat for tonight.’’

Trey pushed back his hat and stood up. “Me, too.’’ He shot Austin a disgusted look. “Let me walk you to your tent, Mace. I’ve got a flashlight.’’

I had one, too. But I decided to let Trey be gallant. I glanced over to see if Carlos noticed, but he seemed hypnotized by Austin. The hungry way he was looking at her was completely different than the protectiveness he’d shown toward Belle. Austin’s eyes smoldered. The firelight reflected like a halo off her dark hair, hypnotizing him. The witch.

“Okay, then. Goodnight,’’ I said.

Carlos mumbled, “ ’night,’’ barely looking at me.

Trey took my arm as we left. I leaned into him, purposely putting my head on his shoulder. Just before we rounded a big oak, I stole a last glance backward. Carlos was plucking a bit of spattered ash off Austin’s cheek. As far as he was concerned, Trey and I could have been on the moon.

___

I slammed a tin cup onto the hood of my Jeep. Yanking the top off a bottle of water, I swigged, rinsed, and spit into the bushes. Then I squirted more toothpaste onto my brush and started all over. I wanted to obliterate the taste of those stupid S’mores I’d shared with Carlos.

Trey leaned against the horse trailer at my campsite, watching me.

“Take it easy, Mace. You’re about to scrub the enamel right off your pearly whites.’’