Ignite (Legacy) by Rebecca Yarros

panic crept into her eyes.
    “Is it just pretend?” I asked softly.
    “I don’t want it to be, but you and I know it’s so much more complicated than we’re willing to admit.”
    I kissed her, letting my lips promise what terrified my heart. “Yeah. We can pretend. Maybe it will give you a better idea of what it would really be like if you opened yourself up to the possibility that life exists beyond the limits you’ve accepted.”
    She swallowed, then nodded. “Okay. Shall we?” She nodded toward the office.
    I squeezed her hand in answer and then walked in with her at my side.
    “You two good?” Bishop asked, his eyes narrowing in my direction.
    “We’re fantastic,” I said, leading Avery over to the map.
    “Right. So here’s the fun part. Bash is beyond loaded now. He knew what it would take to relocate an entire Hotshot crew here, and once he realized it would be Legacy kids last week, well…he made a few calls to realtors.”
    Bishop and I locked eyes. He shrugged.
    “That means you can either take the signing bonus that will cover the house you’d like to buy, or he’ll sign you over one of the eleven he’s already bought.”
    “No shit?” I asked, stunned.
    “No shit,” Knox answered. “He wasn’t letting anything get in the way. Of course there are barracks here, but if you’re bringing your family”—he looked at Avery—“then he wants to make sure it’s a smooth transition. Trust me, this money is nothing for him.”
    “Tech,” I answered Avery’s unspoken question. “He’s sold a few apps and invested really well.”
    “Obscenely well,” Knox added.
    “Apparently,” Avery said, her eyes huge.
    “What do you say? Want to house hunt with me?” Come on, Avery. Pretend.
    “I do,” she said with a smile that rivaled the sun.

    * * *
    F ive hours later , I’d fed her twice, showed her some of my favorite spots around town, and even walked her into the newspaper office.
    Old Mr. Buchanan was still in charge, but he told her he was looking for a new reporter/editor/graphic designer.
    “Small-town life,” I said to her as we walked back to the Jeep Knox had lent us from the crew’s new garage. The thing was brand new, and the weather was perfect for keeping the top off.
    “I love it,” she said, dropping her sunglasses down as she buckled in to the passenger side. “And thank you for driving by the high school. Addy wanted pictures.”
    “My pleasure,” I told her as we pulled out onto the main street. “How is she doing?”
    “She says Aunt Dawn has everything under control. Then again, I’m pretty sure if the house was burning down she wouldn’t tell me right now.”
    “She knows you need the break,” I said. “Where’s the next house?”
    She gripped the paper tightly as the wind rustled it. “Six-fifteen Pine Ave.”
    I entered it into the GPS and we turned left, heading for the edge of town. “I’m not sure where that is.”
    “Has a lot changed since you left?”
    “There’s more here. They’d finished a lot of the rebuild before I left for Alaska, but there’s been some growth, too. I bet we’re up to four thousand people by now.”
    “It’s beautiful,” she said, her eyes on the mountains around us as we left the town limits.
    “What did you think about the first six houses we saw?”
    “They’re nice. Not exactly what I picture you in—us in,” she corrected. “A little trendy, a little too close to each other.”
    “Agreed. I want an easy commute to the clubhouse, but I think Alaska spoiled me. I like being away from people.”
    “You’ve gone savage,” she joked.
    “Just a little wild,” I countered.
    We followed the road deeper into the mountains until we were a good three miles outside of town. “Pine,” I said, turning onto a dirt road.
    “Much more your speed,” she joked, reaching over to rub the back of my neck.
    The road took us another mile before a house appeared on the left side of the road. “Wow,” Avery