Nick Merrick set a wide piece of flagstone into the sand,shifting it back and forth to lock it in place. Despite thelate October chill in the air, the sun beat down on his back,making him regret his long-sleeved black T-shirt. He pulled thered Merrick Landscaping cap off his head to wipe sweat awaywith his forearm. His hair was already damp, and he still hadhalf a path to finish.

He yanked the hat back on and fed some power into the air,asking for a breeze.

The wind was overly happy to accommodate, sending a gustthrough the trees to scatter leaves and blow sand into the grass.Nick swore.

Quinn shivered and huddled down in her fleece pullover."Frigging wind."

Nick glanced at her. She was sitting on the slate stone benchhis older brother had installed yesterday. "Cold? Go sit in thetruck."

"But I'm helping you."

Nick smiled. She hadn't left the bench since they'd gottenhere. "Oh. Okay. I didn't realize you were helping."

"Not with the landscaping. I can barely pick those rocks up."She turned to lie flat on the bench, letting long blond hair fall almostto the grass. She stretched one leg up to the sky. Next she'dbe pulling it back toward her chest and putting her ankle next toher ear. Crazy dancer. "I'm helping you keep up illusions."

Illusions. Nick lost the smile and flung another stone intoplace. "Are you sure you're not avoiding going home?"

"Okay, so maybe we're helping each other."

He made a noncommittal noise and reached for anotherstone.

"Seriously," said Quinn. "Your brother gave you crap forbringing me along, didn't he?"

"Not really." And Michael hadn't. If Gabriel or Chris hadtried to drag a girl along on a job, Michael would have pitched afit. But Nick was the dependable one. When he'd mentioned thatQuinn was riding along, his older brother hadn't batted an eye.

Then again, Nick had told Michael a little about Quinn's epicfights with her mom, which seemed to have gotten worse sinceher family's home was destroyed in a fire. Maybe Michael wascutting her some slack, too.

"Huh," said Quinn. "Maybe I should accidentally leavepanties in your room or something."

"You don't need to do that."

"You sound pissed."

Nick put another rock into place and rolled the tension fromhis shoulders. "I'm not. I'm just ... you don't need to go overthe top."

"Panties are over the top?"

He didn't even bother answering that.

"Come on," she said. "If you don't want your brothers toknow you're into guys, a little lingerie left in your bedroommight be just the ticket."

Nick slammed another rock into the sand and didn't botheranswering that, either.

Quinn was relentless. "Have you seen Adam since that nightI caught you kissing?"

"No." At least not in reality. But Quinn's dance partner hadoccupied nearly every waking moment of Nick's thoughts. Anda lot of the sleeping moments, too.

Adam was the first—the only—boy he'd ever kissed.

Nick's brothers had no idea. They still thought he was infatuatedwith Quinn. And Quinn was all too happy to keep up the"illusion," as she put it.

"Have you talked to him?" Quinn pressed.

"No." But he read over Adam's last text message abouttwenty times a day.

When you know what you want, I'll be right here.

Nick knew what he wanted, all right. He just wasn't sure hewanted to want it. His life was already complicated enough. Hereached for another stone.

"He asked about you," said Quinn.

Nick dropped the stone on his fingers. He swore again andflexed them to ease the pain. "Yeah?"

"He asked how you were doing."

Nick didn't say anything, just rocked the stone into place.

"Hmm," said Quinn. "What did I tell him about you ...?"

Nick's heart tripped and stumbled along. He waited.

And waited.

Finally, he looked up. "There's a pool around back. Don'tthink I won't drop you in it."

Quinn smiled, but it was a little cautious, a little sad. "Heasked if you'd be coming with me to the studio anytime soon."

She meant the dance studio at the Y, where he'd first metAdam. Nick enjoyed watching Quinn dance, and he loved theway music coursed through the air to seep into his skin. Thenhe'd seen Adam, and it was like a missing puzzle piece finallysnapped into place.

He'd loved watching Adam dance, too.

Nick grabbed a hand roller and flattened the next expanse ofsand. "I don't want to be a distraction."

"I think you need a little distraction."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you're completely stressed out." Quinn rolled offthe bench and walked behind him, putting her hands on hisshoulders. She dug her thumbs into the muscles there. It almosthurt, but it felt good, too, so he didn't stop her.

"Quinn, it's fine. I have a lot on my mind."

Like the fact that he and his brothers were still marked fordeath for the Elemental abilities they struggled to control.

Or the fact that a bunch of younger Elementals had nearlydestroyed the town a week ago.

Or maybe that the Guide who'd come to town to kill them allwas sitting in a jail cell, and could be released at any time.

Not to mention the stack of college responses hidden in hisdesk at home. Or his family's struggling landscaping business,which was barely turning a profit now, to say nothing of gettingthrough the winter.

Oh, and the fact that he was gay, and one of the only twopeople who knew was sitting right here ragging on him about it.

"Why don't you come to the studio tonight?" she said.

"I have a physics test tomorrow. I need to study."

"Please. Like you couldn't pass that in your sleep. And if youreally needed to study, why aren't your brothers doing this job?"

Nick shook her hands off and reached for another stone."Hannah was off tonight, and Mike needed a break. I offered."

"Of course you did." She paused. "And Gabriel? Chris?"

"Busy, and busy." His youngest brother, Chris, had planswith his girlfriend. And Gabriel, his twin, was trying to catch upon math so he could apply for firefighter school in the spring.

"Come on," said Quinn. "You know you want to."

He did want to. A lot.

A lot more than he wanted to admit.

Too complicated. He shook his head.

"Come on," said Quinn. "You could bring your textbook.Wear some glasses. He'd probably think it was sexy."

Nick told himself to stop imagining it.

Quinn grinned. "Nicholas Merrick. You are blushing."

"Seriously. Pool. Out back. Get ready to be all wet."

"If you don't come with me, I'm going to tell him to stop pining,because you're not interested."

"You are not going to tell him that."

"Yes. I am. In fact—" She pulled out her cell phone. "I'mgoing to tell him right now."

Her hands were flying across the keys. Nick was on his feetyanking it out of her hands before he even knew he was moving.

She didn't fight him.

Then he looked down at what she'd typed. Not a message toAdam. A message to him.

You deserve a break, too, Nick.

He sighed. "I don't know."

Her voice gentled. "I know you still like him." She paused."It's not a date. It's an hour in the studio."

An hour watching Adam dance. He'd almost come undonethe first time. But eager butterflies were hanging streamers for aparty in his stomach. "All right. I'll come with...