Breakfast together at Dyna's was becoming a post-sex ritual with Chase on the nights he stayed over. Sookie had a special post-sex, pre-breakfast ritual that involved hunting the diner for any sign of her brother before sitting down.

"Hank's already been in, sweetheart," Dyna said. Her mouth was thin, but her kind eyes twinkled with both amusement and exasperation. Sookie knew where Dyna stood on her poor relationship with her brother, and she could guess the woman's opinion of Chase by proxy. Dyna didn't like seeing Sookie running around with the firefighter, but that was only because Dyna still remembered the girl Sookie had once been: fragile, uncertain, perpetually broken-hearted. Dyna couldn't know how Sookie had grown in the years since she'd skipped town, what strengths she'd gained. She couldn't know that this thing with Chase was just a fling, and that they were both happy with the arrangement they had worked out.

Sookie nodded thankfully, then glanced over her shoulder as she dropped down into her usual seat. Chase was catching up with a couple of guys from his squad. He looked perfectly at ease inside the diner, unlike the first time she’d clapped eyes on him. Despite his cocky exterior, he hadn't been able to hide the fact he was an Alaskan fish out of water—now, his familiar presence seemed to warm the diner, making even the low-lit booths and alcoves glow just a bit brighter. His booming laugh was as natural now to these surroundings as the bubble of the coffee pot or the sizzle of bacon hitting the skillet.

And God, he looked good in the morning, especially considering they rarely kept their hands off one another in the night long enough to fall asleep. She had given him the boot on more than one occasion in the beginning, even going so far as to bundle his clothes and toss them to him in the driveway when he turned his best pleading, puppy-dog eyes on her. It was all a game—they both knew she wouldn't have thrown him out if they didn't have work in the morning—and as their weeks together progressed, Chase got better and better at talking his way back in. He rarely set foot in the driveway anymore unless it had been his intention all along to leave. Sometimes it was Sookie now who pulled him back in.

When he turned and caught her looking, he grinned just for her. She quickly held up a menu to pretend like she wasn't totally busted.

What was with her this morning?

He said goodbye to his coworkers and sauntered over. "Have I told you just how damn delicious you look this morning?" His compliment drifted to her from behind the shielding menu.

"You've told me frequently," she said. Didn't matter. Her heart still thrummed every time she heard the insatiable hunger in his voice.

"Oh, I'm not talking to you," Chase corrected as he plucked the menu out of her hands. "I'm talking to the flapjacks printed on back here. Think I know what I'm ordering this morning."

Sookie snorted. "Seriously? Who calls pancakes flapjacks anymore?"

"Only true gentlemen," Chase said staunchly. "We're a dying breed."

Almost as if on cue, the bell chimed, and the diner door pushed open. Sookie was mid-eyeroll at Chase's claim, so she was the first to see the face of the man who ducked inside the establishment. The blood froze in her veins.

"I'm telling you that you scored when you met me. I'm—Sookie, what is it?" Chase gazed into her face, his smile twitching to an empty standstill. "Hank?" he guessed without turning around.

The man by the door surveyed the diner. His eyes lit on Sookie's. She rose as he started toward her . . . but managed to be standing less defensively by the time he arrived. Chase glanced between the two of them and rose as well, although he was clearly confused.

"Sookie," the man said in astonishment. "I had no idea you were in town!"

'The not-knowing was mutual," Sookie said. "Chase, this is my . . . friend. Jason. We go way back."

She thought she was being diplomatic, but Jason undercut her in the next instant. "We used to date," he explained as he extended his hand to Chase. "Pleasure to meet you." Sookie watched their hands pump, and wondered if she only imagined Jason's skin breaking out into patches of white as Chase cut off his circulation.

"Good to meet you, Jason." If it was a lie, Chase did a great job of sounding cordial.

Sookie shook her head. I'm imagining things, she thought. Worse, maybe she was actively fantasizing that Chase would feel possessive of her when confronted by a past flame. She definitely had to knock it off.

"Listen, I hope I'm not interrupting anything . . ." Jason glanced back and forth between them, ". . . but would you have time to catch up? I understand if you have plans." Another significant look at Chase.

"I've got time after my shift tonight," Sookie suggested. "I'm flying a chopper for the National Guard, but it's a routine patrol tonight. I should be back down again by seven." Admittedly, she had been looking forward to spending an evening in with Chase . . . but she had never expected the opportunity to talk to Jason face-to-face to come again. There was so much she had left unsaid between them, so much she needed to get off her chest and establish once and for all.

Jason's eyebrows rose. "No way. Now I'm really glad I happened to run into you. You'll have to fill me in on all the crazy stories you have." He nodded to himself, his gaze suddenly turned inward. He looked disappointed by his own story as he added, "I'm just in town looking after my parents' house. They couldn't make it up from Florida this year, so I came to housesit for them. You know: good son stuff," he joked.

Sookie had to laugh as well. While Jason seemed taller and more distinguished, he was still totally white bread. "Still have your old number?"

Sookie nodded.

"Great! I'll give you a call later this evening. I'll look for you!" he added, cheesily pointing upward.

Sookie shook her head, chuckling, as he walked off to take the booth Dyna had cleared for him.

"Guess we're off for tonight," Chase said.

Sookie turned back to him. His tone was neutral, but she still burned guiltily to think he had been a party to that exchange. She had jumped on Jason's invitation, afraid the chance to heal old wounds would never come again, and she had done it at the expense of a night together. Still, it wasn’t like Chase would mind, right? They had both deliberately denied themselves the privilege to mind what the other did, hadn't they?

"Yeah. Sorry about that. It's just . . ." Sookie toyed with her fork, wagging it back and forth like she could trick her brain into coming up with a better excuse through hypnosis. She settled for the truth. "Things didn't really end well between us. I always wondered if I'd get a chance to have a personal talk with him again.” She looked up and suggested quickly, “Why don't we get together tomorrow? I had such a good time last night . . . I hate to postpone any more fun we might have together." She tried on her best devilish smirk, but when Chase seemed unconvinced, she leaned in quickly to kiss him. That surprised him—they had both agreed to implement a 'no PDA' rule at Dyna's, especially after they’d nearly wrecked her restroom the last time they got feisty.

"Sounds great," he said. His eyes glanced off the clock above her head in barely the time it took to read its hands. "Hey, I gotta get to the station. Call me when you're free, all right?"

Sookie tried to mask her disappointment as he rose. They hadn't even had time to order anything together, but she supposed she should be going as well. Running into Jason, while serendipitous, had also suppressed her appetite. She knew the things she had to say to Jason, and they weren't going to be easy for either of them to digest . . . but she felt certain it would help her move forward in a positive way, and the new Sookie was all about propulsion.

She just wished she could have skipped seeing the distracted look on Chase's face. Maybe he was only thinking about his own work, Sookie reasoned, even though she knew in her heart it was a lie. Unexpectedly running into Jason had to be the reason for Chase's sudden distance, but she had faith the fireman would work through any jealousy aroused from having her ex around.

Sookie had no intention of getting back with Jason, anyway—and even if she did, it wasn’t like she and Chase were an actual item.

This will be good for us, Sookie thought as she departed for the airstrip. She had no way of knowing what Chase currently expected from their fling, but even she could see it was starting to get too cozy. Maybe Jason had arrived at the exact right moment to dump a bucket of chilly reality on her newest torch. This will be good for you, Sookie. Everything is happening in accordance to what you wanted. You're having hot, no-strings-attached fun with a smoking fireman from out of town; you get a second chance to clear things up with Jason; hell, you're even pissing off Hank with almost every breath you take. You're in complete control of your life, and you answer to no one.

Whatever was going on with Chase, she couldn't let it follow her into the air. She needed to fly with a clear head, especially since her sky was more choked with smoke each passing day.

It was getting harder to see her way clear.