Page 33 of Silver Fox Firefighters Next Door

I knew what I was supposed to do. We would leave town in just a few more months. If that long. I didn’t want to lie to her, though. “Yes. It matters.”

She tipped her chin higher. “Why?”

I smiled and backed away. “I should get going.”

She gasped and grabbed my arm, doing her best to force me to stop. “Wait a second!”

I laughed as she wrapped both hands around my arm to stop me. Turning back to her, I easily lifted her and put her down on the island. “Gotta go.”

Before I could move away, she locked her legs around my waist and held on tight. “Why does it matter, Nash?”

I hesitated before grabbing her face and lowering my mouth to hers. Kissing her slowly at first, I told myself to back off and leave but I couldn’t. My hunger for her took over and when I did manage to pry my mouth from hers, we were both breathing hard. Stroking my thumb over her cheek, I kissed her once more before untangling myself from her arms and legs.

“That wasn’t an answer.”

I got to the door and looked back at her over my shoulder. “Yeah, it was.”

I laughed as her lips parted and her eyebrows furrowed. Winking at her, I left with a smile on my face and an oddly happy feeling coursing through me. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel happiness normally. I did. Since starting our traveling business, I’d felt a lot of happiness. What I was feeling after walking away from Eve was something different, something bigger.

“Well, aren’t you all smiles?” Tate was leaning against his truck, waiting on me. “How is she?”

“Seems fine. She didn’t want me to unwrap her hand unless I agreed to not rewrap it so I didn’t get to check it.” I straightened my face into something normal. “I left the door unlocked if you want to go over.”

He smirked and shook his head. “I have to run to town. If I go over, there’s a pretty big chance I’m not leaving.”

I ran my hand over my hair and blew out a big sigh. “I asked her if she still had feelings for her ex and she asked me if it mattered.”

“And you said?”

“That it did. Because it does. I didn’t tell her why but there’s something there that makes me want to go find her ex and knock him out just so he’ll stay the fuck away from her.” I groaned. “I’m jealous. I can’t even tell you the last time I felt jealousy, Tate, but it’s there.”

He looked uncomfortable as he nodded. “I wanted to kick Aiden’s ass this morning when I saw him come walking in with a giant smile on his face.”

“Feels like dangerous territory.” Straddling my motorcycle, I knocked my knuckles against the body. “I’m not willing to back off, though. Not while we’re still here.”

“I feel the same way. We just need to focus on what it is she can be to us. And what she can’t be.”

Permanent. She couldn’t be permanent. Looking away, I tried to rearrange my thoughts into something happier. “I’ve got to go. I’m helping out at the fire station.”

“We need to talk to Aiden. If this thing gets too big, we may need to cut it off before it’s time to leave.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “It’d probably be better for Eve, anyway. She’s done her best to avoid us from the start. Maybe we need to let her.”

I started my motorcycle and pulled away without answering him. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

CHAPTER 26

Eve

When Grandpa didn’t come home again, I started to worry about him. For that reason, I got up early and headed into town to see if I could catch him while he was having his morning coffee at The One and Only. I couldn’t get Vera’s words out of my head, about him and Coco hooking up. I couldn’t believe it. Coco was insane. There was no getting around that.

The diner was chaotic when I walked in. Joanie’s business partner, Chase, was behind the counter with his little brother Charlie and they were arguing over a handful of tickets while multiple senior citizens at the bar shouted at them. Unfortunately, Grandpa wasn’t one of them.

I did see Coco sitting at a table with Brenda and Margaret, though, and I couldn’t help myself. I must’ve been a glutton for punishment because I slid into the seat next to Margaret and crossed my arms as I looked the three of them over.

“If you’re here to bitch about the lube again, I’m going to push you out of this booth.” Margaret smiled sweetly. “With love, of course.”

“If I was here to bitch about the lube, I’d have every right. You don’t even understand how mortified I was. I had to call for help. I’m not here to talk about that, though.” I focused on Coco. “Have you seen my grandpa?”

Her face gave away nothing. “Nope.”

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