Page 35 of Silver Fox Firefighters Next Door

He stepped back as I pulled my car door shut. He stood there with his arms crossed and a serious frown on his face as I started the vehicle and put it in reverse. Before I could move, though, my phone was ringing again, the Bluetooth connection making it play the sound at a painful volume through my car speakers.

“Is that him again?” Tate knocked on my window. “Do I need to talk to him to make him leave you alone?”

I waved quickly and then backed out of the spot. I drove away without looking at him again. Instead of heading home again, I turned toward Vera’s to see if she was still in her airbnb.

CHAPTER 27

Eve

Since Grandpa wasn’t going home, I decided to spend a few days at Vera’s. She was still at her rental, despite her brothers finding out she was in town. I wasn’t even sure why I was avoiding the guys, but it felt necessary. For the first time since things were good with Mark, I was feeling things for other men and it scared me enough to make me want to pack up and head for the city. Only, Mark was in the city and I was avoiding him, too.

I’d made a trip to the cabin to get my computer and a few other things so I could work while staying at Vera’s. We mostly hung out on her bed and watched romcoms, though. I cried. Vera shouted at the TV when the main characters didn’t figure out their feelings for each other fast enough. I ate buckets of ice cream and pretended that was just what I did for fun.

I’d talked to Billie a little and it was enough for me to find out Joanie had gone into hiding after an especially bad fight with the guys she was sort of seeing. That explained the chaos at the diner. Joanie ran things with an expertise I admired. Chase was nothing without her. Billie was silent about her bosses, but I could tell there were big things brewing for her, too. I didn’t pry much since I was staying with their sister. I also didn’t tell Billie that little tidbit because I didn’t want her to think I was going to the Hellstone side. I was solidly in camp Billie.

On the fourth morning of my stay with Vera, she looked at me and just shook her head. I wanted to know what she was thinking but I was also terrified she’d be brutally honest with me about things I wasn’t ready to hear so I ignored the head shake. It didn’t stop her, though.

“You know I would let you move in with me at any time, right? Even back home on the ranch, where my bedroom is tiny. That’s how much I care about you.” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “You have to leave, though. You’re hiding and I don’t want to be a part of you not facing those sexy, sexy neighbors of yours. I keep waiting on you to realize you’re practically dry-humping the air and go home to screw those men from here to kingdom come but you’re not realizing anything!”

I scoffed. “I’m not dry-humping anything!”

“Maybe not literally, but I can see you lost in thought all the time. Every time the doorbell rings, you practically leap into the air to see if it’s one of your guys. If I let you stay here any longer, I wouldn’t be a good friend.” She smiled. “And I’m nothing, if not a good friend.”

I scowled at her. “I’m not leaping into the air or doing anything else over the guys. I’m just hanging out with my friend.”

“Liar.”

I took a deep breath, preparing to argue, and just let it all out in one epic ramble. “I don’t want to face them! It’s not safe!”

“Not safe?” She cocked her head at me. “Why isn’t it safe? Because you’re going to get nailed through their bed when you get home? Or because you’re afraid you might get the spanking they told you you deserved and you’re going to like it?”

“I’m never telling you anything again.” I tore off a piece of toast and frowned. “I can’t believe you’re kicking me out.”

“I’m doing it for your own good. You need to face those men. Just like my brothers need to face their shit with Billie. When they do talk to me, they’re so full of shit about her it makes me want to scream. I can’t deal with anybody else around me denying their feelings.”

“So, I’m being punished because your brothers are dumb?” I laughed at the face she made. “Ugh. Fine! I’ll go home and face my stupid neighbors. Maybe they already left while I was here. Maybe I’ll go home to an empty cabin next door.”

“Nope. I saw the big one yesterday when I was out buying more ice cream.” She smirked when she saw she’d piqued my interest. “I’m not telling you anything about the conversation I had with him. You’ll have to go home and ask him yourself.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Thank me after they fuck you senseless.” She pulled a new tub of ice cream out of the freezer. “One more movie before you go?”

“Of course.” I grabbed the ice cream. “You can get your own bucket, though.”

It was almost dark by the time I actually made it home to the cabin. I stopped by the store to pick up a few groceries and then drove around town for long enough my milk got warm and I had to stop to buy more before finally building up the courage to go home. I didn’t even get inside with the first load of groceries before the guys were there, grabbing bags to carry inside without saying anything at all.

I followed them into the cabin and wrapped my arms around myself as I watched them silently put stuff away. When I couldn’t handle the silence anymore, I cracked. “Why are you guys here?”

Aiden smirked at me. “Why wouldn’t we be? You’ve been avoiding us for days and now you’re here. It seems like we need to steal whatever time with you we can before you go into hiding again.”

“I want to look at that hand.” Nash braced his hands on the island and stared at me with a hard look. “I’m willing to bet you haven’t taken care of it.”

“And I want to know if your absence has anything to do with your ex calling you.” Tate crossed his arms over his chest as he watched me. “You disappeared after talking to him.”

I frowned at him and went to the bathroom to put away the toiletries I’d taken to Vera’s house. I wasn’t sure how to feel. I was pissed, but I wasn’t even sure why. Maybe that wasn’t true, though. I had an idea of why I was pissed. They were acting possessive over me but they had no interest in possessing me. Not that I wanted to be possessed. It was just the idea. Admitting out loud why I was upset meant showing more cards than I wanted to show. To them or to myself.

Nash stood in the bathroom doorway when I turned to leave. He blocked me from leaving and stepped closer, making the bathroom feel tiny. “Let me see your hand.”

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