Page 40 of Fastlander Fighter

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, using her words.

She shrugged, realized he couldn’t see her doing that, and then answered honestly. “I will be.”

“Truth. Attagirl.” He huffed a breath and said, “I’m almost to your apartment. I brought you Moosey’s. I can help unpack if you want. I won’t even make fun of you if you cry.”

She snorted. “Thanks a lot.”

“Hey, I’m a changed man now. I’m sensitive.”

She belted out a laugh and sank onto the couch, feeling a sense of relief she didn’t entirely understand. All she knew was that it felt good. “Your day.”

“My parents came to see me at work today. Fuckin’ Gunner tattled to them about you.”

“Whoooo, family drama. I remember your parents. I only met them the one time.” She scrunched up her nose. “Are they mad that I’m back in town or something?”

“Not mad at all. Just did a lot of call-outs I wasn’t ready for, I guess.”

“Bright side, they care,” she uttered softly.

“Yeah. I guess there’s that. I’ll be there in ten.”

The butterflies were back. This felt so…normal. He was coming over after work with food and an offer to help her unpack? Okay, Captain Walker. He was securing her attention.

“I’ll see you soon,” she told him, and then they said their goodbyes.

Exactly ten minutes later he was pulling into the parking lot. She was on the front porch with a pair of beers that had sat in the back of her fridge for the last month, since she’d moved in.

He didn’t notice her at first. He wore a frown as he got out and grabbed the bag of food from the back seat, but the second he looked up and saw her, a grin took his handsome face.

Oh, he looked so hot today. He wore a thin white T-shirt over his jeans, and a backwards baseball cap. His beard looked thicker today, and his eyes were a solid and relaxed stormy blue when he approached her.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek, then patted her butt as he passed and went inside her apartment.

“Slob,” he teased as he stepped over piles of moving debris.

“It’s so bad,” she said with a laugh, following him inside.

He set the food down, then turned and shocked her as he lifted her right off the ground and hugged her. He didn’t try to kiss her or anything, and she was still holding the frosty beer cans, so she wrapped her arms around him and settled into the hug he seemed to need. He swayed slowly, just holding her, and she eased into his embrace even more, just silently hugging him tight.

“Your mom and dad got to you, didn’t they?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said gruffly. He kissed the side of her neck and settled her back on her feet, then took one of the beers from her, cracked it open, and took a long swig of it.

“Holy shit, this is good,” he said on a relieved-sounding breath. “Standing on the front porch looking sexy as fuck holding a beer for me when I get off work? If you’re playing the trap-Captain game, quit now. You won’t like the consequences.”

“What consequences do you speak of?” she joked as she opened her own drink and sank down into one of the chairs at the table.

“You’re going to get me addicted to you, and then I’ll be real hard to get rid of.”

“Mmm. Good. I need loyal friends.”

He offered her a wicked smile. “Keep it up, Middleson. Keep throwing that word around and see how far it gets you.”

“You say friends too,” she pointed out.

“Yeah, but I know I’m full of shit.”

She belted out a laugh and drew her knee up to her chest as he unpacked the food he’d brought. “Tell me about the call-outs.”

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