Page 7 of Rhett

We both sit in silence, but it’s comfortable.

A couple of guys come over to us. “Hollywood, introduce us.”

“Sofia, these are a couple of my brothers, Hayes and Ghost Pepper. Guys, this is Sofia, she works with Haley, and she brought the cookies to us.”

God, do all these guys look like they could be models? I am very intimidated right now, but they both give me huge smiles.

“It’s nice to meet you both.” I smile, which I hope isn’t dorky.

The one nicknamed Ghost Pepper reaches out and grabs my hand, kissing the back of it. “Those cookies were so delicious, beautiful.” He gives me a wink and then stands to his full height.

“All right, get out of here, assholes,” Rhett urges.

I look at him and smile. “What is with the name Ghost Pepper?”

“We all use nicknames. It’s just always been that way. Cooper’s is Marchy, and Ghost Pepper’s real name is Myles.”

I cross my legs. “And you’re Hollywood. Is it because your first name is Rhett?” Taking a drink of my pop. I am mesmerized by the slow, sexy grin that appears on his face.

“Partly, my full name is Rhett Butler Ferguson. Mom is a big Gone with the Wind fan. It also doesn’t hurt that I’m very good-looking.” He throws his arm around my shoulder.

I start giggling, yes giggling. “You’re so full of yourself, aren’t you?” I bump him with my shoulder.

Rhett pulls me into his side, and my insides go berserk. I want to wrap myself around him with my head on his shoulder and I don’t understand why. I just met him. Maybe it’s because he saved me, carrying me out of my apartment. I’d passed out before we were out of it. I woke up in the hospital.

“Hollywood, I need you,” Cooper hollers from the grill.

“I better go.” Rhett stands up and I watch him walk away.

Crap, he is so far out of my league. What is this? I’m sure it’s just because he rescued me and he is just a nice person.

“Sofia?” A brunette with a smattering of freckles comes over smiling. “Hi, I’m Skye. I’m with Grayson, or as the boys call him, Hawk.” She signals with her hand, pointing to a man who has bad boy written all over him. He’s got dark hair, and I can’t see his eyes. The guy has tattoos all over, at least what I can see.

“It’s nice to meet you.” I’m so awkward around new people. “What do you do?”

She smiles at me, maybe she can tell I’m nervous. “I’m a hair stylist. Your hair color is so gorgeous, don’t ever dye it.”

“I-I won’t.”

Haley calls out it’s time to eat so I walk slowly toward the tables piled high in food. My stomach growls and I can’t wait to eat.

5

Rhett

I jump up into the back of the ambulance and strap the medical bag in the back. We just responded to a pileup on I-24. People in a goddamned hurry caused this. Traffic is finally starting to flow again after we got the vehicles cleared, the people needing it, got medical attention, and the ones worse off were loaded onto ambulances and taken to the hospital.

Climbing behind the wheel, we follow our engine back to the station and once we’re parked, I hop out and grab my gear, putting it away.

“Hollywood? Any luck with the redhead?” Atta yells, causing everyone to look at me and start snickering.

Let me back up. The cookout last weekend was great. I spent a lot of time with Sofia, and I’m fucking smitten. In all my twenty-eight years I’ve never been smitten, but fuck me, this girl has done it, making me that way. I don’t think she’s totally realized it.

She went to leave the barbecue before me, but I had stopped her before she could. “Hey, it was nice hanging out with you and getting to know you today.”

Sofia’s cheeks had turned an adorable shade of pink. “It was nice hanging out with you too.”

“Can I get your number and call you sometime?” I pulled out my cell phone and she told me her number. After I plugged it into my phone, I quickly sent her a text. Her phone pinged. “Now you have mine too.”

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