Page 59 of Attraction & Repulsion

“I did, and I’m sorry. I feel horrible.”

“If this is going to work between us, you can’t talk to me like that,” he said.

“I know, and I agree.” She unclenched her fists.

Jax let her response hang in the air between them.

“Good,” he finally said. Then his arms fell to his sides, and he let out a sigh, nodding to the area behind him. “Would you like to see inside?”

Carson followed him behind the building to a set of rolling bay doors. A fire engine was inside, its brilliant red paint the focal point of the garage. On the side was a sizable gold71, tagging it to this station. It had been years, back when she was a teenager, since she had been this close to a fire engine. She’d forgotten about the abundance of tools, buttons, latches, and compartments they were equipped with.

Two other firefighters occupied the garage. One she recognized from Hunter’s birthday party months ago. What was his name? Tom? Tim? Yes, Tim. The guy who’d told her about the wire almost beheading a kid. He held a clipboard in his hand, counting equipment on the ground in front of him. The other person she couldn’t see because they were hidden behind one of the engine’s compartment doors.

“Well, hey there,” Tim greeted before slipping the clipboard onto a hook just behind him. “It’s Carson, right? From Hunter’s birthday party.”

“Yes,” she confirmed. “Good to see you again.”

There was a slamming of metal behind them. Turning to look, the man walking up to her made Tim look like a regular person. Instead of a navy T-shirt with matching work pants, he wore a freshly pressed, white button-up with a long black necktie. In order to maintain eye contact, Carson had to tilt her head up. The man was bald but had the thickest handlebar-mustache she had ever seen and a set of matching eyebrows. He was the very definition of a stereotypical firefighter.

“Chief, this is Carson. Carson, this is Battalion Chief Bardot,” Jax introduced them.

When she lifted her hand to shake the chief’s, it swallowed hers whole. “It’s very nice meeting you, Chief.”

“You are as beautiful as Jax described you,” the chief said in a baritone voice that could shake the earth. “If Tim hadn’t met you, we’d believe Jaxmade you up.” He flashed a toothy smile.

“I’m happy to hear that Jax only says good things about me behind my back,” she said, even though she didn’t deserve it.

“We wouldn’t let him say anything else,” Tim assured her.

“I’m very happy to finally meet Miller’s lady,” the chief said, “but I apologize, as I must get back to something.” With one last smile he headed toward a door that led into the main building.

“Did Jax tell you I’m retiring?” Tim asked.

“No, he didn’t.”

“Yep, next year.” Tim slapped Jax on the shoulder. “Trying to get this guy to replace me as captain.”

“I told them I’d think about it,” Jax said. “Now, Cap’, if you’ll excuse us, I’d like to show her the rest of this place.”

“Nice seeing you again, Captain,” Carson called over her shoulder as Jax pulled her toward the same door the chief disappeared through.

The door led into a hallway with concrete walls littered with papers, pictures, and bulletin boards. Jax identified certain doors as they passed: the battalion chief’s office, a utility closet, the facilities, and a training room. The hallway opened into the front administrative area with a meager fire-memorabilia museum shoved in one corner.

They passed under an archway into what Jax called the dorms: a small room with a mediocre kitchen and television. Two doors on the back wall were labeledBunksandShowers. Carson half expected it to smell like sweat. Instead, it smelled like a citrus wall plugin.

“Welcome to my home away from home,” Jax said, spreading his arm out toward the room.

Carson nodded appreciatively. “It’s a lot smaller than I imagined.”

“There’s only five crew members here at a time,” he explained. “We don’tneed that much space.”

Stepping over to the couch, Carson placed her hand on the soft fabric, turning to him. As if studying her reaction to his living quarters Jax watched her carefully.

“Garrett brought up junior partner today,” she said.

“Really? Is he going to promote you?”

She shook her head. “No. At least not yet. But he said he’s going to start thinking about it again.”

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