Page 7 of Trouble

“Now that’s an offer I wouldn’t turn down,” Mel whispers.

Fuck. I can practically feel the caress of her breathy voice against my cheek.

With a wink, I press my teeth into my bottom lip. Yeah, I’m going to make this woman forget all her problems tonight.

“Everyone else here?” I ask Daniel, craning my neck and searching for the rest of my guys. Beckett rounded up a good chunk of players from both the baseball and hockey teams so that he could help raise money for Declan’s department. As much as Dec complains about his brother-in-law, he’s gotta be grateful that the man cares so deeply.

Daniel points to Brooks, Aiden, and Gavin Langfield—Beckett’s brothers—who are standing with their significant others and laughing as one of our other wingers, Camden Snow, gestures wildly. “The rookies are in Jorgenson’s car, and Parker should be here shortly with his wife. He’s riding with Cortney Miller.”

I nod. “Good. Let’s all meet up at Thames after. You staying at your dad’s tonight or driving back to Boston?”

His dad is Ford Hall, the lucky bastard who married Lake.

Daniel grins. “Heading back to Boston. Although…” He eyes Mel, who is currently talking to Lake. “If she were staying at my dad’s, I could make an exception.”

An irrational flare of possessiveness hits me as he givesher a once-over. I have to flex my fingers to keep from grabbing her hip and pulling her toward me.

She’s younger than me—as well as much closer in age to Daniel, who is only twenty-four—and I don’t do possessive, so the sensation baffles me.

Declan steps closer, and the scent of him—clean, masculine soap mixed with the hint of fire—infiltrates my senses. “I gotta go. I’ll see you after.” He nods at me, then at Daniel.

Before he can disappear, I grab his shoulder and lean in close. “I’ll bring Mel down to the bar after so you don’t have to worry about rushing. Meet us there when you’re done?”

Declan glances at my hand on his shoulder, his brows furrowed, and the smallest hint of dread works its way through me, so I release him. Shit. He’s weird about being touched.

His expression clears, and he nods. “Sure. I’ll see you there.”

I give him a playful smile. “I’d say text me when you’re on your way, but I know you won’t, so…”

He huffs, his expression darkening. “You’re never going to stop with that, are you?”

Without waiting for me to respond, he disappears into the crowd.

When I turn back, Daniel is watching me with a curious frown. “What?”

“You two ever…?” His eyes widen, but he doesn’t finish the question.

I have to laugh. My extracurricular activities are no secret. His aren’t either. Hell, the guys on the team call him Playboy. It’s common knowledge that I bring men or women back to my hotel room after games to unwind. Sometimes both. But Declan? Yeah, no. He hasn’t known how to have fun since college. And he’s definitely not comfortable with a man’s touch, let alone sex with a man.

“Nah. Just friends.” Family, really. Our friendship is the most meaningful and longest lasting connection I’ve ever had. And likely ever will. With a playful grin to hide the bitterness I sometimes feel when I think of him as only a friend, I add, “The man can’t even bother to text me back.”

Track 2

BAD LIAR

CHAPTER 5

Declan

“Didyou see how many reporters were here?” Shawn asks as we finish tidying up the station. The event raised an insane amount of money. Thank fuck. Already, the constant heartburn that plagues me has eased up a bit. Multiple massive fires over the last year have wiped out just about all of our resources, and we’ve been running on fumes. If the loss of our chief in a fire weren’t heartbreaking enough, add to it the dent it put in the number of applications we’ve received. People are scared, and I can’t blame them. Then, to make matters worse, even if we had applicants, we haven’t had the money to hire any. We need recruits. Volunteers aren’t going to cut it any longer. Our town is over thirty miles wide, and the buildings downtown date back to the Civil War. Grandfathered electrical, lead paint, and empty warehouses make fires not only more likely but also much more likely to spread when they get going.

We need properly trained people and updated equipment.

After tonight, I’ll rest a little easier. Not only did Beckett’s event bring in hundreds of thousands of dollars, but Shawn was right about the media coverage being huge. With any luck, we’ll receive more donations once our charming town is featured on the news.

“Not your scene?” I joke.

Shawn laughs as he leans against the fireengine. “Even less so yours.”

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