Page 39 of Fall at Once

“Maybe I’ll ask her to dinner. I mean, on an actual date. Not at my house with the kids present. Should I?”

“Hell, yes. Now take off your shirt and get your ass outside. Go for it.” He tossed me his bottle of lotion with a grin.

I caught it, then tossed it back. I’d be keeping my shirt on, thank you very much.

“I haven’t asked anyone out since Sherry, Tate.” The smile slid from my mouth along with the words. Why was admitting my insecurities out loud worse than when they were just torturing me in my head? “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“Other than falling for her, am I right?”

I waited a beat, taking a deep breath through my nose before exhaling loudly to gather whatever courage I had left. “Yeah.” It felt good to admit it. Scary. Real.

“Being in a relationship is not like riding a bike,” he stated. “You don’t do it once, and the rest are the same. I don’t have to tell you this, but I’ll say it anyway. Women are elusive—all of them are different. There is no such thing as a game plan for love, and anyone who says there is is a fool. The good thing is, you’ve been getting to know her. Think about Madi and what would touch her heart and go from there.”

I stared at him for a second.

Where was the sarcasm?

Where was the joke?

“That’s actually good advice.”

“You sound so surprised.” He laughed. “Should I be offended?”

“No. I know you’re a good guy, Tate. You’ve just been?—”

“Broken? Bitter? Extremely disgruntled? The last couple of years have been bullshit, you know that. You were there for it. Divorce sucks.”

“It sure as fuck does.” I took a deep breath in and let it out in a whoosh. Like letting go of a weight I’d been carrying around. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t move on, right?”

“Damn straight. It’s time.” He slapped me on the shoulder.

“You don’t think it’s a mistake? She’s Gigi’s granddaughter. What if it doesn’t work out?”

“But what if it does? Look at it this way. You’ve already fucked it all up by having feelings for her. What are you going to do? Will you watch her date someone else? Watch her bring some dumbass to Gigi’s place for the holidays? No. You need to be that holiday dumbass, Cole.”

“Another good point. It’s rude, but still a good one. You’re twofor two today. I’m impressed. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Listen, you are Colton James Sutter, the baddest-ass older brother in the world. You got this.”

“I got this,” I repeated. Hoping like hell he was right.

Chapter 13

Madi

Ineeded to go straight to church on Sunday and confess my sins. Most of which were made up of impure thoughts thanks to the sight of the shirtless Cozy Creek Fire Brigade and one dark-haired, blue-eyed firefighter, whom I was about to take as many pictures of as was professionally appropriate.

“You’re next, Cole!” Kenzie turned and shouted. He had gone up to his office to get some paperwork done.

“He won’t hear you. He’s all the way upstairs.”

I sent him a text to let him know it was his turn.

She wiggled her fingers together beneath her chin and cackled at me. “Dude, your face is so red. Try to chill out, okay? Or he will figure out exactly how hard you’re crushing on him.”

“Shut up!” I hissed. “The guys will hear you. Dang, Kenzie.”

“No, they won’t. They’re all back in their little firefighter garage, playing with their hoses. No one will hear me from all the way down here.” She was sitting on the back of the old firetruck, swinging her legs and laughing at my nervous dismay as I fiddled with my camera equipment.

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