Page 25 of Tough Nut to Crack

I have no doubt I'll know in full detail by the time I make it to the diner in the morning to grab a breakfast burrito before work.

"Mac," Hayes Campbell says when he steps up on the front porch. "You have a fire?"

"Had," I mutter. "Have a good evening, Mr. and Mrs. McGee."

It takes a few more seconds before the elderly couple takes the hint and shuffles down the front steps of the porch.

"In the kitchen?" Hayes asks. He pushes past me, his turnout gear scraping along my arm as he makes his way into my house. "Aw shit. Sorry, ma'am. Didn't see you standing there."

I don't know if the Lindell Fire Chief would apologize if he heard the way that woman speaks, but I fully understand the courtesy.

"Hayes," Riley says with a dip of her head as he passes by.

"What happened?" Hayes asks as he inches closer to the kitchen.

"Grease fire," Riley explains quickly. "I got distracted."

"Oil has a way of getting away from you," Hayes says as if he understands. "Dangerous stuff."

"Yes, sir," she whispers, and I hate the way the words sound on her tongue, especially directed at another man.

I take a step forward. "Maybe it's time for you to go."

Riley's eyes search my face, and I know Hayes is standing there watching this interaction.

"I'll come back later for my things," she whispers, and I can see that she's on the verge of more tears.

"I'll drop them at your house. I'd prefer it if you never came back to my house. You've done enough damage."

My words are hateful, hurtful, and they're intentional. I'd rather the woman hate me and get mad every time a thought of me enters her head rather than have tears staining her cheeks.

She swallows as her eyes narrow, and I know that I've done what I set out to do.

"Have a good evening, Hayes," she says in a sickly sweet tone before looking at me with a sneer. "Have the night you deserve, asshole."

"I get the feeling that you both got a little distracted tonight," Hayes says with humor in his voice once she's gone. "Was it worth it?"

I turn my attention back to the man but find it difficult to look him in the eyes when I lie.

"Not even close."

Chapter 11

Riley

I let myself stew in my anger all night and all day, but when it came time for dinner, I knew I couldn't leave the man without anything to eat.

Instead of making my normal-sized meal, I made enough for two. After eating, I left a plate for him on his porch when there was no answer after ringing the bell.

I did the same again today. Only when I step up on the porch, I see the plate of food I left yesterday untouched. Anger swims inside of me.

I know I played a part in what happened the other night. I'm the one who turned up the fire under the grease to an unsafe level, but I had every intention of being there and turning it back down once it reached the temperature I needed for the spring rolls.

Mac was the one who interrupted all of that. I've never started a fire in a kitchen before because I've never been literally swept off my feet and fucked stupid while cooking.

He blames me. He made it very clear, but I figured in his anger at the immediate situation, he said things he didn't mean. It's why this food was sort of a peace offering. I didn't actually think he never wanted me to show up, but I know he strategically left my things on my front porch while I wasn't there. My house doesn't have a garage, so he had to have waited for a time when my car wasn't in the driveway to bring my things back.

I found them on my porch in the fifteen minutes I was gone running an errand. The grumpy bastard doesn't even have the balls to face me, and that irritates me more than anything.

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