Page 8 of Come Back to Me

Jack is sitting on the ground in the corner with a front-row seat to my one woman shit show of a meltdown.Well, isn’t this perfect, Annie, just perfect…

“Oh God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize anyone was here… I’m just upset he died. The guy you and Fitz brought in, I mean. Obviously, it was the likely outcome with how bad he looked when he got here, but it’s still upsetting. And he has a wife and a kid…” Oh hell, I’m totally stress rambling, I realize. Embarrassed, I back up.

“Hey, no… it’s okay. Don’t leave,” he says as he rises and puts his hands up like I’m a cornered animal. “I’m guessing maybe this is your space. I didn’t mean to intrude or startle you. I’m just waiting out here getting some air while Fitz finishes getting his stitches—he got cut on the scene.”

He makes to walk away and, damn it, why can I not focus on anything except how hot he looks in his turnout gear and boots? Something is seriously wrong with me. I mean, really? Loose yellow Kevlar pants held up with suspenders and wearing fire boots… Why is that so hot? Maybe it’s the navy blueElladine FireT-shirt that hugs his arms and chest, which I can’t help but notice are nicely chiseled with muscle. He’s got to be at least six-feet two-inches, based on how much taller he is than my five-foot seven-inch frame.Classy, Annie, real classy. Your patient just died and you’re out here lusting over a firefighter like a horn dog.

I quickly gain my composure. “No, stay. Please. There’s enough space out here for us both to sit. And I promise I’ll control my foul mouth for the next few minutes. I apologize. It’s… it’s a flaw of mine.”

I slide down the brick wall and sit on the ground. He looks down at me with the most gorgeous light gray eyes I’ve ever seen, the right side of his mouth curving up slightly, bringing out that dimple, and then he sits across from me.

We sit quietly for three or four minutes. When I can’t stand it any longer, I glance up at him. He’s staring down at his boots like he’s lost in thought.

“If you’re a lieutenant at Three, why haven’t I seen you on runs before?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

Lifting those gorgeous gray eyes to meet mine, he answers quietly, “I transferred over from Station One about two weeks ago.”

“Did you get kicked out of Station One for something?”That was rude, Annie.“Shit, I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that. When I’m upset, I lose my filter and say stupid things,” I try to explain.

Smirking at me, he chuckles, then answers, “Nope, not kicked out, fortunately.” Breaking eye contact, he looks down at his hands. “I’m… I’m up for promotion to captain and the opening will be at Three. Our Chief wanted me to transfer early, make sure we’re all a good fit. That kind of stuff.” His cheeks are actually a little pink and, if I didn’t know that most men in this field are testosterone-fueled braggarts, I’d think he was actually humble.

We make small talk for a few more minutes and then I stand to head back in, just as Fitz comes walking out of the ER. Jack stands as well.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Jack. Again, sorry for my mouth and that you had to see my… tantrum. Also, for maybe insulting you.” I say goodbye to Fitz, who I’ve known since I started here at First City, and I turn to head back into the ER, smiling to myself as that damn sexy laugh floats in the air, trailing after me.

CHAPTER 5

ANNIE

“Come on, Ethel, pick up your feet so you don’t trip. No shuffling, remember?” Ethel is the ninety-two-year-old that Teddy and I are helping to the bathroom for the third time already in the last hour.

I’m so tired. These last few weeks have flown by at a dizzying pace.Work has been busy, and I’ve been picking up a few extra shifts to helpandto make more of a dent in my student loans. Today is my fourth twelve-hour shift this week and Ethel, though adorable, is making it seem like my hundredth shift in a row.

Teddy chuckles. “Don’t listen to ‘Crabby Annie’ there, Ethel. She’s just jealous that your skin looks not a day over that of an eighty-year-old.”

I let my mind drift while Teddy pours the flattery on Ethel, who’s eating it up.

Ethel interrupts my train of thought when she gasps. “Look at those two dapper fellows, would you, Annie? Might help your bad mood. Thank God my eyes are still in working order.”

I look up and see Jack and Fitz come in through the ambulance bay about forty feet away from us.

The female nurses and techs are literally tripping over each other as they rush to help, presumably since Jack and Fitz are the ones bringing the patient into the room. I mean, I get it. Individually, they are both attractive. Together, it’s like double the pleasure. But where were they when Ethel was on the call light for the fiftieth time today?

“Jesus, ladies, calm yourselves you horny biatches,” I whisper to myself. I realize Teddy hears me when he laughs out loud.

“What did you say, honey?” Ethel says, making Teddy laugh even harder. Thank goodness Ethel’s hearing isn’t what it once was.

“Nothing, Ethel, nothing.” I smile.

After finally making it to the bathroom, Teddy and I are waiting outside the door for Ethel to finish.

“Those two cause quite the uproar with the ladies whenever they come in, don’t they? Not as much as when I come in, but still…” Teddy chuckles, nodding toward Jack and Fitz, who are wrapping up their paperwork. He clearly caught me staring.

“You know, if Jack makes captain, he’ll be the youngest to ever get that promotion in the department. He’s fucking earned it, too. Anyone who has ever fought a fire with him knows he’s amazing at managing a scene. He’s humble as hell, on top of it. He almost turned down the chance for this promotion because he said he’s sure there’s someone who deserves it more.”

That’s kind of refreshing to hear and hell if doesn’t make Jack Donley even more attractive. I’ve typically found emergency services personnel—whether in medicine, police, fire, or nursing—tend to be adrenaline junkies.

Add that to the testosterone often seen in our malecounterparts and some days feel like one giant pissing contest. So to me, nothing’s sexier than a man in a uniform who actually is the shit but doesn’t seem to feel the need to act like it.

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