Page 14 of Faking It with the Firefighter

Rex’s jaw clenched. “You know what I meant.”

“I have no idea what you mean anymore, Rex. First it was a date, then it was two, and now this.”

From my palm, my brother’s voice said, “Hello? Abigail? Is everything okay?”

I glared at Rex and lifted my hand to put my phone to my ear, but the man plucked it right out of my grip and said, “Hey, man, it’s me.”

“Rex?” my brother’s faint voice asked. “Why do you have my sister’s phone?”

“I needed to ask her a favor. I’ll call you in a bit,” he said, and hung up the phone.

My mouth dropped open. White-hot outrage filled my chest. “You are not the man I thought you were, Rex Montgomery,” I proclaimed, and for a fraction of a second, I didn’t know if I meant it in a good way or a bad way.

Then I came to my senses. I meant it in a bad way. A terrible way. The worst way.

“Give me my phone back.”

He did, then said, “Look. I’ll owe you one for this.”

“I think I’m about done with exchanging favors with you,Rex.” I stared at my phone. All I had to do was dial Gabe again and tell him the truth.

The truth, which was that I’d messed up. Again. I’d gotten in trouble and had to be saved. I’d been impulsive and reckless, and pretty soon it was going to catch up to me. How many more times could I screw my life up before it all came crashing down?

I had a job and a home…for how long?

I was already divorced and painfully single. I couldn’t manage to host a get-together and feed the easiest guests in the world. I went to battle for my friends, but I always took it too far. I shouldn’t have flattened Sebastian’s tires, and I definitely shouldn’t have pulled that fire alarm.

Yeah, I was good at my job. So what?

Screwing up was way too easy for me to do, and Gabe knew it. He wouldn’t even be mad, nor would he be disappointed. He’d beresigned.

Little Abigail Stone, who always managed to mess things up. Who couldn’t keep a house or a husband. Who had trouble boiling water for pasta without causing a small fire. Whose one successful act as a homeowner was installing a new compost bin that was now a receptacle for all her takeout containers and spent coffee cups instead of, you know, whatever people usually put in their compost. Egg shells? Grass clippings? What the hell did I know!

“Abigail,” Rex said, and I looked up to see his brows drawn, a pleading look in his eyes. “Please. No one could pull this off except for you.”

Oh, he was good. With that one sentence, he made me forget that I was the family fuckup; instead, I was the woman who was going to save him. And because it was Rex, I knew hewasn’t actually trying to be manipulative. Heactuallybelieved that I could help him. That I wouldn’t mess it up.

And I was a weak, sad little woman, because it worked on me. The best guy I knew told me he needed me, that he believed in me, and that validation tasted like the first drink of water after a long hike through Shenandoah National Park.

I sighed, my shoulders dropping. “Why didn’t you tell him to book somewhere out of town? Why this?” I waved a hand at my house.

Rex shoved his fingers through his hair, and for a moment, he looked like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. He wasn’t the happy-go-lucky guy who always did the right thing. He wastired.

“Donny…” Rex shrugged. “I’ve always taken care of him. Ever since Dad died. Even before that. You know?”

I gave him a wry smile. “I don’t, actually. I think I’m the Donny in my relationships.”

Rex snorted. “You’re a successful businesswoman who doesn’t take any shit, Abigail. You and Donny aren’t in the same universe.”

I stood up a little straighter, uncomfortable with the praise. “Right. Well. You know. Maybe he should learn to handle his own screwups?”

“He should,” Rex agreed. “He will. But he’s getting married, and he’s getting marriedto Blair, and…” He trailed off.

Suddenly, I understood. “If you don’t help him, it’ll look like you’re sabotaging the wedding because you’re hung up on your ex.”

Rex met my gaze, nodding. He took a step closer and reached for my arm. His hand was warm against my skin, histhumb brushing the inside of my elbow. It felt intimate and thrilling, and it made me want to lean toward him like a sunflower finding the light. His eyes were liquid night as he said, “I promise to bail you out of jail without question for the rest of your life. And you won’t have to pay me back.”

Snorting, I tore my arm away from his grip. My gaze landed on the bed, and I thought of the other bed upstairs. The one we’d be sharing. My pulse beat a little harder, so I could feel it thumping in my neck and the crook of my elbow where Rex had stroked me. I crossed my arms. “I can’t believe I’m agreeing to this. What are we going to tell Gabe?”

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