Page 17 of Five Alarm Love
Hell, shewaspretty—
He peered at her smooth skin, high cheekbones, and faint smile.
Tuli rocked back on his heels.
No, Lou wasn’t pretty.She was beautiful.
Tuli wanted to lean into her space as she loaded her equipment.Damn it, he had no claim to Lou.Not like that, anyway.
Was that a true feeling or jealousy talking?Not having two working legs had done a number on Tuli’s already shaky self-confidence, more than he cared to admit.
“Tell Uncle Steve that I’ll call about a day to go fishing soon,” Hunter said, clearly trying to claim all of her attention.
Lou pulled the ambulance keys out of her pocket.“How has it been, being back in Yukon Valley?”
“Those years away were tough.”He made a face like he had eaten a tart salmonberry.“Dad’s glad I’m in town, so I guess that’s something.Sounds like your dad and mom are happy I’m back too.”He took a few steps toward the driver’s side door and leaned against the rig.“For many reasons, it’s so nice being home and helping people.”
None of what he said sounded remotely sincere.
If Tuli rolled his eyes any harder, he’d be looking at his own butt.
If Hunter would kindly go away, Tuli could talk with Lou in private.He opened his mouth to tell the guy to check that the hose was properly stowed.
Hunter said, “I’d love to catch up sometime.Hear what’s been going on with the village and in town.”
On the one hand, they were cousins, so of course they had some catching up to do.They were family.
On the other hand, warm, slimy shame that Hunter had managed to do the thing Tuli hadn’t been able to washed over him.Cousin or no cousin, Hunter had platonically asked Lou out.Of course, not for a date.But still, her time was a commodity that Tuli cherished.She didn’t need to waste it on Hunter.A rumble formed in the back of Tuli’s throat.
Lou’s eyes went wide, and she looked around, catching Tuli’s gaze.Oh crap.He knew that expression.She had read the room, so to speak, and had taken up her usual position as the peacemaker.
She stammered, “Um… I’m not really up to, uh, my schedule is not good…”
Tuli connected the dots.Figured out the hesitation.The bozo she had dated last year was Hunter’s BFF.Hell of a conflict of interest, if you asked him.Didn’t matter that Lou’s and Hunter’s dads were brothers.
Hunter rested a gloved hand on the side of the ambulance.
He intoned, “This is the part where you let me know your schedule.”She opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and Hunter continued, louder, “Or I could always call 911 and have dispatch broadcast my request to the local EMS team.”He laughed but seemed unaware that literally no one around him was laughing with him.
Lou ducked her head, but Tuli caught how her hand was shaking as she opened the ambulance door.
Stop it, man.She hates making a scene.Hates being the center of any attention.Nearly twenty years of friendship had taught Tuli that much.
“Yo, Hunter, we have some work to do,” he said, rolling his hands into hard fists to provide an outlet for his anger.
How had this tool disrupted Tuli’s plans to ask Lou out?
“In a sec, boss.”Hunter ignored the chain of command and leaned down toward Lou, his physically imposing size obvious next to her slight frame.“How about something fun, like hanging out as friends?Not just cousins.We were friends before all that junk with Ryan, right?”
Lou murmured, “Sort of.We’re related, at least.”
“Friends.Cousins.Like old times.”This guy with zero situational awareness wasn’t taking no for an answer.
Lou didn’t have an argumentative bone in her body.“I guess…”
Hunter looked around, waggling his eyebrows at Tuli and grinning like he’d bagged the season’s biggest caribou.Also, the guy bared way too many teeth.“Good.We’ll catch up later this week, Louise.”
“It’s Lou,” Tuli ground out.
