Page 16 of Five Alarm Love
“Tuli.”She smoothed the navy EMS uniform material over her trim figure, but her warm brown gaze didn’t meet his.Her long, dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail that emphasized the smooth skin of her neck.
He’d missed seeing her this week.Missed her quiet, calm, and shy smile that brightened his day.He had missed the gentle ribbing she sometimes aimed in his direction.There was always a sense of history mixed with future possibilities with Lou that got him in the feels.
Lou’s brows drew together as she studied him.She had always been way too perceptive.“Everything okay?”
Tuli bore most of his weight on the left leg.“I’m good.How are you doing?”His right leg quivered.Hopefully, it wasn’t noticeable.
“You sure you’re good, boss?”Hunter walked over, moving easily in sixty pounds of turnout gear and holding his helmet and respirator in his arms.“Because you had some issues back there.”
Gritting his teeth, Tuli said, “I had things under control.”
“That was under control?Your leg gave out on you, man.You should get that checked out.There’s a medic right here.”
“Tuli?”Lou said, extending a hand to him.
The sour taste of shame coated his tongue, and new sweat irritated his back.He wanted to lash out at Hunter.Deny weakness.
He wanted to appear strong, adept, and whole in front of Lou.Like someone who was worthy of her time.
He bluffed in the only way he knew how.“Naw, that was just a bad step on burnt flooring.Freak accident.”He smacked his gloved hand against his leg, ignoring how the impact felt both dull and hot at the same time.“Leg’s fine.”
“Huh.Bad time to put the wrong foot forward.”Hunter’s smile slid over to Lou, but when it landed back on Tuli, it had turned into a sneer.“Hey, glad I could be there to save some lives and help a buddy out.”Onlybuddysounded like he saidloser.Nothing about Hunter’s perfect jaw and hero swagger looked like a buddy to Tuli.
“Good you were there,” Tuli managed to say through a clamped jaw.He’d give credit where it was due, even if the guy irritated the piss out of him.
Lou’s raised-brow expression shifted from concern to pity.
Tuli’s pride deflated like a stuck balloon.
Damn it.
“How did the rest of the homestead look?”Tuli asked, steering the conversation away from his physical weaknesses.
Hunter looked toward the smoldering ruins.“Nothing else caught on fire.No evidence of foul play.”
Tuli snorted.“Your job isn’t evaluating for arson.The state trooper fire investigation team takes care of that.”
He threw up a gloved hand.“Just giving my two cents that I didn’t see any obvious materials, cans of accelerant, or anything like that.”
“That’s really specific.”
Hunter’s voice came out like a whip.“Sue me for going the extra mile.”He opened his mouth, closed it, and then huffed.“Forget it.”After another beat, Hunter turned on the charm.“Hi, Louise.Fancy meeting you here.Need help with your gear?”
Lou ducked her head, but not before Tuli spied a shy smile.He grimaced.They might be cousins, but, nevertheless, a tight twinge of jealousy twisted in Tuli’s chest.
She zipped up her kit.“I’m okay, thanks,” she murmured, even as Hunter grabbed it and lifted it into the back of the ambulance with an abundance of chest puffing and assistance theater, in Tuli’s opinion.
“No problem,” Hunter said.“You work hard.I can do my part to care for the carers.”
Okay, that was the biggest line of BS Tuli had ever heard.
Also, he was mad because he hadn’t come up with it himself.
She paused, looked around, and finally said, “Um, you too.”
Hard to tell in the low light, but if he knew Lou, she was blushing at the attention.Didn’t matter that Hunter was her first cousin.Tuli knew how much she disliked being in any spotlight.
Hated being noticed.Probably hated when people realized she was pretty.
