Page 28 of Flirting With Fire
My cheeks heated. “Oops. Right.” I rubbed my chin. “Um…”
“We’ll figure it out tomorrow.” Meyer winked. “Does noon work for you? Unless we get called out, that’s when I’ll be taking my breaks.”
Something like peace settled over me, my frazzled nerves finally returning to a place of calm. I’d been holding in so much stress about Meyer since the moment I spotted him on the highway that I’d been worrying myself into an unnecessary frenzy. But now I sensed that, if nothing else, we could be friends.
“Sounds fine. It’s a date.”
Meyer flashed a devilish grin. Clearly, I still hadn’t learned the art ofnotputting my foot in my mouth.
Chapter Nine
Meyer
Ihad a date with Dex. A date! Just him and me, and not with my mom. Okay, it was a lunch date to sign rental forms and hand over the deposit and rent, but he invited me. About the only thing I didn’t need to decide was what I was going to wear. He was hardly going to think I was hot stuff, dressed in the Charming Butte firefighter’s uniform of navy short-sleeved shirt and cargo pants.
I couldn’t wipe the dopey smile from my face as we went through the morning drill session, ignoring the ribbing from Garcia and Pérez. I was happy; sue me. Curly took his position as station mascot seriously, watching us exercise from his position on the truck, and barking when he thought we were slacking.
After coffee and the best tres leches cake I had ever tasted, courtesy of Mrs. Garcia, I volunteered to clean and detail the truck while the others went through a training exercise. It gave me a chance to learn where everything was stored.
As I worked, I noticed Pérez giving me sideways glances.
I turned to regard him. “What’s the look for?”
“Nothing, chief. It’s good to have someone who doesn’t want to sit on their butt the whole shift.”
“The guy who didn’t like Curly?” I scratched the Cane Corso behind the ears, and he leaned in enthusiastically.
Pérez grunted.
“I don’t do so well sitting on my butt,” I admitted. “My crew normally complain that I work them too hard.” I gave him a pointed look.
“Understood,” he grumbled, but I noticed the relieved glances they exchanged.
What had the other guy been like? Once I got my feet under the table, I’d ask more questions.
I hosed down the engine and started to clean it. I loved it when the red paint sparkled in the sunshine. My dad had always impressed on me how important it was that the townsfolk saw their tax dollars were being treated right. I didn’t understand it at the time, but now I did.
“You look happy,” Brannigan observed, watching me as I cleaned the truck.
“I guess things are settling into place, chief. New job, new home.”
When I’d made the decision to move back to Charming, my only thought had been my mom. I hadn’t thought of the logistics. Now I appreciated how easy it had been. A promotion, a new home, and a date. I was one lucky S.O.B..
Brannigan leaned against the wall to watch me. “You’re moving into Dex’s cottage.”
I wasn’t surprised the chief already knew. The whole town probably knew by now.
“I am.” I dropped the sponge in the bucket to look at him. “Is it okay if I take my break at noon? I need to pay the deposit and sign the rental agreement.”
We’d agreed lunch breaks, but I just wanted to check. We’d be covering the shifts between us. In a small town like this, thestructure wasn’t as rigid, but the chief and I would always be on call.
Brannigan waved his hand. “Sure. Lindy will be pleased you’ve found somewhere to live.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Ifound somewhere? She practically forced me on Dex. He didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
“It worked out, didn’t it?”
I held back an eye roll. Of course he was going to take Mom’s side.
